Conewago Recreation Trail

The Conewago Recreation Trail is a 5 mile rail-trail that is managed by Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation.  To get to the beginning:  From Harrisburg, take 283 toward Lancaster and exit at Tollhouse Road.  Turn right.  Go to the red light and turn left.  The parking area is three miles ahead on the left.

This path is mostly level, quite wide and gravel covered. 

It is also recognized by the Audubon of Pennsylvania as a Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail. 

The trail is marked at approximately every .5 mile (some are missing) and road crossings are clearly marked.  Just across from this crossing is a passage through rocks.

Both sides of the trail are heavily posted for no hunting, but please remember that this is a notice for strangers only.  Landowners could still be hunting their land, as could anybody they give permission to.  So, if it is hunting season, as it was for this walk, make sure you and everyone with you is wearing orange.

This hunter appreciated that we could be seen...

Continue down the path, cross the road and you will see 283 ahead of you - you are about to walk under bridges.  Past the bridges on the left is the Hershey Meadows Watershed Restoration Project.

 The sign for the 2.5 mile mark is a stones throw away from this stop and just before the route 743 crossing.  If the road is busy, you may want to turn back here.  We continued on, expecting to go to the three mile mark.  It was a bit of a surprise to me when we saw 3.5 - the three is currently missing.  It also seemed a good time to turn around as the trees were getting thicker on each side and the ability to see hunters - and them to see us - was limited, so turn we did.  On the way back, we passed a gentleman that had two huskies on a harness and they were pulling him on a wheeled cart.  When we crossed 743 again, we got another good view of Hershey Meadows.

We walked back to the car, pausing to enjoy the stream just before the rock pass.