I didn’t plan on a 10 mile hike today, but over the course of the day, that was my mileage total. It felt good to finally have a nice, long day out on the trail. I started my day at Swatara State Park parking at the Trout Run Trailhead and making my way over to the AT at Green Point. I began heading southbound in the direction of the Waterville Bridge. Along the way I passed a few geared up backpackers which really made me miss backpacking in California. I haven’t done any backpacking, camping or even any long day hikes since February when I was still on the west coast. I don’t know enough about Pennsylvania yet to find the more challenging trails, but I’m working on it. Today was all about exploring. I hiked the AT for a few miles. This section is very close to the 72 and there was quite a bit of traffic noise, but it was still very beautiful. But what I really wanted to see today was Rauch Gap, an old mining town from the 1800s. When I got back to the trailhead, I got back in the car and drove over to the parking area just off Gold Mine Road for the Stoney Valley Rail Trail in SGL 211 (St. Anthony’s Wilderness). Rauch Gap is about 3.5 miles in on the trail, and I knew there would be ruins to explore and also an old cemetery. It’s fun being back in Pennsylvania because when I was a kid, I used to love exploring all the old cemeteries. There are a lot of them here. The Stoney Valley Rail Trail is beautiful. It’s about 20 miles long and runs through three counties. Eastern Hemlocks tower above and shade the duration of this section of the hike. There were a lot of rocks and boulders on either side of the trail so I wonder if that’s how “Stoney Valley” got its name. On the north side of the trail at about .5 in is the Evening Branch Beaver Swamp. There’s a deer path that goes around the swamp, but I decided to save that adventure for another day and continue on my quest to Rauch Gap. When we got to the bridge, I went off trail to begin my quest for ruins. I love visiting places that have so much history, even if only their ruins exist. On the north side I found a use trail which took me up to what looked like it had been an old rail bed. When I got back home I did some research and found out that this was the original rail bed for Summit Siding. At the creek I found two large stone structures which apparently were the bridge piers. I travelled up the creek a bit further to find some small waterfalls and then decided to head back down to the opposite side and see what I could find there. The AT has a junction here and so I got on it and followed it for a ways. I found more ruins here and some deep holes with foundation dug into the ground that must have been some sort of buildings. I never did find the cemetery, but when I got home and did more research I found out it was still there, but I hadn’t gone far enough. So of course now I need to come back to complete my mission. And perhaps I’ll find more ruins along the way. There’s a lot to explore here. Especially if you’re into some cool history.

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.

Appalachian Trail, Swatara State Park, Stoney Valley Rail Trail, Rauch Gap Ruins, 10 Mile Day

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