Press release by York County Trails posted 19 November 2025
All photos and maps are from Kinsley Construction
York County Rail Trail Authority announced the official opening of the newest section of the Hanover Trolley Trail on Friday, November 21, 2025. The section is located in Heidelberg
Township, York County, PA, and now extends the trail to Jacobs Mill Road. Opening of the trail is concurrent with completion of Oil Creek Wetland Restoration Phase 2.
Trail construction began in March 2025 at a cost of approximately $1 million, with funding provided by PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Growing Greener Grant,
and local grants from the J William Warehime Foundation, Powder Mill Foundation, and Explore York. Restoration of Oil Creek Phase 2, which also began in March, was completed
at a cost of $1.2 million, with funding from National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, PA Department of Environmental Protection, York
County Planning Commission, and York County Conservation District.
With the completion of this newest trail section, the Hanover Trolley Trail’s western section now extends approximately 3.4 miles from Moul Field in the Borough of Hanover to Jacobs
Mill Road. Hanover Borough’s Moul Field, 151-153 Moul Avenue, provides the only public access to this section of the Hanover Trolley Trail. Design and permitting are well underway
for a dedicated trail parking lot along RT 116 in Heidelberg Township. Construction is planned for mid-2026.
Authority Chairman Frank Kempf commented, “The completion of this trail section not only provides additional miles of trail but also invites visitors to view over ten acres of wetlands. It
makes the Hanover Trolley Trail unique to our area and a destination that will attract visitors from outside the area.”
Authority Executive Director Gwen Loose added, “The authority is excited to offer these new miles of recreational trail to York County residents. We invite them to come and enjoy.”
YELLOW LINE INDICATES NEW SECTION OPENED
News article written by Harrison Jones for Hanover Evening Sun published 20 November 2025
Nestled in farmland off of Route 116, many who drove past the Oil Creek every day might not have even noticed the wetlands a few hundred yards from their commute. Thanks to restoration work undertaken as part of the Hanover Trolley Trail expansion, more than 10 acres of those degraded wetlands along Route 116 have been brought back to life after decades of erosion and sedimentation that ravaged the creek. With the newest section of the trail opening, visitors to the trail can finally enjoy scenic views of those restored wetlands. The new section, which connects to Jacobs Mill Road, will be officially open as of Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, the York County Rail Trail Authority announced in a release. Featuring two wildlife viewing areas complete with benches and overlooking Oil Creek, the new section provides plentiful opportunity for birdwatching, In the release, authority Chairman Frank Kempf described the expanded trail as “unique to our area and a destination that will attract visitors from outside the area.”
Kinsley Construction, which undertook the project, shared that over 45,000 cubic yards of legacy sediment was removed from 5,700 feet of the creek to reconstruct the natural stream channel which had been buried by years of sedimentation and erosion. In addition, the restoration project added riffle pools, root wads and woody debris to promote habitat diversity, Kinsley Construction said in the release. Following reconstruction of the creek, 43 native species of trees, shrubs and wetland plugs were planted across the wetlands, the company said. While the restoration provides a healthier ecosystem for local wildlife, the project additionally mitigates flooding along the Oil Creek naturally as a result of the restored floodplain, the company said.
The new section is roughly a mile in length, extending from the existing trail east of Gitts Run Road that had opened earlier this year. From the trail’s primary parking area at Moul Field, the length of the Hanover Trolley Trail from Moul Field to Jacobs Mill Road is now approximately 3.4 miles, according to the authority. A new parking area along Route 116, planned to connect directly into the new wetlands section of the trail using a new pedestrian bridge, is in the planning and permitting stage, the authority said. Construction on the parking area is anticipated to begin in 2026. Beginning in a recreational park surrounded by growing residential developments, in the span of just three miles the trail now takes visitors out of the suburbs, through woods, across rolling farmland and into wetlands. With the trail crossing through farmlands and rural forested areas, the authority reminded visitors to wear high-visibility orange during hunting season as a precaution.
The authority also reminded visitors that E-bikes are limited to pedal-assisted only, and that all visitors must keep to the trail. The $2.2 million project to restore the wetlands and expand the trail is funded through the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, state grants from the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, a regional grant from Susquehanna River Basin Commission and a York County Planning Commission grant through the Countywide Action Plan. In addition, the project got local support from the J. William Warehime Foundation and Powder Mill Foundation.
