On Sunday, Oct. 20, the Pennsylvania Game Commission will once again open the Stony Valley Rail Trail to motor vehicles for the annual State Game Lands Driving Tour.
The Ellendale Gate along Stony Valley Road will open up for drives through Game Lands #211. The 17-mile journey through to Gold Mine Road should last around two hours.
Check the weather before heading out — although the path is groomed, conditions may vary depending on weather and wetness. This is a free, rain-or-shine event.
A second tour through State Game Lands #110 in Berks County begins at the Mountain Road gate and goes through to the State Route 183 gate, four miles north of Strausstown.
Gates for both tours will open at 9 a.m. Sunday and stay open until 3 p.m. Enter these coordinates in your GPS to reach the Ellendale Gate: 40.402255, -76.8378661.
The land on the northwest edge of Lebanon County is known as Game Lands #211 according to the state, St. Anthony’s Wilderness to the original Moravian settlers, and Stony Valley to the rest of us. At one time the towns of Cold Springs and Rausch Gap sat in this area along the Schuylkill & Susquehanna Railroad, which first cleared the trail bed used by the Rail Trail today.
Ruins of these settlements can still be found in the woods, including a cemetery, a hotel, and more.
The drive is usually held annually. It was cancelled in 2022 as the Pennsylvania Game Commission wanted to direct nearby attention to its State Game Lands #210 habitat improvement projects.
Read More: Stony Valley driving tour will not be held this fall
Here’s what you’ll see on the drive.
This graphic showing landmarks of the Rail Trail was created by Stony Valley historian Brandy M. Watts.
While in the area, you may also want to take time to go see the Boxcar Rocks formation, which is in the vicinity of the end of the Rail Trail off Gold Mine Road.
Read More: A trek into the wilderness of the Lebanon Reservoir and Jeff’s Swamp
Read More: Eight of the best hikes in Lebanon County
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2023, but it was updated for 2024.
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