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Celebrating 35 Years of Trailblazing in York County
The creation of the York County Rail Trail Authority and its vision for the future
By David Gonzalez, Jr. | Director of Economic Initiatives
This year, the York County Rail Trail Authority (YCRTA) marks 35 years of enhancing the region’s outdoor spaces. “The volunteers who serve on the YCRTA have proudly offered thirty-five years of service to enriching our community with a network of public trails,” said Gwen Loose, Executive Director of the YCRTA.
How YCRTA Came to Exist
York County Commissioners Lorraine Hovis, Ronald Fitzke, and George Trout formed the York County Rail Trail Authority in 1990 to develop trails for recreation and non-motorized transportation and to acquire sites along the former Northern Central Railway line. The line was the vision for the now present-day 21-mile Heritage Rail Trail, which runs through the City of York and 14 other municipalities. Throughout its lifespan, YCRTA expanded its focus to trail feasibility and operation of other rail lines or right of ways to create more recreational opportunities in the county.
Projects Led by the YCRTA
The trail began in 1975 and officially opened to the public in 1999, seeing various expansions for the last 20 years. Today, the trail sees over 260,000 annual users and runs 27 miles from John Rudy County Park to the Maryland State line, where the trail continues as the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail for another 19.7 miles, ending outside of Cockeysville, Maryland.
The second project is the Hanover Trolley Trail, a trail proposed to run from Hanover Borough to West Manchester Township, with hopes of a possible connection to the Heritage Rail Trail. The trail is undergoing phased development with a current plan of 8.5 miles, building on nearly 3 miles of completed sections and working toward an eventual 15+ miles of completed trail from end to end. The Hanover Trolley Trail not only provides a trail corridor but is also improving 16.8 miles of watershed. The project is restoring the Oil Creek’s banks in Heidelberg Township and diverting the creek channel into 6 acres of new wetlands, which the trail will run adjacent to.
Building on YCRTA’s Legacy of Success
“Today, the Heritage Rail Trail and now the Hanover Trolley Trail offer over thirty-five miles of recreational trail to our residents and visitors to the area,” shares Gwen Loose. “It’s been a great ride – full of challenges, celebrations, and friendships.” According to Gwen, seeing families and people of all ages and ability levels exercising in York County’s great outdoors is the best reward. YCRTA recently finalized its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan to continue to build sustainably on its premier trail system and support the wellness of our neighbors and the economic growth of York County.
To complement the work of the YCRTA, County Parks, and other recreational entities, the York County Economic Alliance created the York County Trail Towns program in 2020 to leverage countywide outdoor assets for economic opportunity. To date, the Trail Towns program services 7 communities and 55 Trail-Friendly designated businesses that are working to cultivate York County as a hub for outdoor recreation.
To learn more about the York County Trail Towns program, visit: yorkcountytrailtowns.com
