Legend of Toad Road and the 7 gates of Hell

Located in Hellam Township, in the middle of York county, lies a mysterious road. Trout Run road is often referred to by it's more sinister name, Toad road.

According to local legend, there was once an insane asylum located deep in the woods off this road. During the 1800's, there was a large fire in the institution. Due to the Toad road asylum's location in the woods, the firefighters were unable to get back to the hospital to assist in extinguishing the blaze. What ensued was total chaos, something right out of a horror film. Hundreds of criminally insane individuals ran rampant through the dark, dense, woods. The State police were eventually called in to handle the situation. According to local legends the police combed the woods and beat into submission all the patients they were able to track down. It's been thought that for many years there were still survivors in the woods just waiting for a trespasser to find his old burned out home.
Traveling down the road it seems like your average rural thruway. Lively trees dot the pavement, country homes pass by, and farmlands sprinkle the pathways. But just as your immersing up the country beauty, something strange occurs on this seemingly pleasant way. The road becomes unpaved, and quite rocky, a feeling occurs like you should no longer be here. As you pass around a sharp bend, you notice a red gate and an abundance of "No Trespassing" signs. Welcome to the first gate of hell!

The City of York supposedly put these up to discourage folks from trespassing back the paths. Local legend states that there are six more of these gates located in the woods, if you find the seventh gate you'll be on the site of the burned out institution-or you'll be in Hell itself!

The City of York of course denies all these stories, and unfortunately there's not much hard evidence to support the folklore. Many people claim the city did all they could to cover up these heinous activities. Could you blame them?

For the full effect of this trip we would recommend a nighttime visit, when our imaginations seem to run a little bit higher. If you put the windows down, maybe you can still hear the screams and cries of a lost psychopath roaming the woods, still waiting for that unsuspecting visitor!


WARNING!! Entering the woods on Trout Run road without permission will attract an unwanted visitor and they will have no problems issuing a citation for trespassing!