In the early 1900s, one of the only ways to travel between Frederick County communities was by rail on the historic Hagerstown and Frederick Railway.

“It was a direct line to Thurmont for commerce and travel into Frederick ,” explained president of the H & F Trolley Trail Association, Bryant Despeaux.

But after the decline in rail line ridership, the trails these trolleys blazed were nearly lost to time.

But the H & F Trolley Trail Association is advocating extending the Thurmont Trolley Trail that current stretches less than a mile.

“We did a survey recently and people would love to see the trail extended. And we know if we extended it to Frederick, which is our ultimate goal, that would draw people in from out of the area and that would help with tourism and have a big economic benefit for our town and for the whole county,” Despeaux said.

The association recently presented before the town of Thurmont a new project to create a total of 15 miles of trail from the northern end of Thurmont and down towards the Carroll Creek Trail in Frederick .

Phase one would include an expansion of the current trail to both the northern and southern limits of Thurmont.

The northern trail would begin at the edge of the current trail off of E Main Street and stretch to Eyler Road Park .

“Families will be able to ride their bikes out here. People can walk or hike out to this park. Right now, you basically have to drive out. The roads are a bit narrow, so it’s not the safest road to be walking or riding a bike on,” explained mayor for the Town of Thurmont , John Kinnaird.

The southern end proposes extension past the Thurmont Water Treatment Plant to Blue Mountain Road .

Planning is ongoing and cost estimates for phase one are anywhere between $70,242 and more than $190,102, depending on whether the trail will be created with a stone dust surface or asphalt surface.

Officials aim to complete phase one by the end of 2019.