Program Used: Tourism Product Development Grant
The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail (CVRT) is a walking, biking, and equestrian trail created along the former right-of-way for the Cumberland Valley Railroad from Newville to Shippensburg. Originally nine miles long, the CVRT has expanded to approximately 15 miles with numerous improvements since its inception, including installing historical markers and an open-air walking bridge across Big Spring Avenue in Newville. Numerous municipalities along the trail work together to support and enhance this outdoor recreational asset.
The Newville Trailhead on McFarland Street features restrooms, a picnic grove, informational kiosks, a children’s play area, parking for 50 cars, and a staging area for horse trailers. And thanks to a partnership between Newville Borough and PennDOT District 8, a half-mile section of the trail at the Newville Trailhead is paved and features a wooden guardrail. Over 25,000 visitors per year use the trail and the Newville trailhead is a popular starting point for those seeking to access the trail.
Newville Borough sought to improve the trailhead further and enhance the visitor experience. These upgrades included expanding the handicapped parking area, constructing a concrete walkway between the existing handicapped parking area to the paved section of the trail, and installing a bike repair station. With the help of a $16,582 Tourism Product Development Grant from CAEDC, the Borough completed this project in June 2021.
These improvements now provide ADA compliance and open the trail to physically-challenged individuals. The walkway also provides accessibility to a new patio area constructed to the rear of the trailhead as part of an Eagle Scout project. And the addition of the bike repair station, the first along the Trail, improves the user experience for cyclists.
