On Friday the 28th, I’m going to ride the ENTIRE Enola Low Grade Trail, uninterrupted and without detour, from the current west terminus at Turkey Hill Trail Nature Preserve, all the way to the eastern terminus in Atglen at the active railbed. I’ll continue a little further east, stopping for lunch at Victory Brewery in Parkesburg, PA before turning around and heading back to the Turkey Hill Trail Nature Preserve parking lot. This ride is taking place the day after the official opening of the rebuilt Martic Forge trestle bridge, which when combined with the recently refurbished Safe Harbor trestle bridge, allows for that CONTINUES travel on the trail from one end to the other without having to detour off the trail.

All total, the out and back ride I’ll be doing is 65 miles with very few miles on public roadway. If you desire only to ride over both trestle bridges and not do 65 miles in distance, further below is a link for a 30 mile route that has you doing the u-turn 15 miles after starting, at an access path that takes you up to Sawmill Rd and an overpass looking down onto the trail for a nice photo op. Return is an exact backtrack over the route that brought you down to this point.

Further below will be 2 route options for the 65 mile distance; one using the ENTIRE Enola Low Grade trail for the outbound leg, while the other route uses public roadway, forgoing the last 8 to 9 miles of the eastern part of the rail trail. Why the different routes? Well….

So last fall a few of us did the Enola trail from just east of the Martic Forge bridge, all the way to the east terminus which is at the active rail bed in Atglen. Once east of Quarryville, the trail conditions are “mixed and varied”. Sometimes it’s like passing through a lawn, with low grass as the surface. Sometimes it’s a very rough surface, almost like broken asphalt, not at all like the fine cinder surface that makes up the majority of the trail. Yet others times, your passing through a fine silt from the rich farmlands runoff and when its moist or wet, feels like quicksand. The final mile and a half is thick overgrowth, with it becoming worse the closer you get to the very end. There very well may be a short distance here or there where it will become “hike a bike” to make forward progress. Hence the reason for 2 routes, those that want to do the event more like a road ride and those that want a bit of that jungle experience.

To get a small glimpse into this experience from last year, check out a video recap from Tim Chrockrem on his Cycling Harrisburg, PA YouTube channel; [https://youtu.be/q9_wkEM_Kxs](https://youtu.be/q9_wkEM_Kxs)

Have wheels ready to roll at 9:00 am sharp from the Turkey Hill Trail Nature Preserve parking lot for the Enola Low Grade Trail, located at 2459 River Rd, Washington Boro, PA 17582. If doing the 30 mile route, or the “road” option of the 65 mile distance, any frame will work. While 25 slicks will probably be fine, 28 or wider may be a better option as the trail is a fine cinder. If there is rain the day before, or it has been “wet”, treaded tires would be recommended. If doing the “jungle” route with me, I would strongly encourage no less than 28’s with tread. A gravel/cyclocross setup would be a nice choice while a full suspension mountain bike may require some extra work to keep pace for most of the ride. My pace will be varied because of the various surface conditions. Target moving average will be 12.5-13.5 with slightly higher then that when west of Quarryville and on the road sections at the far east of the ride and below for other sections when not on the fine cinder trail surface.

This event is being cross promoted with East Shore Bikers Facebook Group (ESB). You do not need to be a member of BMV or ESB to participate in this ride. Please share this event with others you think may have an interest in participating. While not required, a reply of “Going” would be welcomed. Helmets and working front and rear light (for those electing to do 65 miles as we will be on some roadways) are encouraged. Any relative questions, post below, send me a message or email, or call. In the event of poor weather conditions, I’ll mark the ride cancelled by 6:00 am day of ride. As of this time, there is no rain date scheduled.

Cue sheets and electronic versions of the routes available at the following links.

\>\> 30 mile out and back: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41098625](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41098625)

\>\> 65 mile full trail out: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41098189](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41098189)

\>\> 65 mile with roads\, bypassing the far east of the trail: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41098473](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41098473)

Victory Brewing - Parkesburg, PA: [https://taprooms.victorybeer.com/victory-brewing-company-parkesburg-6a9ff963cafd](https://taprooms.victorybeer.com/victory-brewing-company-parkesburg-6a9ff963cafd)

Bob Gilliland

Blue Mountain Velo Cycling Club - Harrisburg Cycling

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COMPLETE Enola Low Grade Trail

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Blue Mountain Velo Cycling Club - Harrisburg Cycling

COMPLETE Enola Low Grade Trail

Blue Mountain Velo Cycling Club - Harrisburg Cycling

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