Experience the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail

Experience the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. . , The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail is a recreational facility operated by the non-profit Cumberland Valley Rails-to-Trails Council, Inc. (CVRTC)., Trail enthusiasts can enjoy walking, jogging, bicycling, horseback riding and other non-motorized recreational uses along this route. The trail is wheel-chair accessible, and has a crushed limestone surface except for pavement on the first mile from Fort Street to Shippensburg Township Park and a half-mile section at the Newville trailhead. Additionally, all of the road crossings have been graded to meet ADA specification and paved in locations requiring a long grade., Trail users will appreciate a variety of settings as the trail traverses wooded areas and farmland between the historic towns of Shippensburg and Newville. A shaded picnic area in the village of Oakville provides a pleasant rest stop along the way. Picnic facilities, restrooms, and parking are also available at Shippensburg Township Park and the Newville trailhead., Once a stretch of railroad tracks, the route from Shippensburg to Newville was donated to CVRTC by Conrail in 1995. Since then, CVRTC has been developing the former Cumberland Valley Railroad line into an improved multi-use trail to serve all ages and abilities. Sections of trail between Shippensburg and Newville were completed in 2004 and 2006. Overpass bridges and trail extensions on both ends were added in 2017, along with a culvert underpass near Newville, brining the total contiguous improved trail length to 11.1 miles from here to just past Centerville Road on the Newville end., CVRTC has also purchased the old railroad corridor between Newville and Carlisle, and a master plan has been completed to extend the trail, eventually connecting the business districts of Shippensburg and Carlisle along with the campuses of Shippensburg University and Dickinson College. Further development is already in the works, and a one-mile section has been improved west from Allen Road in Carlisle, which connects to the borough's bicycle and pedestrian network through their West End Trail., CVRTC is an all-volunteer, non-profit, charitable corporation dedicated to conservation, historic preservation, recreation and alternative transportation in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania through the development of multi-use rails along former railroad corridors and other areas. CVRTC is qualified as a tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions and dues (less the value of premiums, if any) are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Join or support the organization at CVRTC.org.