The York County Heritage Trail in Pennsylvania and the North Central Rail Trail in Maryland connect together to give a 41 mile route between York, PA and Ashland, MD which is north of Baltimore. The trails follow along the route of the North Central Railroad.
Here is some Historical information about the North Central Railroad.
There is plenty of information on the web on both trails. The Heritage Trail Homepage shows a map of the trail between York and the Pennsylvania and Maryland state line. It shows access points, mileages, and has many photos.
The North Central Trail passes through Gunpowder Falls State Park. and their web site gives additional info about the trail.
Bike Wahington has a comprehensive description of the two trails. There is a map of the entire trail and also four detailed maps of sections of the trail.
We started one trip from York which is an interesting and historic town and has much to see in addition to the rail trail. Here is some information about York. Beside the usual sightseeing check out the factory tours tab; York is an outstanding place for factory tours. Even though we are bicycle, not motorcycle riders, we thought the the Harley Davidson company offered a great tour. York is a good place to stay with plenty of motels, including some economical ones.
Both trails have a good crushed stone surface. We used mountain bikes, but road bikes, especially those with moderately heavy tires would be good. The two trails are very different; in Pennsylvania the trail passes several small towns and follows by the existing railroad tracks. There are places to fid snacks in Pennsylvania. In Maryland, the trail follows along rivers and through forest land all the way. There are no towns along the way in Maryland and about the only place for a snack is at Monkton Station about 7 miles from the south end.
Here are some pictures of a trip along the trail.