How many people who walk the Hanover Trolley Trail ever reach the Oil Creek wetlands at its far end? Since the western section opened last November, every visitor has started at Hanover Borough's Moul Field, 151-153 Moul Avenue. The York County Rail Trail Authority calls it "the only public access" to that stretch of trail. The wetlands are at the opposite end. The authority's own newsletter puts it plainly: parking is only available at Moul Field, "3.4 miles to the west via trail."
The Oil Creek Trailhead off York Road (SR 116) in Heidelberg Township changes that. It puts parking beside the wetlands and connects to them by bridge and boardwalk. The wetlands are the newest and most distinctive part of the trail, and once the trailhead opens they become a place you can start from.
The 3.4-mile walk to the wetlands
The York County Rail Trail Authority opened the trail's newest section on Friday, November 21, 2025. It extends the western leg to Jacobs Mill Road in Heidelberg Township. The trail opened at the same time the Oil Creek Wetland Restoration Phase 2 was finished. Building the trail cost about $1 million, and the restoration cost $1.2 million. Both began in March 2025.
That extension gave the western section its best scenery. The authority says the trail passes more than ten acres of wetlands. Two viewing areas between Gitts Run Road and Jacobs Mill Road let you step off the path, away from walkers and cyclists. Each has benches.
Getting there has been the hard part. From Moul Field, a round trip to Jacobs Mill Road and back is about 6.8 miles. That's a fine morning for a cyclist, but it's a lot to ask of a family with a stroller or anyone who wants an hour with binoculars. Authority chairman Frank Kempf saw the wetlands as the draw from the start. In the authority's opening announcement, he said:
"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."
Two trailheads, side by side
The new trailhead lets you start at the wetlands. Here is how the two access points compare once both are open:
| Moul Field | Oil Creek Trailhead | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | 151-153 Moul Ave., Hanover Borough | York Road (SR 116), Heidelberg Township |
| Distance to the wetlands | About 3.4 trail miles | Direct, by bridge and boardwalk |
| Parking | Existing lot at Moul Field | 23 spaces |
| Amenities | Borough field | Information kiosk, picnic table, benches, portable restroom |
| Status | Open | Scheduled for completion in October 2026 |
ABC27 reported that the project also includes a driveway entrance and gate, a stormwater system, landscaping and signage. The bridge piers have been in place since 2025. They were built during the trail-extension work and have been waiting for the bridge and boardwalk that will link them to the new parking area.
Once the trailhead opens, you'll have two different walks to choose from. Moul Field remains the start for the longer walk east from town. The Route 116 lot is the start for a short visit to the wetlands. You can also walk from one trailhead to the other.
How the trailhead got built
The land came first. Heidelberg Township donated the 12-acre parcel along Route 116 to the authority in 2025. In January 2026 the authority received a $700,000 Keystone Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, which let it finish design and permitting. Bidding closed in May, and Conewago Enterprises, Inc. won the construction contract in early June.
The project costs $1.4 million in total. ABC27 reported these funding sources:
- $700,000 from the DCNR Keystone Grant
- $500,000 from the Pennsylvania Local Share gaming fund, awarded through the Commonwealth Financing Authority
- Local support from the Powder Mill Foundation
- The York County Marcellus Shale Fund
When construction started, York County Vice President Commissioner Scott Burford told ABC27 that the project "will greatly enhance the Hanover Trolley Trail and improve the overall visitor experience." He also thanked Heidelberg Township for donating the land.
What you'll be looking at from the boardwalk
The wetlands are a restored floodplain that people are still studying, and they have already won a state award. In March 2026, staff and students from Dickinson College's Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring made their second annual visit to Oil Creek. It is one of fifteen sites the Alliance monitors, and its study of how the stream is changing after the 2025 restoration runs through 2029.
On June 25, 2026, at Harrisburg's Hilton Hotel, the authority accepted a Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence for the Oil Creek Floodplain Restoration.
The authority's newsletter is aimed squarely at birders, and its tips work for anyone starting out:
- Use the Sound ID feature in the Merlin app to identify birds by their calls. It works offline.
- Check the Explore section of eBird for nearby hot spots and recent sightings.
- Buy binoculars and other gear once you're hooked. The newsletter points to Audubon's binocular guide.
A short walk from a 23-space lot makes those tips much easier to use. You can spend an hour on a viewing-area bench without first walking more than three miles to reach it.
Opening timing
The authority's summer newsletter scheduled construction to finish in October 2026, with a public ceremony to follow. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was on the agenda for the authority's September 10 meeting. The October 8 agenda listed an "Oil Creek Trailhead Grand Opening" under old business. Neither agenda gave a public date for the ceremony. Before you drive to Route 116, check the York County Rail Trail Authority's website to see whether the new lot is open and when the ceremony will be. Moul Field remains open as an entrance either way.
The trail rules
The new trailhead comes with the rules the authority already uses on the rest of the Hanover Trolley Trail. Its trail brochure lists them:
- The trail is open dawn to dusk.
- Pets must be leashed, and owners must pick up after them.
- Carry out all trash you carry in.
- No motor vehicles except maintenance and security, and no hunting, camping, fires or alcohol.
E-bikes have their own rule. The authority's e-bike policy allows only Class 1 pedal-assist bikes. A bike is not allowed if it weighs more than 99 pounds, has a motor over 750 watts, has a throttle, gives assistance when you aren't pedaling, or can assist beyond 20 mph. Riders must be at least 16. Dawn-to-dusk hours make the most difference this time of year. On late-fall afternoons, plan to be back at your car before dark.
The gap the trail still has
Despite the name, the Hanover Trolley Trail is two separate trails for now. The western section runs from Moul Field to Jacobs Mill Road. The eastern section runs from Main Street in Spring Grove Borough to Sunnyside Road in Jackson Township. The Spring Grove section passes Borough Park and has views of Codorus Creek.
The authority is looking for funding to connect the two sections. It describes the goal as a long-distance trail to complement the county's Heritage Rail Trail, and it plans a further study on eventually linking the two into a single York County rail trail system. There's no published timeline for that connection.
The trail has been growing in pieces for nearly two decades. Construction started in June 2008 along the MetEd electric utility corridor, and about a mile opened in Hanover Borough that fall. The 2020 purchase of 8.5 miles of dormant rail line from Genesee & Wyoming Railroad sped up construction. The name comes from the early 1900s, when the York Railway Company's trolleys carried weekday commuters and ran weekend specials to picnic groves, churches and shops. The Oil Creek Trailhead is the latest piece, and it makes the trail's best stretch the easiest one to reach.
If you'd like to help keep the trail in shape, the authority's volunteers handle jobs like gardening, clearing fallen trees and repairing fences. You can reach the York County Rail Trail Authority at (717) 428-0999 or [email protected].
At Fowler & Co. Realty, we follow changes like this new Route 116 entrance because they shape everyday life in York County. If you're curious how the trail and the projects around it affect what your home is worth, get your instant home valuation, and our team will walk you through what we see across the Hanover area.
