This ride starts in Lancaster City at Buchanan Park. It has tremendous variety and includes wonderful city neighborhoods, some city bike lanes, and a wonderful ride through the countryside passing by covered bridges, historic sites, and many preserved farms. It does have some challenging hills, especially in the vicinity of the County Park. The ride sweeps out into the countryside and passes through the historic town of Strasburg, which is in the heart of Amish country.
When riding along and seeing a landscape of farms as far as you can see, it probably indicates an area of many preserved farms. A bicycle is a great way to connect to your surroundings and better appreciate these preserved areas.
Here are some highlights of the route and the mile marker:
0.0 - Start at Buchanan Park
0.4 - Historic Chestnut St.
1.0 - Cabbage Hill neighborhood
1.4 - Queen St. - You can walk one block north to the square and the Lancaster Central Market.
3.1 - Rock Ford Historic Site and the County Park
7.6 - Hans Herr Historic Site (1719)
10.2 - Lime Valley Covered Bridge
10.9 - Walnut Run historic one room schoolhouse
14.4 - Downtown Strasburg historic district and Ice Cream shop at town center.
17.9 - Site and Sound Theater
25.4 - Lancaster County Park
28.3 - Walnut Street bike lane
29.8 - End at Buchanan Park