Biking: the Heritage Rail Trail
The York County Heritage Rail Trail is a recreational trail in southern Pennsylvania that follows the tracks of the old Northern Central Railway (NCR) from the Maryland line to the Colonial Courthouse in downtown York. In it’s heyday, the Northern Central was a busy carrier of farm and industrial products between Sunbury, PA, and Baltimore, MD. The railway also provided passenger service in its earlier days and carried President Lincoln on the way to deliver his Gettysburg Address in 1863.
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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