Rail Trail- New Freedom - New Freedom, PA
Rail Trail- New Freedom: Your Dog-Friendly Park in Pennsylvania
The Rail Trail in New Freedom, Pennsylvania is a popular pet-friendly trail perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and their canine companions. Stretching alongside scenic rail lines, the trail offers well-maintained, mostly flat paths of crushed packed stone and some asphalt sections, making it great for dog walking, running, or biking together. Enjoy leisurely strolls past historical landmarks and alongside the Codorus Creek, all while being conveniently located near restaurants, local shops, and the famous steam train museum.
While this is not a traditional fenced dog park, the Rail Trail is ideal for those seeking dog-friendly hiking and an accessible, peaceful environment to explore with their pet. There’s ample parking near the trailhead, benches and public restrooms, plus nearby playgrounds for kids, making it a great family outing destination. The trail is open year-round, providing a scenic getaway for you and your furry friend in New Freedom.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are there walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, the Rail Trail offers miles of well-maintained, pet-friendly hiking and biking trails.
- Where is the best place to park? There is a large parking lot near the trailhead at 1 E High St, New Freedom, PA, and it is usually not crowded.
- Are there benches or seating areas for owners? Yes, there are benches and multiple rest spots along the trail.
- Are restrooms available for owners? Yes, there are bathroom spots along the trail.
- Is the park open year-round? Yes, the trail is open year-round for visitors and their pets.
- Is there a playground or activities for kids nearby? Yes, there are parks with playgrounds for kids nearby.
- Are there pet-friendly cafes or stores close to the park? Yes, there are sandwich and pizza shops, and other local stores right near the trailhead.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? Yes, the trail is noted for being well maintained and clean.
Reviews
Fantastic bike ride into Pennsylvania. Very well maintained and lots of places to rest with benches and bathrooms spots.
The trail gets really pretty here but there’s no shade when going through the town. You’ll see tons of old trains and you’re right near the highest point of the trail. If you head south, you’ll cross into Maryland in a little over a mile.
There’s a nice large parking lot which was practically empty last weekend. There are a couple of sandwich and pizza shops right on the trail at this location however I haven’t tried them yet. There is also the steam train museum which I also didn’t have time to visit as well as a passenger train ride which is pulled by a GP9 locomotive. Hopefully next time. We rode north to Hanover Junction which is a nice leisurely ten mile ride. The trail is in pretty good shape (mostly crushed packed stone with some short asphalt sections) and rolls through the center of Glen Rock in case you want to stop for something more substantial than pizza or a sandwich.
Nice part of the rail trail. There are a few parks to check out with the kiddos nearby as well as other local little shops to stop in at. I will note the trail does have a few road crossings and depending on the day you can even see the northern railroad train on the track.
Riding my bike alongside the trail was great. Not only was it scenic it was well maintained the whole way up to the Howard tunnel. The ride started off in New Freedom pretty much where the end of the Torrey C. Brown trail ends. It took me about 3 hours to reach the Howard tunnel and back. Along the route were historical signs posted up along the side giving some information about the area. I wish I had the time to read them all; however, I had a late start. There are restaurants near the beginning of the trail and a brewery. If you are and avid cyclist I would definitely check this place out, It’s nice and flat and has many little bridges going over the Codorus creek. It was a swell day trip and I will be back to see if I can go a little further. In total I rode for 28 miles in just over 3 hours. I hope you have a good time on this trail.