COME
WALK THE LENGTH OF
HERITAGE
RAIL TRAIL COUNTY PARK
WITH
US
Heritage Rail Trail County Park is one of eight parks within the
York County Department of Parks and Recreation. Extending more
than twenty-one miles, the park winds through scenic areas of York County.
This linear park connects the historic district of downtown York, Pennsylvania
with Maryland’s Northern Central Rail Trail. Adjacent to the trail is the
Northern Central Railway, most of which is not being used at the present time.
The Trail is a 10 foot wide, flat, compacted stone surface
designed for hiking, bicycling, running and horseback riding, as well as winter
sports such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Facilities along the trail include benches, picnic tables and
portable toilets. Trail and facilities are ADA accessible.
Historic features of the trail include: New Freedom Railroad
Station, Hanover Junction Railroad Station and Howard Tunnel, until recently
the oldest operational railroad tunnel in the nation.
Keep in mind the following regulations:
--Pets are permitted only if leashed, and must be cleaned up
after.
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--York County Parks promotes "Carry In, Carry Out"
with respect to trash. --Riders are encouraged to wear approved helmets. |
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FOR ALL
OF THESE EVENTS PLEASE PLAN TO CARRY WATER
Notes
of Interest
From 1838 to 1972 the Northern Central Railroad connected
Baltimore, Maryland with York, Pennsylvania and points north. The historic train
stations in New Freedom and Hanover Junction serve today as reminders of
several note-worthy Civil War events, including a stopover in Hanover Junction
by Abraham Lincoln on his way to deliver his famous Gettysburg Address. Before
the Civil War, the southern boundary of Pennsylvania was considered the
dividing line between the slave and non-slave states. In the 1700’s, a boundary
quarrel arose between Pennsylvania and Maryland. The two agreed to settle the
dispute by having the land surveyed. English astronomers Charles Mason and
Jeremiah Dixon were contacted. They completed their survey in 1767 and the line
was named after them. Club member Joe Shaw, a member of the Mason-Dixon
Foundation has taken part in the retracing of the Mason-Dixon Line.
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Rail Trail Events: |
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