Enola Low Grade Trail - Day Trip

 March 16, 2024

No time is ever wasted when it's spent on two wheels.

- Unknown

Trailhead near Conestoga

Our first bicycle ride of 2024 was a return to another of our favorite trails - the Enola Low Grade Trail, which stretches about 29 miles from Conestoga, Manor Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Atglen in Chester County. The trail makes use of the former Atglen and Susquehanna Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad and gets its name from the fact that the rail line was built to a grade not to exceed 1% and with curves no greater than 2%. The last train traveled the line in 1988 and the rails were removed in 1990.

We've ridden on this trail several times over the years. Our first ride took us only 5-1/2 miles from the trailhead in Manor Township to just before the Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Dam. At that time, the Safe Harbor trestle bridge (built in 1905) over the Conestoga River was being rebuilt, and we had to turn back.

By early November of 2022 both the Safe Harbor bridge and the newly reconstructed Martic Forge bridge, which had been destroyed by arsonists in 2018, were open to bicycle riders. We decided to start our ride in Quarryville, taking in the farmland along that end of the trail, and rode all the way to the trailhead in Manor Township and back, for a total of 38.7 miles. We learned a lesson on that trip - even though the grade is low, you can always count on fighting wind at some point along the trail. We fought it for most of the 19+ miles we rode back to Quarryville!

On March 16, 2024 we started our ride at the Manor Township trailhead in Conestoga. The trail was much as we remembered it - a wide, hard-packed gravel trail with beautiful views of the Susquehanna River on our right and high, rocky bluffs along the left.

Restored 1947 caboose Along the trail

View along the trail View of Mann's Run emptying into the river

We stopped just before the Safe Harbor bridge where there's a very nice pavilion so we could eat our lunch and use the port-a-potties.

Approaching the Safe Harbor Dam

Approaching the Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge & Picnic Area

Some facts about the Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge:

• It's the 3rd highest trestle bridge in the U.S.
• It's the 2nd longest trestle bridge in Pennsylvania
• It's 150 ft high and 1,560 feet long
• Restoration begain in February 2015 and was completed in June 2022.

Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge
Safe Harbor Dam & Hydroelectric Plant opened in 1931	View of the dam from the other end of the bridge

There are some great views from the bridge of the dam and the valley carved by the Conestoga River, which flows beneath it before emptying into the Susquehanna River. The trail narrows on the other side of the bridge, and turns away from the Susquehanna River as it leads on through forested hillsides. After we finished our lunch we followed the trail further as it passed high above the Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve until we came to the Martic Forge Trestle Bridge.

The approach to Martic Forge Trestle Bridge
Martic Forge Trestle Bridge View of the trail	View from the bridge Red Hill parking area

The new bridge, made of concrete and steel, is 146 feet high and 634 feet long. After crossing over the bridge and viewing the Pequea Creek below it we rode about another mile to the Red Hill parking area before turning around to head back and once again face the wind!

There is much to see along the Enola Low Grade Trail, especially along its western and middle sections, which we found to be the most scenic. There are signs explaining the history of the Safe Harbor bridge and dam, some seasonal waterfalls, observations platforms overlooking the Susquehanna and sightings of bald eagles and osprey.

Trail sign View from Safe Harbor bridge	Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge We often see rock climbers along the trail
In 1916 watchmen were placed at the bridges on the line to patrol the area. Many trains passing over the bridges carried loads of ammunition and the possibility of someone blowing up the bridges was ever-present. This is a replica of one of the guard booths, located at the Safe Harbor Bridge picnic area.

The eastern section, covering the roughly 20 miles between Martic Forge and Quarryville is a pleasant ride, but has fewer points of interest. The trail does continue further east to Atglen but is unimproved and more suitable for mountain bikers as it makes its way through mostly farmland.

We highly recommend this multi-use trail for a fun and pleasant ride with beautiful views along the Susquehanna River. Just be aware that there is very little shade with no water and few facilities along the trail. And although the grade of the trail is low, we've found no matter which end of the trail we start off on, we are always heading back into the wind!

Trail Map

* All photos and videos are the property of the authors except where otherwise noted. *