November 28: Tunnels of Enola Group Hike

๐Ÿฅพ Click here to register for the November 28th event. ๐Ÿฅพ

This is hands down my favorite Uncharted Lancaster adventure. This epic expedition has you crisscrossing through five different tunnels and culverts as we journey from Shenks Ferry to Safe Harbor and back again.

A brick arch tunnel surrounded by lush greenery and rocky terrain, illuminated by natural light coming from the opening.

What to expect

Participants should be prepared for a strenuous yet rewarding experience. This moderate to challenging hike spans roughly 4 miles round trip, taking approximately 3 hours to complete.

Dress for the weather and wear closed-toe shoes. There’s a high possibility of wet feet and dirty butts as we cross streams and traverse through dark culverts (so be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp). Packing something to drink and a snack isn’t a bad idea, either.

Will run rain or shine. Severe weather cancellations will be made on-site.

I will have some Uncharted Lancaster swag, such as stickers, magnets, lapel pins, and 3″ patches for participants to choose from as souvenirs.

Parking

You are headed to Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve. Here are the GPS coordinates: 39.905861, -76.368222. Here’s a Google link with the GPS coordinates: https://goo.gl/maps/Q5s4fsjVT3z2BLn27

Park and check in at the Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve parking lot located at the bottom of Green Hill Road off Shenks Ferry Road off of River Road. As you approach, you will drive through a large tunnel on your way to the bottom of the hill near the Susquehanna River.

Questions

Contact adam@unchartedlancaster.com if you have questions.

Here are some highlights of locations you will visit and things you will learn:

Dark Culverts

Together, we will traverse five tunnels and culverts of various sizes and designs. What’s the difference between the two, you ask? A culvert has water flowing through it, while a tunnel does not.

Safe Harbor Christmas Train Accident

We will answer the eternal question of what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force when we visit the site of the December 23, 1981, Conrail train accident. On that day, an 82-car freight train collided with a massive boulder below the Safe Harbor dam.

While on location, you can explore some wreckage from the horrible accident.

Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge

Our adventure will take us across the 1,560-foot-long, 150-foot-high Safe Harbor Trestle bridge. It is the third-highest trestle bridge in the U.S. and the second-longest trestle bridge in Pennsylvania. The trestle offers unique vistas of Safe Harbor Dam and the Susquehanna River.

View of a pathway along a river, featuring a flag, rail tracks, and a power station in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Haunted Tunnel

We will finish our journey by walking through the haunted tunnel of Shenks Ferry, home to the ghost of a woman known as the “White Angel.”

๐Ÿฅพ Click here to register for the November 28th event. ๐Ÿฅพ

Here are some photos from the July 14, 2024, Tunnels of Enola hike.


Adventure Awaits!

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Supersize Your Adventure

Supersize your adventure by including one of Adam Zurn’s books with your adventure ticket purchase.

๐Ÿ“– Learn about the many unique places Lancaster County has to offer when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the countyโ€™s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere.

๐Ÿ“– Uncharted Lancasterโ€™s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure takes readers on a spine-tingling journey through Lancaster Countyโ€™s haunted history, eerie legends, and hidden treasures. From ghostly apparitions to outlaw loot, these 64 true local stories blend real history with gripping folklore.

๐Ÿ“– Step back in time and meet Canassatego, a wise Onondaga chief whose powerful words helped shape a nation. Based on real events that took place right here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this picture book recounts the Great Treaty of 1744โ€”and the unforgettable moment when Canassatego broke a single arrow, but could not break a bundle of six in Canassatego and His Six Arrows.

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