Rail Trails: The Torey C. Brown Trail and the Heritage Trail

One of our training rides this spring took us by what looked like a lovely rail trail. That ride spent about 10 miles on roads that paralleled the Heritage Trail in Pennsylvania. Last weekend, seeking a cycling change of pace, we decided to explore it. 

We started at the south end of the Torey C. Brown Trail (formerly the North Central Railroad Trail) in Cockeysville, Maryland. The trail continues north for about 20 miles to the Pennsylvania border. At the south end, it is heavily used and the trail is pretty wide. Nearer to Pennsylvania, the trail narrows into two dirt tracks and we encountered far fewer people.

This bike is normally my commuter bike. I took it out on the trail to test whether it would be a good ride for an upcoming rail trail trip.

 Rosa multiflora (Multiflora Rose)

At the Pennsylvania border, the trail becomes the Heritage Trail, which continues 21 miles north to York.

 We stopped to have lunch at the high point on the trail, just south of New Freedom, Pennsylvania.

They run a tourist train at New Freedom. The trail crosses the tracks several times, but it isn't like you can't hear the train coming and it doesn't move particularly fast.

We passed grazing twisty-horned goats.

We also passed a hillside full of gnomes. Click to enlarge for the full glory of the gnomes. My photo does not, sadly capture all of them.

 Gillenia trifoliata (Bowman's Root) near the gnomes.

Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium).