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Print Friendly MapThe Hanover Trolley Trail is currently 5.5 miles in two disconnected trail segments. The trail is being built along the 16-mile corridor of the York-Hanover Trolley Line that ran between the two cities in the early 1900s and along the abandoned Genesee & Wyoming rail line.
Running through the Borough of Spring Grove and the western outskirts of the City of York, the northern section is shaped like a somewhat like wishbone. Following the original trolley line, the north branch of the wishbone runs northeast from the East Constitution Trailhead to Martin Road. This 1.4-mile section has a crushed limestone surface and there is another trailhead mid-route on Hershey Road.
Following the abandoned Genesee & Wyoming rail line, the southern stem of the wishbone heads northeast from the intersection of East Railroad Street & South Main St (also known as Route 116 or Hanover Road) to just south of the bridge over Sunnyside Road. This 2.5-mile paved portion of trail intersects with the northern branch just east of the East Constitution Trailhead. By providing pedestrians and bicyclists with an alternative to busy roads and traffic, this trail segment offers a safe route to and from the center of town. Future plans call for the development of 6.4 miles of the abandoned G&W railroad right-of-way into a rail trail. Gates, fencing, and signs will also be added.
Running through Hanover, the southern section heads northeast from Moul Field and extends for 1.6 miles to Gitts Run Road. This section is hard-packed gravel.
Parking is available at several locations along the trail:
See TrailLink Map for detailed directions.
After being on the back burner for most of the past decade, progress on building a multi-use trail between York and Hanover is moving forward again.
As its name implies, the Hanover Trolley Trail was originally envisioned to follow the route of the York-Hanover Fast Line, a trolley service that connected York City with the southwestern boroughs of Spring Grove and Hanover between 1909 and 1939. Two short segments of the trail, each about 1.5 miles in length, were constructed on sections of the old trolley line, one from Moul Field in Hanover east to Gitts Run Road in Penn Twp., and another from Hosiery Alley in Spring Grove east to Martin Road in Jackson Twp. in the late 2000's/early 2010's.
Unfortunately, efforts to continue building the trail along the old trolley line stalled due to the fact that some sections had reverted to private ownership while others were converted to public roads. To work around this, newer segments of the trail will be routed along an inactive Genesee & Wyoming rail line that closely parallels the old trolley line for most of its length. The first section of trail along this new alignment was built on the east side of Spring Grove from the RR trestle on the original alignment southwest through Spring Grove Community Park to the corner of Main Street and Railroad St. next to the fire station in 2022.
Now, two years later, an additional 2 miles of the trail have been built along the old RR line from the trestle northeast to the Jackson Twp. line, immediately west of an abandoned bridge over Sunnyside Road. The first 1.5 miles of this section parallels an existing segment of the trail and the two alignments are connected via a half mile of Martin Road, giving users the option of riding or walking a loop.
Unlike the segment that it parallels on the trolley line, which crosses rolling farm fields, the new section passes through meadows and woodlands along the West Bank of the Codorus Creek. Observant trail users will note the concrete abutments to a now demolished bridge over the creek and a small family cemetery that sits on the side of a hill southwest of Martin Road. After passing a bucolic hamlet at Martin Road, the trail reenters the woods and follows the creek to a dead end immediately west of the old RR bridge. This bridge is currently barricaded and not open for use, and there is no public access to Sunnyside Road. The most notable features along this section include the clear waters of the creek and old rock cuts that were dug or blasted out to build the RR.
Although it does not yet connect to Bair or West York, this newest section of the Hanover Trolley Trail is a big step forward for the project. Efforts are already under way to extend the trail southwest to Gitts Run Road along the old rail line and to connect with the existing segment east of Hanover. Once that is accomplished, the portion from Sunnyside Road to Bair should be completed, and a feasible alignment through West Manchester Twp. to York City is currently under study.
This trail is in two sections that are separated by about 10 miles, so in order to do both sections, you drive from one to the other. I did the Hanover section first which is mostly factories and power lines. Trail is in decent shape. At one point the trail signage leads you onto Hanover streets which abruptly end at Hanover Hospital.
I then drove to the Spring Grove section to the southern end. There is parking for about 4 cars at this end of the trail. Heading north, it is mostly a gradual uphill ride to the center of the trail. When you get to Hershey Rd. There is a large are for parking. Then downhill (enough to coast) to the end of the trail.
I am looking forward to this trail being complete and even more excited if they ever go all the way and connect to the Heritage trail.
Begins at a ball field on Moul Ave and continues adjacent to a creek and wetlands area with a open field on the right. The trail goes into the heart of the wetlands area creating a tunnel effect. The last hundred yards or so is surrounded on both sides by fields. Many sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, and robins year around. Catbirds so plentiful that they are annoying in the Spring and Summer, but that is everywhere in York County wooded parks. Chickadees, tufted titmice, and finches are also plentiful year-round residents. Yellow-rumped warblers are also quite common in the Spring. When the construction of nearby developments is completed this will be a very tranquil lovely Borough Park.
First, the information given on this entry is inaccurate: currently, only two, discontinuous segments of the trail are completed, each about a mile in length. Both follow an abandoned trolley line that ran from York southwest to Spring Grove and Hanover in the first half of the 20th century.
Despite their short length, the two completed sections are both worth checking out.
The eastern segment, which begins at Hosiery Alley in Spring Grove, parallels an active freight line owned by York Rail for about 1500 feet, where both the trail and railroad pass under a trestle that supports another active line owned by CSX. During the years it was active, the trolley line also passed under this trestle, making it an important piece of southwest York County's railroad heritage. If trail users are lucky, they can watch two freight trains passing over and under this bridge.
The trail then curves slightly northeast, veering away from the York Rail line, but staying close to the CSX track. Users ascend a gradual slope to Hershey Road, which is the current eastern terminus for this segment.
The western segment begins at Moul Ave. on the east end of Hanover, separating Moul Park from a new condo complex. After briefly following the northeast park's northeast perimeter, the trail turns due east into the woods, where it joins the old trolley grade. The trees form a tight canopy over this portion of the trail, creating the effect of a "green tunnel." These woods and adjacent marshlands give trail users great opportunities to enjoy local wildlife. Going further east, the trail passes through fields, before coming to its current eastern end at Cherry Tree Court.
The York County Rail Trail Authority plans to extend both of these sections further east in the near future, though it will probably be several more years before both sections are connected and the entire trail is completed. Once finished, the trail will stretch from Hanover to join the York County Heritage Rail Trail at a point near York, and will form an important part of the county's emerging trail network. Long term plans anticipate it forming part of the Grand History Loop, a circular greenway system that will connect south-central Pennsylvania with the Baltimore and Washington DC metropolitan areas.
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