Today the canal continues as a major seaway between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Although the land along the canal is not designated as state park land or improved as recreational trails, the access roads provide an acceptable venue for biking. The C & D Canal had been suggested to us by friends, but we weren’t sure where to start.

We drove into Chesapeake City, MD, on the south bank of the canal and parked at a municipal lot. We found an access to the canal and began riding west. We passed a large freighter docked on the opposite shore. The canal was also filled with pleasure boats and jet skis. However, our ride was interrupted when the access road abruptly ended only about a mile or so from Chesapeake City. So we turned around.

Next we rode south out of town, away from the canal, on MD Route 286 into the farmland. It was all uphill, and we didn’t go very far before Trailwalker suggested turning back. We decided to load the bikes back on the car and to try the other side of the canal. We drove across the MD Route 213 suspension bridge to the north side of Chesapeake City. We could see the access road along the canal, but it took a little while to find a parking spot where we were sure we wouldn’t get ticketed. We finally parked in a gravel lot directly beneath the bridge in what appeared to be public parking.

We started riding east. The access road is paved for about a mile, then it becomes a gravel road. We soon crossed into Delaware, although we didn’t see any official border sign. The gravel surface of the road is fairly even. There are periodic turnoffs and parallel roads at various heights along the bank, but for the most part we stayed right along the shore. The prevailing breeze was to our backs, so we knew we’d have to contend with it on the return trip. We watched the pleasure boats speeding by and the occassional freighter and tugboat. You have to remain alert on the road, because the motor vehicles apparently are not accustomed to sharing the road with bicycles. The access roads seem to be used mainly by people fishing the canal. We passed several public wooden piers like the one in the photo. The funny thing is, the State of Delaware does not recommend eating fish from the canal because of unhealthy levels of PCB. Nevertheless, we saw numerous people fishing from the bank and piers.

A few miles into Delaware we passed under the US Route 301 suspension bridge. Further ahead we could see a vertical lift bridge, but for our first time here we did not ride that far. Our trip back was uneventful, except for an encounter between Broken Claw and a barking, unleashed dog. Fortunately, the owner was able to call him back before it got nasty. The wind in our face did make for slower pedaling west, but we made it back to Chesapeake City in due time.

For a number of years the railway operated as the Liberty Limited, a tourist excursion with dinner and theater trains. The recreational trail began as the NCR Trail in Maryland, where it falls under the jurisdiction of the Maryland State Parks. We first encountered the Heritage Trail as a continuation of the NCR from Monkton, MD.

The original Liberty Limited was a luxury overnight train that carried passengers from the Washington, Baltimore, and York corridor to the station at Harrisburg, where they could make connections with the major rail lines to Chicago and points west.

We started our ride at Glen Rock. The trail runs right through the center of town, so it’s easy to find the tracks and the designated parking lot behind the gas station and convenience store. From prior experience, we knew that the uphill direction was to the south, toward New Freedom. In fact, whether you’re riding in Maryland or in Pennsylvania, it’s best to start your ride toward New Freedom, which is topographically the highest point of the trail. So we rode south.

This part of the trail has been open for several years now, and the surface has aged well. The crushed stone has become more crushed and well packed, making for a smooth ride. Along the way are iron mile markers, which reckon the mileage of the original train line. Wooden mile markers reckon the Trail mileage from the Maryland line to York. The trail has a slight uphill grade between Glen Rock and the next town, called Railroad. From there the trail gets just a bit steeper, but it’s not much of a concern unless you’re already exhausted. We were just starting, so it was no problem. As we approached New Freedom, the first sight was the railroad yard. In fact, for about a hundred yards we rode between two rows of railroad cars, leading to the center of town. We stopped for a soda at Paesano’s Pizza, and we briefly browsed the bike shop. Then we hopped back on our bikes for the return trip. The trail runs at such a downhill grade you can practically coast back to Railroad and on to Glen Rock. Or you can gear your bike all the way up, like we did, and feel the breeze at high speed.

When we reached Glen Rock, we decided to keep going north. On the left we passed a property which was notable for its rooster population, some of which were ankle-leashed to their feeder. On the right we passed a farm raising large exotic birds… not sure if they’re emus or cassowaries or what! Anyway, the trail flattens out with no discernible grade all the way to Hanover Junction. This historical site is recognized as the point where President Lincoln changed trains on his way to Gettysburg. It was also where we turned around and headed back to Glen Rock. Our total distance was just under 20 miles.

As a continuation of the NCR, the Heritage Rail Trail provides an excellent site for riding and walking. The trail differs from its counterpart in Maryland in several respects. First of all, the railway is still operational, so the trail runs alongside the tracks, rather than replacing the tracks. As a result, there are numerous crossovers where the recreational trail zigzags back and forth from one side to the other. You have to be aware that you might encounter a moving train. There are also more road crossings, which may be annoying to serious distance cyclists. As a county park, the Heritage is well suited to family recreation. We passed lots of young cyclists. Another amenity is the park benches found all along the trail, bearing donor or memorial plaques. There are picnic tables at several locations. Compared to the trail in Maryland, the Heritage Trail runs through a more populated region. Most of the adjacent property is privately owned, so there are signs which remind users to stay on the trail.

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Although the trail runs geographically uphill from east to west, the grade is hardly noticeable, and the ambient breeze is more likely to affect the effort of pedaling in one direction or the other.

On this Sunday afternoon, we parked the car at the eastern end, called Big Pool Junction. It was still early in the season. The trees had not yet bloomed and the sky was overcast as we started out. The first landmark is the reconstructed tunnel under Ernstville Road. Further along we came to a crossover connection to the C&O Canal Trail, marked for those riding to Fort Frederick State Park . Although the WMRT eastern terminus is less than a mile from the Fort Frederick entrance, park officials recommend the longer route via the C&O, to avoid traffic on the highway. The two trails run parallel, and the C&O is often visible through the trees, on the other side of the muck and swamp of the abandoned canal.

The first three miles of the ride run through forest and meadow. On the right there is a dairy farm with one huge silo and three smaller ones. Depending on the direction of the breeze, you may catch the familiar scent of fresh manure. We did. Another interesting homestead along the trail includes a private putting green, complete with sand trap. Along this section we also observed the local wildlife. We saw a herd of deer, as Broken Claw counted fourteen whitetails before they disappeared over the ridge toward the river. We also saw several wild turkeys in a meadow. Besides the usual rabbits and squirrels, we saw some magnificent blue jays. We also passed a small snake on the trail, but we didn’t stop to identify the species. After about three miles, the trail comes quite close to I-70 and follows the interstate highway to Hancock. Despite the noise of the traffic, the trail still provides a considerable feeling of isolation and protection.

We were not alone on the trail, as we passed other cyclists, walkers, and inline skaters. Horses and motorized vehicles (excluding electric mobility aids) are prohibited. It was certainly not crowded, but I’m sure the trail gets more usage in the summer months. We passed one young family who were coping with a predicament. The father was riding his bike, carrying a child’s bike across his handlebars, while pulling a child’s towcart with two passengers! The mother was following behind on her bike with a blanket tied around her waist. Obviously they had planned to pull the baby in the towcart and have the older child ride her own bike. But sometimes plans just don’t work out.

The rest of the trip was rather uneventful. Along the trail there are several markers which explain some points of historical significance. At the lower end of Little Pool, another part of the C&O Canal, there is a scenic foot bridge connection to the Canal Trail. For most of this section, the trail runs between, and within sight of, I-70 and the Canal Trail, with the Potomac River on the far side. The WMRT is maintained by the State of Maryland, under the jurisdiction of Fort Frederick State Park. It runs adjacent to the C&O Canal Trail, which falls under the jurisdiction of the US National Park Service. So all along the trail, between the two, you will see small white tree signs marking the boundary of US federal land.

As the trail approaches downtown Hancock, it runs behind businesses, including a restaurant where diners can watch the trail travelers passing by. We waved, and they waved back. By the time we reached the trail end at Pennsylvania Avenue, the sun made its appearance, and the temperature warmed up as well. The town of Hancock provides all the services for travelers on both trails: restaurants, groceries, bike supplies, etc. The Canal itself is maintained as a town park in conjuction with the Little Tonoloway Creek picnic area. One advantage to having the two trails in parallel is to allow for a different route in each direction. However, since our trip was following several days of rain, we decided to keep to the paved WMRT for the return trip as well.

After arriving back at the Big Pool Junction parking lot, we loaded our bikes on the car and drove over to the Fort Frederick State Park for Trailwalker’s picnic lunch. Fort Frederick is a massive stone structure, originally built as Maryland’s frontier defense during the French and Indian War of the mid-1700′s. The fort was restored in recent years and offers an impressive visual history lesson. We had our picnic at a table near the concession shop, during which time we were startled by the boom of a canon blast!

After our lunch we headed over to the fort. As you can imagine, the fort has only one entrance. Inside we saw a few people in period costumes “practicing” for a major reenactment which is held anually on the grounds. We visited the reconstructed barracks, where we could walk inside and try to envision military life in the 18th century. Except during special events, there is no admission charge to the park grounds. During summer months there is a fee to enter the fort.

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We prefer to call it the Gold Mine Trail because we started from the eastern access off Gold Mine Road, which is known to the local population as an infamous roller-coaster mountain backroad. The name, of course, comes from a legendary gold mine and long-deserted village.

The trail runs on the abandoned right-of-way of the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad built in the mid-1800′s to carry coal from the mining operations around the town of Rausch Gap to the Susquehanna River. Later the railroad was converted to an excursion train to the resort of Cold Spring. Today Gold Mine Trail is maintained by the Pennsylvania Game Commission as an access road for the state game lands. Once a year they open the trail to motor vehicles for a one-way drive west to east.

We were riding with my brother and sister-in-law, who had ridden part of the trail before. We parked the car at the state lot off Gold Mine Road in Lebanon County. From there, the trail extends eastward for a couple miles into Schuylkill County where it ends at a reservoir. I remember hiking that trail 30 years ago with my church youth group. But today, we want to ride west. There had been severe thunderstorms the night before, and the skies were overcast, so we were prepared for muddy conditions and the possibility of more rain. We were glad to find the trail in excellent condition despite the rain. After a short distance we encountered our first obstacle where a small tree had been blown down across the trail. We had little trouble pushing it out of the way. The trail surface was quite smooth, considering it is maintained only for off-road type vehicles. The part we rode had gentle slopes which were practically imperceptible by the optical illusion of looking down a long straight path through the woods. It seemed like only our change in speed, or the effort needed to maintain a speed, gave any real clue as to the slope of the ride. A few miles into the ride we crossed a bridge over a rushing stream. We decided we would stop there on the way back. Along the way we passed a dozen or so other cyclists. We also saw several single-track trails heading up and down the mountainside.

St. Anthony’s Wilderness is the second-largest road-free area in Pennsylvania, and it is criss-crossed by numerous trails. Our only drawback was that we were on a time restriction. We had a birthday party to attend that afternoon. So when we reached a large fallen tree blocking the trail at around the 7.5 mile point, we decided it was time to turn back. On the return trip, Broken Claw noticed where the railroad once had a spur northward up the mountain toward the gap. We stopped at the bridge as planned.

The bridge is significant for a number of reasons. It crosses Rausch Creek, which drains the upper valley into Stony Creek. Rausch Gap, besides being the geographical gap in the mountains, was the name of the mining village of the 19th Century mentioned above. Also at the bridge the Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses Gold Mine Trail. While we consider Gold Mine Trail to run east-west, and the Appalachian Trail to run north-south, the zigzag nature of mountain trails produces one of those directional anomalies. Heading “west” on the Gold Mine Trail, you have to turn right to go “south” on the Appalachian Trail!

I have since learned that this section of the AT was actually relocated during World War II to circumvent Indiantown Gap Military Reservation (now Fort Indiantown Gap). Rausch Gap is known to AT hikers because it has one of the most unique shelters along the Trail, built into the stone foundations and chimneys that are the only remains of the old mining village. However, overuse in recent years seems to have left it in disrepair.

Another feature at the bridge is a project of Penn State University. All you can see is a large vertical pipe emptying treated water into the creek. It’s kind of spooky because you can’t see where the pipe or the water comes from out here in the wilderness. Anyway, from the brief explanation on the sign, it has something to do with the de-acidification of forest headwaters.

All in all, it was a great day to ride. The weather turned out much better than we expected. The skies remained mostly cloudy, keeping the temperature comfortable, but we didn’t have any rain, and sunshine broke through several times. We definitely plan to return so we can ride further, take more pictures of the sylvan landscapes and maybe explore some of the side trails.

You can also see the remains of the light rail system that was built to carry men and supplies to the Conowingo Dam construction site. On our first trip to Susquehanna, we parked the car at the mill. We kept to the road along the river and rode about 6 miles with a stop at the Lapidum Landing. When Trailwalker bought herself a new bike, we ventured deeper into the woods.

From the footbridge across Deer Creek, Broken Claw led the way northward onto the riverbank trail, which is used mainly by fisherman. At first, Trailwalker had her doubts about taking her new bike on this narrow, windy, bumpy, muddy trail. It was slow going most of the way, especially when the trail was blocked by fallen trees. Although we had no map, we knew the old trail continued all the way to the Conowingo Dam, and with the river on the right there was no way we could get lost, so we just kept going. We were both surprised when the riverbank foot trail suddenly interesected with an actual maintained recreational trail! It was built on the old railroad bed, and some of the rails were still visible. The trail even includes a new boardwalk-type bridge over a swampy area.

This section of the trail is about 2 miles long and ends at the visitors parking lot below Conowingo Dam. When we rode back, we followed the new bike trail to the end where it connects to the paved road. From there it was a few miles past the picnic area back to the mill. Since then, we have found references to this area as part of the Mason-Dixon Trail and the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway. This latter name applies more to a management plan than to a complete trail. The plan, which is often cited in the local newspapers, calls for a contiguous recreational trail on both sides of the lower river. Part of the trail, from Havre de Grace to Conwingo, is actually listed in the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board’s long range capital projects. The estimated year of completion is 2020!

On a subsequent visit to the park in early summer, we took the hiking trail south from the mill. The trail leads inland from the gravel road, up the ridge, then downriver. At one point we were momentarily confused where the trail seemed to end abruptly in a mass of vegetation. We were ready to turn back, when Trailwalker finally identified the trail on the other side of the overgrowth. The trail ended only a few yards further along at the paved road leading to the public boat ramp at Lapidum Landing. Susquehanna State Park contains several single-track trails throughout the park, over the ridges and through the woods to the campground and picnic areas, for more intense mountain biking.

Our neighbor, Biller’s Bikes, offers bicycle rental and delivery service around Susquehanna State Park.