Lebanon Valley Rail Trail

Last updated
Lebanon Valley Rail Trail
Lebanon Valley Rail Trail.svg
Length15.0 miles (24.1 km)
Location Lebanon County, PA
Designation National Recreation Trail
Trailheads US Rt 422
40°20′18″N76°26′04″W / 40.338437°N 76.434535°W / 40.338437; -76.434535
Lancaster County line
40°11′53″N76°33′42″W / 40.197980°N 76.561725°W / 40.197980; -76.561725
Usehiking, cycling, horseback riding, skiing
Elevation change 328 feet (100 m)
Highest point West Cornwall Township, PA: 766 feet (233 m)
Lowest pointnorth end: 439 feet (134 m) at Lebanon, PA;
south end: 438 feet (134 m) at Lebanon / Lancaster county line
Difficultyeasy
Seasonyear-round
Hazards traffic (at road crossings)
Surface mostly crushed limestone, some asphalt sections
Right of way Cornwall-Lebanon Railroad
Website https://lebanonrailtrail.com/
Trail map

Contents

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becomes Swatara Rail Trail
25.3
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Toilets unisex.svg Lickdale Rd
23.8
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I-78.svg I-78
22.5
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US 22.svg US 22 Wm. Penn Hwy.
22.0
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Parking icon.svg Jonestown Trailhead
21.2
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Swatara Creek
21.0
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BSicon flHST.svg
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Bunker Hill Trailhead
20.3
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BSicon fexTUNNEL2.svg
PA-72.svg PA 72
16.0
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Parking icon.svg 25th St. Trailhead
15.9
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Harrisburg Line
15.8
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BSicon RP4q.svg
US 422.svg US 422 Cumberland St.
14.6
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BSicon vRP2q.svg
PA-72.svg PA 72 S 10th St. + S 9th St.
14.5
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Parking icon.svg Information icon.svg 8th St. Trailhead, Lebanon
13.4
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South Lebanon Trail
12.2
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Parking icon.svg Information icon.svg Expo Trailhead
10.6
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Parking icon.svg Toilets unisex.svg Information icon.svg Cornwall Trailhead
10.5
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BSicon RP2q.svg
PA-419.svg PA 419 Boyd St.
9.3
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Parking icon.svg Information icon.svg Alden Place Trailhead
9.0
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US 322.svgPA-72.svg US 322  / PA 72 Horseshoe Pike
7.8
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Quittapahilla / Conewago divide
6.4
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Mt. Gretna Spur Trail
5.0
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Boy Scout Trail
4.1
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Parking icon.svg Toilets unisex.svg Information icon.svg Colebrook Trailhead
4.0
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BSicon RP2q.svg
PA-117.svg PA 117 Mt. Wilson Rd.
3.2
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Horse-Shoe Trail
2.5
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BSicon RP2q.svg
PA-241.svg PA 241 Elizabethtown Rd.
2.0
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Parking icon.svg Toilets unisex.svg Information icon.svg Lawn Trailhead
1.0
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I-76.svgPennsylvania Turnpike logo.svg I-76  / Penna Turnpike
0.0
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Lebanon / Lancaster County
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becomes Conewago Recreation Trail

The Lebanon Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) is a National Recreation Trail. [1] The rail trail goes from the southwestern border of Lebanon County and goes through Colebrook, Mt. Gretna, Cornwall, and the city of Lebanon. At the southern border of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania the LVRT connects with the Conewago Recreation Trail and continues for another 5.0 miles (8.0 km). The trail is partly built on the old Cornwall–Lebanon Railroad created by industrialist Robert H. Coleman in the 1880s. The trail runs 15.0 miles (24.1 km), and there are many phases in development that would extend the trail to northern Lebanon County and Jonestown. [2] The trail features a packed stone path and paved path at many parts that traverses "Pennsylvania Dutch Country" and other scenic routes. Trail users see untouched woodlands of state gamelands, forests, and views of area fields and farms. The trail is maintained by dedicated group of volunteers, and allows for running, walking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. [3]

Historical development

Historical significance

The Cornwall-Lebanon Railroad was built with $1.2 million in the 1880s by the rich socialite Robert H. Coleman. The railroad was used to carry passengers from Mt. Gretna, an extremely popular resort community of the time. Later the railroad was used to transport the Pennsylvania National Guard from their camp near Mt. Gretna. As time went on the railroad service stopped, which resulted in the rail being purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This group continued use of the rail up until the powerful Hurricane Agnes devastated Lebanon County. The hurricane destroyed sections of the track in 1972.

The Cornwall-Lebanon Branch railroad was abandoned in 1979 by the Penn Central Railroad. At that time, a group of concerned local residents worked to convince the Lebanon County Commissioners to bid on the corridor for public recreational trail use. Unfortunately, the county was outbid and the rail line was transferred to private ownership. Ironically, this first attempt to acquire the trail was ahead of its time in that the rails-to-trails movement that has swept the nation really only began in earnest during the mid-1980s.

Twenty years later, interest in the rail-trail resurfaced as development pressure in the southern end of the county began to threaten available open space and recreational opportunities that residents had taken for granted for many years. Led by John Wengert Jr, the Lebanon Valley Rails-to-Trails Inc. was incorporated in 1996, and negotiations were initiated with Eastern Enterprises, the owner of the railbed south of the city of Lebanon to the Lancaster County line. Fortunately, large sections of the proposed rail-trail were still largely intact.

In December 1999, LVRT purchased the railbed from Eastern Enterprises and early in 2000 kicked off a community fundraising campaign which, together with several grants from the state funded trail surfacing and other improvements. [4]

History and evolution

Lebanon Valley Rail Trail at C&L iron truss bridge in Cornwall Lebanon Valley Rail Trail NB at C&L iron truss bridge.jpeg
Lebanon Valley Rail Trail at C&L iron truss bridge in Cornwall

2009 marked the acquisition and development of a 2.5-mile extension to the City of Lebanon. The trail passes near Zinns Mill Road toward the Lebanon Expo Center, then to South Hill Park, and ending at the 8th Street trailhead. This section of the trail features a 10-foot-wide paved surface, equestrian path, and an above-ground bridge at Wilhelm Avenue. Construction cost $575,000 and was funded by personal donations and federal and state funds. The City of Lebanon extension was built upon the former Cornwall Industrial Track and acquired from the RJ Railroad Co which was used by Conrail to serve the local Alcoa plant in South Lebanon Township.

Modern-day extensions are focused on the updating of the Cornwall trailhead, which was partially funded by a $25,000 gift from the Friends of the Rexmont Dams. [5] Studies are in progress to develop an area outside Jonestown that will one day connect to a Union Canal trail and the City of Lebanon section of the LVRT.

Development

Design and construction

The trail consists of two parallel paths: one that is surfaced with crushed stone to accommodate walkers, runners, bikers, and cross country skiers in the winter, and one that is surfaced with wood chips to accommodate horseback riders. The majority of the trail is under canopy, with open areas in several locations. Two bridges can be found along the trail at Wilhelm Avenue and near the Cornwall Trail Head, while warning signs can be found at the six at-grade road crossings.

Amenities

Trailheads can be found at Lawn Road, Colebrook Road, Alden Place, Cornwall, near the Expo Center in Lebanon, and on 8th Street. Parking is available at all of these locations and also between Eckert and Lawn Road, and just east of Lincoln Ave near South Hills Park. Benches are placed in several locations along the trail and restrooms can be found at the Lawn, Colebrook and Cornwall Trail heads. A large root beer barrel located at the Cornwall trailhead serves as a small gift store and the trail is located in the vicinity of several restaurants and ice cream shops, an inn and bike shop.

Community

Lebanon Valley Rail Trail in Cornwall Lebanon Valley Rail Trail NB between PA 419 and Culvert Road.jpeg
Lebanon Valley Rail Trail in Cornwall

Supporters

A quote directly from the LVRTs website:

The most unique aspect of the Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail is that all fundraising, construction management, trail maintenance and public relations is performed by an extremely dedicated core group of volunteers. Lebanon Valley Rails-to-Trail, Inc. is the non-profit organization formed in 1996 to spearhead this rail-trail's development and management. Operating in a county without a public parks and recreation department, LVRT filled the void with volunteer effort and "sweat equity". Local legislators were so impressed by the public support and the success of a private fundraising campaign which raised over $300,000 dollars for the first phase of the trail, that they responded by providing state grants to extend and complete development of subsequent sections.

Special events

The trail sponsors several events including Root Beer Barrel Day, capital fund-raising campaigns, high school team runs and organized bike rides. Root Beer Barrel Day is an appreciation event for the LVRT that uses the Cornwall Trailhead as a gathering location where trail goers are offered to buy food and gifts from the oversized root beer barrel shop located there. Another event significant to the trail is the Adopt a Bench program that offers supporters of the LVRT to donate a bench that will be placed along the trail with a plaque attached to it in honor of the donator. [6] The Adopt a Foot program allows supporters of the trail to donate in a smaller amount that can help to increase the quality and maintenance of the trail. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanon County, Pennsylvania</span> County in Pennsylvania, United States

LebanonCounty is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 143,257. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. It lies 72 miles northwest of Philadelphia, which is the nearest major city. The county is part of the South Central Pennsylvania region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Gretna Narrow Gauge Railway</span>

The Mount Gretna Narrow Gauge Railway was a 2 ft narrow-gauge line of the Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad in the state of Pennsylvania that operated between 1889 and 1915 under the parent Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad Company. The C&L Railroad earlier had established a station and picnic ground at Mount Gretna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail trail</span> Railroad bed converted to a recreational trail

A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcars, or with disused track. As shared-use paths, rail trails are primarily for non-motorized traffic including pedestrians, bicycles, horseback riders, skaters, and cross-country skiers, although snowmobiles and ATVs may be allowed. The characteristics of abandoned railways—gentle grades, well-engineered rights of way and structures, and passage through historical areas—lend themselves to rail trails and account for their popularity. Many rail trails are long-distance trails, while some shorter rail trails are known as greenways or linear parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Trail</span> Rail trail in New Jersey, US

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This is a list of trails in Ithaca, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Line State Park Trail</span> Rail trail in Connecticut, US

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Conewago Creek is a 23.0-mile-long (37.0 km) tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lebanon, Dauphin, and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The source is at an elevation of 1,100 feet (340 m) at Mount Gretna Heights in Lebanon County. The mouth is the confluence with the Susquehanna River at an elevation of 261 feet (80 m) at the border of Dauphin and Lancaster counties, just south of Three Mile Island in the river and just north of the unincorporated village of Falmouth in Conoy Township, Lancaster County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes</span> Rail trail in Idaho, US

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Robert Habersham Coleman was an iron industrialist, railroad president, and owner of extensive farmland in Pennsylvania. He was nationally known as the "Iron King of Pennsylvania." In 1879, he was worth about $7 million. By 1889, he had turned that into $30 million. At the time, he had more money than his contemporaries A. J. Drexel, Marshall Field, J. P. Morgan or Frederick William Vanderbilt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor</span> United States National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 117</span> State highway in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 117 is a 12.6-mile-long (20.3 km) state route in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with U.S. Route 322 /PA 72 in Cornwall. Its northern terminus is at US 422 in Palmyra. PA 117 heads west from US 322/PA 72 through forested areas, passing through Mount Gretna before forming a short concurrency with PA 241 in Colebrook. From here, the route heads northwest and intersects US 322 near Campbelltown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cresheim Creek</span>

Cresheim Creek is a creek in southeastern Pennsylvania. Rising at Wyndmoor in Springfield Township, it runs about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) southwest, passing through part of Northwest Philadelphia and forming the boundary between Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill, before emptying into the Wissahickon Creek at Devil's Pool not far south of the Valley Green Inn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 241</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 241 is a 23.6-mile-long (38.0 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs from PA 441 in Conoy Township, Lancaster County, northeast to PA 72 in the city of Lebanon in Lebanon County. The route heads east from PA 441 to Elizabethtown, where it runs concurrent with both PA 230 and PA 743. PA 241 continues into Lebanon County and intersects PA 341 and PA 117 in Colebrook. The route heads northeast and forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 322 before continuing to Lebanon.

Cumberland Valley Rail Trail (CVRT) is a National Recreation Trail rail trail that follows the former Cumberland Valley Railroad corridor for 9.5 miles in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. CVRT travels through the farmlands from Shippensburg to Newville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conewago Recreation Trail</span> Public recreational trail in Pennsylvania, US

The Conewago Recreation Trail is a public recreational rail trail that follows the once Cornwall-Lebanon Railroad rail corridor for a total of slightly over 5.0 miles. The trail stretches from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, to the Lebanon County Line, Pennsylvania, at which point it links up to the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail which continues for another 15.0 miles. The Conewago Recreation Trail runs adjacent to the Conewago Creek running through quiet farmland and forested areas.

The Stony Valley Railroad Grade (SVRG) is a rail trail that stretches along 21.5 miles through Dauphin, Lebanon, and Schuylkill counties for 21.5 miles, from Ellendale to the Lebanon Reservoir, traveling through 44,342 acres of state game land. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the SVRG at Rausch Creek, which is located near what used to be the town of Rausch Gap.

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The Morrisville Depot located at 10 Depot Street in Morrisville, Vermont, is a decommissioned historic train station. Built in 1872 to serve the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway, the depot was known as the most important train station for the Vermont lumber industry, for its decorative architectural ornament, and for housing the headquarters of the St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County Railroad from 1959 to the early 1970s. It was subsequently converted into a restaurant. The Morrisville Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as building #15 in the Morrisville Historic District.

References

  1. "2010 National Recreation Trails". The National Recreation Trails Program. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  2. Latimer, John (April 12, 2016). "Lebanon County applies for grant to extend rail trail". Lebanon Daily News. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  3. Latimer, John (March 29, 2012). "Lebanon Valley Rail Trail good exercise and economics". Lebanon Daily News.
  4. "Historical Facts". lvrailtrail.com. Archived from the original on 2001-08-03.
  5. Snyder, Steve (August 28, 2012). "Rexmont Dams funds turned over to Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails". Lebanon Daily News.
  6. "Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails". lvrailtrail.com. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  7. "Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails". lvrailtrail.com. Retrieved April 28, 2016.