Enola: Discover nature, railroad and local history

Enola offers a range of ways to shape your stay: hiking opportunities and documented biodiversity at Pine Hill Arboretum, traces of former industry, railroad history, and a play area for children. These topics can help guide your vacation planning: Would you like to focus on nature, are you interested in the town’s history, or would you like to combine both with time for children? You can choose a vacation rental in Enola to suit the interests that matter most to your family.

Hiking and nature at Pine Hill Arboretum

Pine Hill Arboretum offers opportunities for hiking. Numerous species of wildflowers, trees, and ferns, as well as birds and mammals, have also been identified and documented there.

Local history and personal memories

The Historical Society of East Pennsboro is located at 51 Miller Street in Enola. Its museum is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you are planning a museum visit, these days and hours are a useful guide. The Historical Society’s address also gives you a specific point of reference for this part of local history.

The Enola Miller House offers another connection to the story behind the name: it is considered the birthplace of Enola Miller, after whom the town was named. This gives the town’s name a personal connection. Together with the Historical Society’s museum, this aspect is especially appealing to travelers who want to experience more than nature during their stay and learn about the town’s history as well.

Traces of the mill and railroad

At West Fairview Park, a few arches and the foundation of the old mill remain as remnants of the Harrisburg Nail Works. In the associated community, the Nail Mill Museum presents part of the history of East Pennsboro Township and the village of West Fairview during the nail mill’s 70 years of operation. The park remains and the museum’s exhibits each offer a different perspective: architectural remnants here, and part of the mill’s and community’s history there.

The railroad is also part of Enola’s history. The Enola Rail Yard has been in operation since 1905 and was the world’s largest freight yard until 1956. Another railroad artifact stands in Adams-Ricci Park: a historic caboose dating from 1942, once used by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The history of a freight yard and that of an individual historic railroad car are thus presented as distinct topics.

Play areas and riverside scenery

Adams-Ricci Community Park includes Panther Station, a large play structure for children. For families looking for an explicitly child-focused destination in addition to nature and history, this park is another point of interest. The caboose in Adams-Ricci Park, by contrast, offers a historical connection; the two features appeal to different interests and should not be confused when choosing excursions.

At West Fairview Point in Enola, there is a paved boat launch at the confluence of Conodoguinet Creek and the Susquehanna River. If rivers and waterside scenery are among your travel interests, this is another specific point of interest. The boat launch and the confluence are the distinctive features of West Fairview Point.

More places to discover: Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Shippensburg, Carlisle, Wormleysburg, New Cumberland, Boiling Springs.

See the broader travel guide: Cumberland.