Shippensburg: Trails, Park and Heritage

Shippensburg brings together a rail trail and preserved open space with local historical sites and a recurring event. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, your trip’s focus can help guide your plans: do you want to center your visit on a route, include the park and springs, or focus on heritage and Ship First Fridays? The following themes each offer a different emphasis.

Trails and Open Space

The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail runs from downtown Shippensburg, along the edge of Shippensburg University, to Greenhill Road beyond Newville, and is just under 13 miles long. This outdoor theme centers on a route between named endpoints; Dykeman Park offers a different focus, with multiple trails and other features within an open space.

Dykeman Park is a 56-acre preserved open space surrounding the historic Dykeman Springs. Its trails include the Dykeman Walking Trail, the Dykeman Park Meadow Trail and the Dykeman Park Upland Trail. The park also includes two ponds, several picnic tables and the Dykeman Baseball Field. Unlike the Rail Trail, the focus here is not on a continuous route, but on an open space with several named features.

Shippensburg’s History

The Shippensburg Historical Society collects and preserves the history of the community. It is located in the historic Dr. Alexander Stewart House, an 18th-century limestone and brick mansion in the heart of Shippensburg’s Historic District. For a cultural history trip, this place brings together two distinct points of interest: the work of an institution and a specific building with distinctive materials and a clear historical context.

Dykeman Springs extend this perspective beyond buildings. The springs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Dykeman Park surrounds them as preserved open space. The park and its listing therefore highlight different aspects of the same place: its landscape setting and its formal historic designation.

Widow Piper’s Tavern is another historic landmark in Shippensburg. The restored building now serves as the home of the Shippensburg Civic Club. Unlike the Historical Society, which collects and preserves the community’s history, the focus here is on a present-day civic club.

Ship First Fridays as a Travel Date

Ship First Fridays offer a different focus because a specific date is part of planning the trip. The event takes place on the first Friday of each month from April through October at the Ship Station; offerings include food trucks, a beer garden and live music. If you’d like to plan your stay around the event, check the specific date for your travel dates in advance. The event calendar can therefore determine the timing, while the Rail Trail, park and historic sites are more likely to shape your choice of destination as thematic highlights.

Discover More Destinations

Mechanicsburg, Wormleysburg, Enola, Boiling Springs, Carlisle, New Cumberland, Camp Hill

For the main travel overview: Cumberland.