Today I got up much later then I’d wanted to. It just feels so comfortable here on the east coast as the seasons are starting to change. Nevertheless, I knew if I didn’t get up and out I’d regret wasting the day. I decided to go back to French Creek State Park and explore more of the trails. This time I parked at the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site so I could walk through the old iron plantation and take in a bit of history before heading off on the Horseshoe Trail. The Horseshoe Trail is a 130 mile trail that runs from Valley Forge to the Appalachian Trail in Harrisburg, PA. Part of this trail passes through French Creek State Park with stops along Hopewell Lake and Scotts Run Lake. I followed the trail west until I reached a junction for the Boone Trail which would take me to the Ridge Trail and the Hopewell Fire Tower on top of William’s Hill. Not far from the junction I came upon some empty cabins. The cabins were not locked, so I went inside to take a look. Each cabin had some old metal bed frames, but nothing else. It was fun exploring around and even a little eerie. To add to my woodsy macabre adventure, I could heard gunshots off in the distance. However I knew those shots were coming from a nearby firing range and there was no need for alarm. After checking out the cabins, I continued on to the fire tower. I hiked up the Ridge Trail to the top of William’s Hill. There was a parking area here, but to my disappointment, I was unable to see the tower because it was blocked by all the trees. I found what looked like a use trail and followed it for a short while, but it was severely overgrown. I’ll have to come back in the winter when the trees drop their leaves and hopefully, I’ll be able to get a better view. The fire tower was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps/French Creek Recreation project. Oh well. Better luck next time. I headed back down the Boone Trail which seemed a little more rocky then the way I’d come up and looped back to the Horseshoe Trail passing by Scotts Run Lake then back to Hopewell Furnace. It was lovely, overcast day and an enjoyable hike coupled with some sight-seeing.

I really enjoyed this hike around French Creek State Park. I chose the Mill Creek Trail because it was listed as a difficult back-country type hike. My favorite hikes are those that take you deep into the wilderness where you don’t see a sign of another human being for miles. It really makes me feel at peace and gives me a deep sense of connection with nature. While this hike really isn’t in a deep wilderness, it did wind through a dense forest of oak, beech, maple, poplar and hickory. French Creek State Park is the largest block of contiguous forest between Washington D.C. and New York City. American chestnut trees once grew here to provide wood for charcoal to sustain the operations of Hopewell Furnace, an iron plantation, from 1771 to 1883. Eventually the forest was tapped out, and the chestnut trees gave way to mixed oak forest.

A little history about French Creek State Park that was included in the handy park map provided at the trailhead kiosk: During the 1930s, the Federal government purchased the land as part of a project to reclaim marginal lands. These areas were located in close proximity to industrial centers for use by people of lower income groups, family camps and underprivileged children. Two Civilian Conservation Corps camps were built at French Creek and were in operation until the 1940s. The camps built dams, tent camping areas, beaches, roads, picnic areas and the restoration project of what is now the historic Hopewell Furnace was begun. In 1946, most of the property and recreation facilities were transferred to the Commonwealth and French Creek State Park was birthed.

Back to the trail… The terrain on the paths I took today were very rocky (something I’m having to get used to in Pennsylvania). Most of the trails were on a single dirt track (which was nice and more of what I’m used to having come from California). I reached a side spur with a sign pointing to Miller’s Point. So I went off to explore what is a large outcropping of rock that was formed out of magma during the Jurassic Period over 175 million years ago. The sign noted that in the winter time when the trees drop their leaves, there would be a view of the valleys below. After enjoying the rock formation, I made my way back to the Mill Creek Trail which intersected with the Raccoon Trail at Mill Creek. I spent some time at the creek enjoying the serene sounds of the trickling water with not a person in sight. After a short break, I took Raccoon southwest until it intersected at the boarder for the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. I branched off onto an intersecting trail to explore some ruins from Hopewell Furnace and then backtracked heading west on the Lenape Trail. There was a beautiful set of steps cut into the trail to hike up to the top of the hill. Once at the top, there was a bench where you could have a seat. So I did before heading back to the trailhead.

Overall I did a little over 7 miles. It was a really good day. The more time I can spend in the woods, the happier I am. I will come back to French Creek to explore more of the area, as there are many more trails throughout the park to enjoy.

Hopewell Furnace, French Creek State Park, Horseshoe Trail, Ridge Trail, Boone Trail, 8 Miles RT, September 27, 2020

French Creek State Park, Mill Creek, Raccoon and Lenape Trails, 7 mile loop, August 23, 2020