Ron Hickey
Enthusiast
If you’re driving to Carlisle and plan to arrive anytime after 8:15 am on Saturday, be prepared to crawl through town in bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go traffic. Also, be advised that the Carlisle exit off the Pennsylvania Turnpike will back up miserably Saturday morning.
Here are a couple of shortcuts to avoid the in-town traffic.
Directions to Carlisle, via I-81 from the South
Take Exit 44 (Route 465) off I-81
(Follow signs to Carlisle Fairgrounds)
RIGHT on US-11
LEFT on College St (Rte 74)
Stay on College St to G Street (follow signs)
RIGHT on G Street
LEFT on West Street (no Fairgrounds sign)
RIGHT on K Street
Straight across Rte 34 into Gate 3
If you must come in on the Turnpike and US-11, here’s how to miss the traffic:
Back Road Shortcut
(Misses in-town traffic and brings you in from the north)
From Pa Turnpike Exit:
Take US-11 North/East (away from Carlisle)
Turn LEFT on N Middlesex Rd (traffic light at Arby’s)
LEFT on Clemson Drive
RIGHT at T onto Wolf Bridge Road
(Speed limit 35 -- Watch out for speed trap!)
LEFT on W Middlesex Road
LEFT onto Rte 34
As you come into Carlisle (from the North) you will see Gate 3 on your LEFT. Depending on traffic and time of day, the police may not let you turn LEFT at Gate 3; they may have you turn RIGHT on K Street, at which point you’ll just follow traffic and loop around.
From I-81 US-11 Exit:
Take US-11 South/West (toward Carlisle)
Turn RIGHT on N Middlesex Rd (traffic light at Arby’s)
LEFT on Clemson Drive
RIGHT at T onto Wolf Bridge Road
(Speed limit 35 -- Watch out for speed trap!)
LEFT on W Middlesex Road
LEFT onto Rte 34
As you come into Carlisle (from the North) you will see Gate 3 on your LEFT. Depending on traffic and time of day, the police may not let you turn LEFT at Gate 3; they may have you turn RIGHT on K Street, at which point you’ll just follow traffic and loop around.
Leaving the show, you can retrace the shortcut to miss the in-town traffic, or head through town to I-81:
Leaving Fairgrounds using Shortcut to US-11
Exit Fairgrounds via Gate 3
RIGHT on Route 34
Watch for Turkey Hill store at Y (Rte 34 bears right, stay on 34)
Look for yellow double turn-off road sign on right.
Turn RIGHT on W Middlesex Rd
RIGHT at stop sign onto Wolf Bridge Rd
LEFT onto Clemson Drive
RIGHT onto N Middlesex Rd
At US-11, RIGHT takes you to Pa Turnpike, LEFT goes to I-81
Leaving Fairgrounds South thru Town to I-81
Exit Fairgrounds via Gate 3
Straight across Rte 34 onto K Street
LEFT onto West Street
Follow West Street until it hits US-11 (W High Street)
RIGHT on W High Street
Exit town
LEFT on Route 465 (look for “To I-81” signs)
Take I-81 South
If you’re coming up from the Baltimore area, you’ll come up I-83 to Harrisburg and catch the Pennsylvania Turnpike and take it west to Carlisle. So follow the “Back Roads Shortcut” directions from the Pa Turnpike exit.
Here are a couple of shortcuts to avoid the in-town traffic.
Directions to Carlisle, via I-81 from the South
Take Exit 44 (Route 465) off I-81
(Follow signs to Carlisle Fairgrounds)
RIGHT on US-11
LEFT on College St (Rte 74)
Stay on College St to G Street (follow signs)
RIGHT on G Street
LEFT on West Street (no Fairgrounds sign)
RIGHT on K Street
Straight across Rte 34 into Gate 3
If you must come in on the Turnpike and US-11, here’s how to miss the traffic:
Back Road Shortcut
(Misses in-town traffic and brings you in from the north)
From Pa Turnpike Exit:
Take US-11 North/East (away from Carlisle)
Turn LEFT on N Middlesex Rd (traffic light at Arby’s)
LEFT on Clemson Drive
RIGHT at T onto Wolf Bridge Road
(Speed limit 35 -- Watch out for speed trap!)
LEFT on W Middlesex Road
LEFT onto Rte 34
As you come into Carlisle (from the North) you will see Gate 3 on your LEFT. Depending on traffic and time of day, the police may not let you turn LEFT at Gate 3; they may have you turn RIGHT on K Street, at which point you’ll just follow traffic and loop around.
From I-81 US-11 Exit:
Take US-11 South/West (toward Carlisle)
Turn RIGHT on N Middlesex Rd (traffic light at Arby’s)
LEFT on Clemson Drive
RIGHT at T onto Wolf Bridge Road
(Speed limit 35 -- Watch out for speed trap!)
LEFT on W Middlesex Road
LEFT onto Rte 34
As you come into Carlisle (from the North) you will see Gate 3 on your LEFT. Depending on traffic and time of day, the police may not let you turn LEFT at Gate 3; they may have you turn RIGHT on K Street, at which point you’ll just follow traffic and loop around.
Leaving the show, you can retrace the shortcut to miss the in-town traffic, or head through town to I-81:
Leaving Fairgrounds using Shortcut to US-11
Exit Fairgrounds via Gate 3
RIGHT on Route 34
Watch for Turkey Hill store at Y (Rte 34 bears right, stay on 34)
Look for yellow double turn-off road sign on right.
Turn RIGHT on W Middlesex Rd
RIGHT at stop sign onto Wolf Bridge Rd
LEFT onto Clemson Drive
RIGHT onto N Middlesex Rd
At US-11, RIGHT takes you to Pa Turnpike, LEFT goes to I-81
Leaving Fairgrounds South thru Town to I-81
Exit Fairgrounds via Gate 3
Straight across Rte 34 onto K Street
LEFT onto West Street
Follow West Street until it hits US-11 (W High Street)
RIGHT on W High Street
Exit town
LEFT on Route 465 (look for “To I-81” signs)
Take I-81 South
If you’re coming up from the Baltimore area, you’ll come up I-83 to Harrisburg and catch the Pennsylvania Turnpike and take it west to Carlisle. So follow the “Back Roads Shortcut” directions from the Pa Turnpike exit.
