This ride, while quite long, is more than worth it. This will bring you southwest of town to Newville, then Shippensburg via the Cumberland Valley Rail-Trail. This is a 44.81 mi. out and back trip.

1. Start at the intersection of W High St. and S College St. Head west on W High St. (US 11 South).
2. Continue on Ritner Hwy past the diner, out of Carlisle into the townships.
3. Turn right onto Mt Rock Rd. (at 7.62 mi)
4. Follow Mt Rock up and down a few hills into the town of Newville. At the end, turn left onto E Main St. (PA 641). (at 11.96 mi)
5. Watch out going down the last hill after the school, because you’ll go straight into the intersection if you don’t brake! In the center of town, turn left onto S High St. (PA 233 South). (at 12.29 mi)
6. Take the second right onto Parsonage St. (at 12.37 mi)
7. Bear left onto W Big Spring Ave. (at 12.43 mi)
8. Follow Big Spring for a short bit until you come to a staircase on your right. This will lead you up to the current north end of the rail-trail. (at 12.81 mi)

Follow the trail southwest for approximately 10 miles through gorgeous farm lands and past amazing views into the town of Shippensburg. Either stay in Shippensburg to explore or return along the trail. You can also use Ritner Hwy (US 11) or Walnut Bottom Rd (PA 174 & 465) to return to campus if you’re comfortable with that.

This is a long ride which will take you a good portion of the day. While the trail itself is flat (as its name states, it was a rail line in recent history), the roads leading to it are hilly. Prepare yourself for this ride. Along the trail there are few to no places to get water or food except in Newville or Shippensburg, so plan ahead. Be cautious when traveling on Ritner Hwy (US 11) during rush hour traffic, but otherwise the trail is an enjoyable experience!

Click here for the link to the route on MapMyRide.

Click here for the link to the Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails Council website.

Overview Map of the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail