launched service between Harrisburg and Chambersburg in 1837 and grew south all the way to Winchester, Virginia. The railroad became contentious during the Civil War as it delivered Union troops and supplies into Southern territory; Confederates destroyed a section of tracks in Chambersburg, but the Union had the train running again in a week.
The last operator, Conrail, donated the railroad right-of-way to the Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails Council in 1995. The nonprofit finished nearly 10 miles of trail by 2006 and then set about acquiring the segment that extends to Carlisle in 2011. A 1-mile section in Carlisle, beginning at Allen Road, was completed in 2017, and 2018 saw an additional 2 miles open in Newville, with a goal of eventually connecting to Carlisle.
The path is mostly crushed limestone, though sections in Shippensburg and Newville are asphalt, as are numerous road crossings along the way. The trail is open dawn–dusk, and bicyclists are required to wear helmets. Also, equestrians must keep to the grass alongside the trail, except at road crossings.
If you start in Shippensburg, visit the railroad museum in an old boxcar at the trailhead. Or take advantage of several restaurants and diners located near Shippensburg University. For history buffs, a dozen Civil War and agricultural history signs are posted along the route.
Shippensburg, settled in 1730, was the first community in the Cumberland Valley and was home to a fort during the French and Indian War. Three blocks from the trailhead in downtown, which was occupied by Confederate forces, Civil War historical markers are common.
The Blue and South Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania flank the trail’s namesake valley.
Leaving town, you’ll pass the Shippensburg University campus and arrive at another trailhead at Shippensburg Township Community Park in 1 mile. The trail is wooded for the next 2 miles and then opens up for wide-ranging views of farms and pastureland on the way to Newville. You might see an Amish family with a horse and buggy as you cross roads along the way. Also, the trail council is known for employing goats to consume invasive weeds growing along the path.
At 6.3 miles, you’ll pass through Oakville, a stop on the Cumberland Valley Railroad and now a shady picnic spot. Another 3.8 miles of travel takes you to the Newville trailhead, after which you’ll pass the borough of Newville on the south side. If you want a bite to eat, turn left onto Big Spring Road and head a few blocks into the old downtown, settled in 1790, where you’ll find a diner and pizzeria.
The path then continues another 1.7 miles to its endpoint on Green Hill Road. A 1-mile section of trail also runs west from Allen Road in Carlisle through trees and farmland. Plans call for connecting to that segment in the future.
CONTACT: cvrtc.org
DIRECTIONS
To reach the Shippensburg trailhead from I-81 N, take Exit 24 and turn left onto PA 696/Olde Scotland Road. Go 2.1 miles, and turn left onto S. Fayette St. Then go 0.6 mile, and turn right onto Orange St. Go 0.2 mile, and turn left onto N. Earl St. Go 0.3 mile, and turn right onto W. Fort St. Look for parking immediately to your left, after passing the starting point for the trail.
To reach the Shippensburg trailhead from I-81 S, take Exit 29, and turn right onto PA 174/Walnut Bottom Road. Go 1.5 miles, and turn left onto US 11/E. King St. Go 0.8 mile, and turn right onto N. Earl St. Then go 0.3 mile, and turn right onto W. Fort St. Look for parking immediately to your left, after passing the starting point for the trail.
To reach the Newville trailhead from I-81, take Exit 37 onto PA 233. Head north, go 3.9 miles, and turn left onto Vine St. Go 0.2 mile, and continue straight to stay on PA 533/Fairfield St. 0.4 mile. Turn left onto Rich St., go 0.1 mile, and turn left onto McFarland St. The trailhead parking lot is immediately to your right.
To reach the Carlisle trailhead from I-81, take Exit 44, and head northwest on PA 465/Allen Road. Go 1.1 miles. Turn right into the parking lot, just after passing Ross Stores Distribution Center. To reach the trailhead, turn right out of the parking lot onto Allen Road, and go about 0.2 mile. Look for the trailhead on your left.
11 Cynwyd Heritage Trail
County
Montgomery
Endpoints
SEPTA station at Montgomery Ave. between Conshohocken State Road and Bala Ave. to Belmont Ave. and SR 3052 (Bala Cynwyd)
Mileage
1.8
Type
Rail-Trail/Rail-with-Trail
Roughness Index
1
Surface
Asphalt, Gravel
The Cynwyd Heritage Trail connects the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA’s) Cynwyd Station to Bala Cynwyd Park, the historic West Laurel Hill Cemetery, and Westminster Cemetery, as well as a pedestrian bridge across the Schuylkill River. Though only 1.8 miles long, the trail is part of the Circuit Trails, a developing 800-mile urban network of trails in Greater Philadelphia, of which about 350 miles are currently complete.
The trail takes its name from the Bala Cynwyd community, which was settled by Welsh Quakers who named the area for villages they left behind in Wales in the late 1600s. The trail traces the former route of Pennsylvania Railroad’s Schuylkill Branch, which ran from Philadelphia to Norristown beginning in 1884. SEPTA took over the commuter line in 1983 but closed the segment north of the Cynwyd station in 1986. SEPTA leased the section to Lower Merion Township, which created the paved rail-trail in 2011.
Starting at SEPTA’s Cynwyd station, the trail passes through a residential neighborhood and arrives at Bala Cynwyd Park.
The Cynwyd Heritage Trail connects with the Manayunk Bridge Trail that crosses the Schuylkill River to Philadelphia’s trendy Manayunk neighborhood. A connection to another trail that crosses the river, the Pencoyd Trail, was in the planning stages in 2019. Interpretive signs tell about the cemeteries, former train stations (Cynwyd and Barmouth), and an old cotton mill along the route. A gravel footpath parallels the asphalt trail at various points, where you will find benches and Adirondack chairs overlooking the river.
Starting at SEPTA’s Cynwyd station, you’ll find a small coffee shop and restrooms. The trail slopes downhill from here. It passes through a residential neighborhood and arrives at Bala Cynwyd Park in 0.5 mile.
Crossing under Belmont Avenue, you’ll pass the
