I have heard so many good things about the Enola Low Grade Trail, so the other weekend, we finally enjoyed a family bicycle ride along the Susquehanna River part of the trail. It was beautiful!!
We parked at the Turkey Hill Nature Preserve. There is ample parking here—very family friendly, and a set of convenient port-a-pots to use before you start your trip. Because if your family is anything like mine, you know you’ll get a few minutes into your ride and then someone will have to go! 🙂
There are some great maps and information boards to help you map out your trip as well. We decided to ride the entire way to the dam, which was a longer trip, but worth it. You can do any portion that feels like a good fit for your family.
One thing I will note, is that this ride is on the west side of a mountain, so it will be shaded until around 1pm depending on the time of year. This makes it perfect to ride on summer mornings because it stays cool, but if you’re going on a cooler autumn day, you might enjoy an afternoon ride in the sun more. 🙂
Not long into the ride we stopped for a quick break at the caboose. The kids LOVED it, and it was good for us parents to enjoy a slower pace and seeing their enthusiasm and excitement.
A few more minutes down the trail (seriously, it felt like we were stopping all the time but we were loving the adventure), we hiked along a short waterfall, and up some rocks, at the Turkey Hill Trail.
We met some hikers who inspired us to come back one day and hike that trail together, but today we didn’t have the time for it. They did say a portion of that trail was through fields and more boring than along the waterfalls and creek.
As you ride the Enola Low Grade Trail you’ll find many unique stopping points, like lookouts over the river, more waterfalls like Mann’s Waterfall, old Railroad booths, and beautiful benches. We enjoyed our lunch at one lookout.
More Information About the Enola Low Grade Trail
The entire Enola Low Grade Trail is 28 miles long! However it is disconnected between the Susquehanna River and Atglen. You can learn more about the Enola Low Grade Trail on the official government website. There are some detailed maps and descriptions of the trail all the way to Christiana.
Other Rail Trail Rides in Lancaster County:
- Lebanon Valley Rail Trail
- Union Canal Trail (Reading area)
- Enola Low Grade Trail
- Lancaster Junction Recreation Trail (along Chiques Creek)
- Chiques Rock Overlook Trail
- 50+ Walking Trails in Lancaster County (most are good for bicycles too)