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!

Why I go Outta the Way!

Coming up on our first year I thought I'd share how I started going "Outta the Way." Maybe it was instilled in my head as a child. Some of my earliest memories involve riding around in the back of my dad's pick-up truck (hey, it was the early 80's) with my two older sisters, scouring the back roads of Toad road. I didn't know the stories and the legend about the place, but it was always creepy and certainly strange.

By my teenage years when I was able to hit the open road on my own I would always find myself drawn to the weird and odd places. The more sinister the better. My friends and I would search the rural back roads looking for anything out of the ordinary.

By my 20's I was raising a family and didn't have much time to search the underbellies of society. But as my daughter got older and the bills got higher I found myself drawn back into this odd fascination. Only this time there was no holding back. Seems as my fascination grew so did a lot of other folks. By my late 20's I had discovered quite a bit of information on haunted, historical, abandoned, and odd spots allover. So my girlfriend, my daughter, and myself went out in search. We discovered how much fun as a family we could have without spending much money, if any. Plus my daughter was learning about history (just don't tell her that) even if some was a little odd or macabre.

As I begun to share my stories of travel with others they seemed very interested and intrigued by my adventures. They wanted to know how they could find these places. Quite a few of the spots we visit are often quite rural and difficult to find. My girlfriend instilled into my head the idea of a travel zine. A chance for others who are as disturbed as I am to visit such odd locales. What would I offer? Truth be told a few of the places we visit can be discovered with a bit of research. So what I've done is combined 4-5 locations within a general area for a day full of adventure and mystery. I supply photographs so you know exactly what you're looking for. And most importantly, accurate driving directions to these often difficult to locate oddities. I visit all of these places before anything else.

Here at Outta the Way we focus on showing you the places that are not your normal tourist traps. Some may be of historical note, some a little weird or odd, a few macabre, but all are unique. Most importantly their inexpensive and will keep a smile on your face and your brain on the edge. We feel if you go into these adventures with an open mind you'll find as much enjoyment in these trips as we have.

So get outta the way, we're going Outta the Way!

Toad Road and the 7 Gates of Hell in York, Pennsylvania

On the outskirts of York, lies a road with a mysterious past. While traveling on an unpaved section of the road, you'll notice a trail blocked by a rusty old gate.

Welcome to the first gate to hell.

There are six more behind this one. It is said that if you pass through the seven gates you'll end up in hell; or you'll end up in what was once the "Toad Road" Asylum. Legend states that back in the 1800's there was an asylum located in the woods for the criminally insane. One night a fire broke out and mayhem ensued. It's said that the spirits of those patients still haunt the area.

For more information on visiting Toad Road and other Outta the Way places in the area, be sure to check out Volume 2 of the Outta the Way Zine.

Volume 2 is available now by emailing us, and will soon be available at BUiLDiNG CHARACTER (at the B.B. Bellezza stand) and on Etsy (in the B.B. Bellezza store.)