Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Carlisle, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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I start at Red Hill Road parking lot in Pequa and do the 20 mile round trip to Turkey Hill and back, it is flat, no potholes or surprises and glorious. Two bridges, 5 miles each way along the river, often a train, many groups of rock climbers on the weekend. Just glorious. If you want to add miles, going west is level and wooded. Some might say boring however I find it cool, refreshing and safe. My favorite trail!
A lot of trail damage from storms in July 2025 makes for a very rough ride. Rough hard gravel, very bumpy ride. Could be dangerous if riding fast. My friends and I have moved to the Pa Heritage Rail Trail. NCR is more beautiful though rough. Would love to know if/when trail damage will be smoothed out. Got to be a budget for repair
This is one of the best trails around. Paved. Short stretch onto a couple of blocks in Marietta with little to no MV traffic. Very scenic, along river, through woods and fields, along cliffs. Winding through woods, strait ways through fields and a park. Close to level, slight rise and fall along river. Well maintained. Super ride. I saw reviews from electric bikers but really they should stick to public streets. Better yet, buy a motorcycle or some other licensed motor vehicle.
PLANNED TRAIL RESURFACING PROJECT
10/6/2025 - 11/14/2025
SCHEDULE UPDATED (10/24/2025)
Conewago Recreation Trail and Lancaster Junction Recreation Trails to be Resurfaced
Notice: The Conewago Recreation Trail and the Lancaster Junction Recreation Trail are scheduled to be resurfaced. Work is scheduled to take place beginning October 6, 2025, and run through November 6, 2025. During this time there may be partial or full trail closures. As the project progresses, we will post updates on the work schedule.
Accommodations will be made for currently scheduled events on the Lancaster Junction Recreation Trail in October and late November.
This project is being funded through the County's Capital Improvement Plan.
TRAIL RESURFACING PROJECT SCHEDULE
TRAIL PHASE SECTION
START DATE
END DATE
1 Conewago Recreation Trail CRT-Phase-1 Rt 230 - Mill Rd
10/6/25 10/8/25
2 Conewago Recreation Trail
CRT-Phase-2 Mill Rd - Old Hershey Rd 10/9/25 10/11/25
3 Conewago Recreation Trail
CRT-Phase-3 Old Hershey Rd - Rt 743 10/13/25 10/14/25
4 Conewago Recreation Trail
CRT-Phase-4 Rt 743 - Koser Rd 10/15/25 10/17/25
5 Conewago Recreation Trail
CRT-Phase-5 Koser Rd - Bellaire Rd 10/20/25 10/23/25
6 Conewago Recreation Trail
CRT-Phase-6 Bellaire Rd - Prospect Rd 10/22/25 10/23/25
7 Conewago Recreation Trail
CRT-Phase-7
Prospect Rd - County Line 10/23/25 10/27/25
8 Lancaster Junction Trail LJRT-Phase-1 Champ Blvd - Spooky Nook Rd
10/28/25 10/30/25
9 Lancaster Junction Trail
LJRT-Phase-2 Spooky Nook Rd - S Colebrook Rd 11/3/25 11/4/25
10 Lancaster Junction Trail
LJRT-Phase-3
S Colebrook Rd - Auction Rd 11/5/25 11/6/25
Full trail expected to be open on weekends. Partial trails closures expected during week days.
Nice wide open relatively flat trail. It is after all a rail trail. After the 22 mile mark it turned pretty rough. Large gravel,mud…. I turned back….was hoping to take this to the end near gap. I do enjoy this rail trail. Well maintained nice country & river view for first several miles
Nice short trail through Lancaster farm land. Definitely bumpy & would not be my first choice but good connector to Lebanon Valley Rail Trail. Today a section was closed near Rte 743. I figured a way around via Old Hershey Rd and Beverly to 743. A good gravel bike or mtb is the way to go on this one. Doable on my old Cannondale CX but shock absorption would have made this a lot better.
Please make sure you have bike lights, flashlights etc… those tunnels are dark!!
I just rode the trail 11 Oct 2025- shortly after the new Sideling Hill Trailhead grand opening a couple of weeks ago. I utilized the PA Turnpike to drive up from Harrisburg area- very easy and trouble free- just know that afterward you have to drive another 10 miles UP the turnpike to turn around and head back to Harrisburg....ugh 20 additional miles, even though both East and West bound have access to the Sideling Hill Rest Stop. Trail Head had really nice bike servicing equipment and picnic tables- Lots of food options at Rest stop- everything you need after 20 mile ride- Burgers and Pizza!! Leaving the rest stop- you ride a service road that is open to bikers (Mountain House Road). You then come to a 4 way stop- Make a left on North Hess Road- you will see a old farm/log cabin house on your right (see my pictures)- go straight this road will turn in to Pump Station Road- ride for about 1/4 of a mile do not turn on the first unmarked road on your right- go to the second road on your right just after the first one- look for a mail box- there is a home that shares the access- ride past home and you will be at the TOPP Trail- you will see cement road barriers on your left- this is the entrance to the trail- Enjoy your ride for the next 8 miles or so. The first tunnel you reach is about 1.5 miles up- This one is long and dark maybe a mile long. The second one is shorter. The trail is rough in sections due to the blacktop being torn up- if your a Pennsylvanian- this a typical PA road LOL potholes! Beware if you are with children or offend easily- There is a TON of Graffiti and things that will make a sailor blush (I used to be in the Navy). There is some really talented art work along the ride though. I would recommend mountain bikes or gravel bikes- my bike has 45MM tires and I rode with 35 psi which I thought was perfect for the rough areas. This trail was "Creepy Cool" and a perfect ride for a fall day and Halloween around the corner!
A detailed description of this trail can be read from my August 2016 review. It is still a pretty trail offering a good workout! As mentioned in my title, most of the wide open views of the trail have disappeared due to the growth of foliage. In fact, I didn't even recognize the trail! After crossing over Valley road, the trail is almost continuously ascending to its endpoint. On my first outing on this trail, the Valley trailhead parking lot and the half moon section of the trail on the northwest side of Valley road was gravel. It is NOW asphalt. There is a lot more vegetation along the trail making it difficult to see the creek from which the trail was named after. The trail is well maintained. One interesting observation on this outing is that the 0.81 mile section from the Water Street Trailhead (Spring Township York Water treatment facility) to its terminus has posted signs of "Temporarily Closed to Pedestrian Traffic". I don't know the reasoning for the temporary closure. The trail was wide open without any impediments or obstructions. If fact, this section was one of the prettier pieces of the trail.
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