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Fund raising activities occur throughout the year. In April, there is the Race, Run, Ride, & Ramble Trail Festival. In this event, you can enjoy a 15K race or a 5K fun run, a 30K bike ride, or a 15K walk. The ArtSHIP Art, Wine & Brew Festival 10K is in June. During this event, you can purchase a discounted wristband for wine and microbrew sampling. In October, the annual Fall Down on the Trail is a 5K race or 4 mile hike.

Distance indicator

Pullout

NPS property

Ranger station

Picnic area

Self-guiding trail

Wheelchair accessible

Campground

Primitive campground

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Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails Map

The Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails Council (CVRTC) is a volun-teer, non-pro�t organization established to preserve the beauty and history of the former railroad tracks running through Cumber-land County. Currently, the trail encompasses 11 miles of former track from Newville to Shippensburg. This land was donated to the CVRTC by Conrail in 1995. The trail is multi-use to serve all ages and abilities. The trail may be used for walking, jogging, bicycling, horseback riding and other non-motorized recreational uses. It is also wheelchair-accessible. Along the trail, there are benches strategically located to provide respites and in Oakville, a shaded picnic area and bathroom facilities are provided. Future plans for the trail include arranging funding for a bridge to �nish the last mile of the trail into downtown Shippensburg and extending the trail 11 miles to Carlisle. These projects, when completed, will connect Shippensburg University with the Dickinson College campus.

The proposed Capital Red Rose Corridor could combine commuter rail with express bus service, linking the East and West shores of the Susquehanna River. The purpose of this project is to improve transportation mobility and connectivity across the Susquehanna River, provide an e�ective transit link to Harrisburg International Airport and its intermodal facilities, and leverage the investment made by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Amtrak in upgrading the Keystone Corridor to improve transit service.

If funding and support are found, the corridor would �rst be tested on the East shore to see if it draws enough riders to be �nancially viable. If the deal is extended to the West shore, an overpass would be built to allow use of a former Cumberland Valley Railroad bridge owned by Capital Area Transit (CAT).

The commuter rail system would encompass 40.5 miles and consist of 11 stations at a cost of $87 million. The forecast for average weekday boardings for ridership is 2,100. With the continued increases in the cost of gasoline, this forecasted number is expected to increase as well.

CCRTT

Passenger Schedule

The Cumberland Valley Rail Road owned 18 passenger cars; 8 second class passenger, baggage, mail, and express cars; and 251 freight and other cars. The average number of passengers per year was 322,000. In addition to hauling passengers and freight in peace times, the railroad played roles in the American Civil War as well. Over the years encompassed by the war, the railroad carried new northern recruits from the Cumberland Valley to a camp near Harrisburg. Plus, it carried Confederate General Ewell’s corps from Chambersburg to Shippensburg and then on to Carlisle in 1863, in a southern led o�ensive attack.

On August 12, 1837, the �rst cars of the Cumberland Valley Rail Road Company (CVRR) passed from Carlisle to 1 1/2 miles from Harrisburg. Within two years, a railroad line ran from Harrisburg, through Cumberland County, to Chambersburg. Also running in Cumberland County were the Dillsburg & Mechanisburg R. R. at 7 1/2 miles, the Northern Central Way at 9 miles, and the South Mountain Iron Company at 18 miles. The Harrisburg and Potomac Rail Road Company, also known as the Miramar Iron Company, opened before 1875, and ran between Mount Holly Springs and the Dillsburg Branch of the Cumberland Valley Rail Road.

After the war, large-scale excursion tra�c was established with the building of excursion parks on the railroad’s branches: Williams’ Grove on the Dillsburg Branch in 1874, Mont Alto Park in 1875, and Pine Grove on the South Mountain line in 1878. These excursions included large church, social, trade, and political groups. The largest of these excursions; however, was the 10-day camp meeting of the Harrisburg District of the Methodist Episco-pal Church, held in a grove near Oakville. For this event, �rst held in August, 1873, fares to the grounds were reduced, daily excur-sion trains operated, all regular trains stopped at the grounds, and shelters were built for those waiting.

In 1873, to encourage travel on the regular trains, fares were reduced for all national holidays and the �rst CVRR commutation tickets were issued. By 1874, the CVRR operated the following daily runs: three scheduled main line freights each way in season; three regular main line passenger trains each way; and connect-ing freight and passenger service on its branch lines, in addition to frequent excursions.

Mount Holly Springs StationOakville Station Shippensburg Station

CCRTT

Cumberland County Railroads Cumberland County Pennsylvania

Deborah Whitmoyer 2011Applied GISShippensburg University

Historical Cumberland County transportation map.Cumbeland Valley Rail Road Locomotive

Summary of Public-Use Rules1. Open Dawn to Dusk2. No motorized vehicles3. No �rearms or weapons4. No alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs5. Pack out your own trash6. No camping or �res7. No tresapssing on adjacent properties8. All bikers must wear helmets9. Keep pets on leashes

Proposed Capital Red Rose Corridor

Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails (CVRTC)

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Pine Grove State Park

Norfolk Southern Railway Company

Harrisburg

Lower Allen

Lemoyne

Enola

Camp Hill

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Mount Holly Springs

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Messiah College

Shippensburg UniversityInactive Railroad

Cumberland Valley Rail Road

Mechanicsburg

Transportation by rail in Cumberland County has a long and enduring history. Some of the original lines laid in the 1800s are still being used today to haul freight and passengers via Norfolk Southern, CSX, and Amtrak. Some tracks have been abandoned, while others have been converted to rails to trails. The potential exists for railroads to once again play a signi�cant role in the economy and lives of people in Cumberland County. New light-rail communter corridors could be built alongside the major interstates of 81 or 76. This would o�er the citizens of the county an alternative option for transportation; whether it be to work, school, or entertainment, further alleviating the stress on the transportation infrastructure.

All Aboard

BibliographyCumberland Valley Rails Trails. 2011. http://cvrtc.org/index.html.Miller, Matt. 2006. Cumberland County OKs Corridor One Deal, The Patriot-News: B2.Siebert, Jr., C. L. 1989. From Railroad to Turnpike, Cumberland County History 6: 45-49. West, Dan. 2009. Pennsylvania Railroad Stations: Past & Present. http://www.west2k.com/pastations/cumberland.shtml.Westhae�er, Paul J. 1979. History of the Cumberland Valley Railroad.Wing, Conway P. and Others. 1879. History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with Illustration.

Pine Grove Furnace State Park

Dickinson College

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Norfolk Southern Locomotive

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