Trolley Trail

Fall 2022

Take a walk or run on the Thurmont Trolley Trail.

The Thurmont Trolley Trail continues to be extended.

Enjoy the Thurmont Trolley Trail every season.

The Thurmont Trolley Trail/H&F Trolley Trail runs on the old H&F Railway alignment in Thurmont. There was an electric trolley system that ran through Frederick County from 1896 to 1954. After passenger service stopped, the railway maintained an electric freight line from Frederick to Thurmont until 1961. The H&F Trolley Trail Association (HFTTA) is working with Thurmont and Frederick County to extend the trail through Thurmont, south to Frederick and north to Emmitsburg. When completed this 21-mile trail will be a great asset to the citizens of Frederick County, the residents of the towns and communities it runs through and will attract more visitors to the area who will come to ride or walk the trail and enjoy all the other amenities, attractions, restaurants, and businesses our county has to offer. The trail is currently about 1.1 miles and runs through the heart of Thurmont. “Old #5”, a freight car from the H&F sits at the trailheads on East Main Street, right next to the old power generation building that generated electricity for the trolleys.

This is also the location of the latest trail extension that runs through the Guardian

Hose Company Carnival Grounds. The extension through the Carnival Grounds is a stone dust trail and connects Boundary Avenue to East Main Street. The arrival of Fall and Winter does not mean the end of trail enjoyment as you can enjoy the Trolley Trail all year long. A brisk walk or ride in Fall and Winter is very exhilarating. All along the trail, the leaves will turn their beautiful fall colors and there are several spots along the trail that give you a magnificent view of the fall foliage in the Catoctin Mountains. When Winter arrives, there is nothing like a walk along the trail on a snowy day, everything is quiet except for the songs of birds and the babbling of Big Hunting Creek. When the temperature drops and ice forms along the edges of Big Hunting, you can stand on one of the bridges that cross the creek and watch the cold-water pass by as the ice tries to grab it and add it to its icy formations. After one of these Fall or Winter walks, you can go to one of the great restaurants in town and get a warm meal and a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to warm you back up. Even though we love the trail all year long, our organization is looking forward to the Spring as we prepare to extend the trail North. The Maryland Midland railroad tracks, which cross Church Street and Carroll Street, will cause the trail to run “on-street” for a time, but this is common on trails that run through cities and towns. The trail will run north from Boundary Avenue to the trail and sidewalk system of two recently approved developments off Emmitsburg Road. The trail connection through the Mechanicstown LLC property will connect the trail all the way to Radio

Lane, just down the street from Eyler Park. The HFTA is also planning for extensions south so we can connect the trail to the Catoctin Furnace. The organization hopes to have more news about this section early next year. See you on the trail! Bryant K. Despeaux President, H&F Trolley Trail Association