Hike #476; French Creek Loop

 Hike #476 3/28/10

3/28/10 French Creek SP Loop with Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, "Major Tom" Conroy, Carol and Rob Creamer, Jason Itell, Larry Butler, "Amish Paul" Hassler, Eric Pace, "DJ Ray" Cordts, Christina Manley, and Nilam Shah.

Group shot, formal hike in French Creek State Park

My next hike would take my followers and I to French Creek State Park, on the border of Chester and Berks Counties in PA to cover the next section of the Horseshoe Trail and it's sorrounding trails.

French Creek was an interesting place; at one time a "Demonstration Area" for national parks, it became a state park and the feds retained Hopwell Furnace near the middle. It is referred to by those in the nature and hiking world as part of the "Hopewell Big Woods" encompassing the state and national parks as well as public and private tracks in the vicinity.

For this loop, we began at the park office where we'd met for the previous hike in the area, only this loop would be far more practical on all official trails. This time the theme was business suits. A ranger pulled up to us as we were ready to start, and he recognized us as the same group that showed up the previous time wearing Mumus!

We started walking along Park Road to a connector trail on the left that led up to the Horseshoe Trail where on our last trip we went right. This time we'd turn left to cover the next section.

The group along Horseshoe Trail, French Creek State Park

The trail headed west and passed a few junctions, and then was coaligned with the Turtle Trail. This was a long wooded section with nice trail work that included some puncheons.

Along Horseshoe Trail, French Creek State Park

This hike was intended to be the entire perimeter of French Creek State Park as well as Hopewelll Furnace National Historic Site, with one exception, we stayed on Horseshoe Trail around the south side of Scotts Run Lake where the Boone Trail was the actual perimeter. The trail approached Scotts Run Lake and then actually crossed Scotts Run below the dam. We just stayed on the dam because it looked cooler. No horses were allowed on the dam which is probably why.

The dam on Scotts Run Lake, French Creek PA

We took a break on the other side of the dam for lunch or something before moving on. From there the Horseshoe Trail took us along a road, then across Scotts Run Road and Fire Tower Road. It went sort of steeply up hill from here and was becoming obviously less used in this northern section of the park.

On Horseshoe Trail, northern French Creek State Park

There were a few side trails that went right, but we continued straight over a knoll, then descended down to the valley of the Six Penny Creek. Here, Six Penny Trail departed to th e right and Horseshoe Trail went left. We turned off of the Horseshoe Trail here and followed Six Penny Trail to the right.

Major Tom loves Mr. Buckett

We continued along Six Penny Trail with the namesake creek below us to the right. I read that there was once another small lake or pond below here on this creek, as well as a dam but it has since been purged and no longer exists. Unfortunately we didn't see the ruins of this structure.The trail took us along a woods road to a point very close to Rt 346, then turned right up hill southward. The switchbacks were crazy, and very close. Those of us who were ahead (like me) ended up going further while those behind (like DJ Ray) ended up walking the washed out straight route up. Once we got toward the top, Jason decided due to some time constraints that he was going to try to run ahead to the end. I think someone went ahead with him other than DJ Ray, but Ray decided he was going to try to cut it short as well since he was so far away from home. They soon took off while the rest of us continued on along the trail to an old road clearing (that used to go through we could see, but no longer). The trail turned away from the road here, and a short distance down crossed it again. We followed the road to the entrance to the camp grounds on the right and figured we'd stop by the shower facilities and make use of them. We walked through a few loops of camp grounds but could not find this facility unfortunately.

We bushwhacked shortly south of the camping areas to reach the Boone Trail to the right, then came out to another road with a parking area. In the woods from here we picked up the Lenape Trail. This trail as I recall was obscured at first and then we figured out where it was. We followed it east for a bit to Rt 345 on the corner of Shed Road. There was more parking here, and we continued along Mill Creek Trail ahead. This was mostly an old woods road with a couple side trails breaking off to the right. I knew by the time we were a mile down this trail that this hike was running a little further distance than I'd thought it would.

The Mill Creek Trail was soon no longer a woods road and descended for a while to Millers Point, which I can't remember the significance to since I don't remember a view point. We then descended to the namesake creek. The trail then took us south through the valley of the creek. This was by far the most secluded section of the entire state park.

We crossed into Chester County in this section and crossed the creek to head west on Mill Creek Trail. The area was soon filled with all sorts of weird rock pilings, stones set atop one another in such a way that it took some patience and skill in order to make them stay.

Rock pilings near intersection of Mill Creek Trail and Buzzard Trail, French Creek State Park

We turned off Mill Creek Trail in this old woods road section to Buzzard Trail which took us south into another very secluded section of the park. We continued on the woods road until the trail turned off it to the right. The woods road continued on presumably out of the park.

After coming over the crest of a rise and beginning to descend, we came to the first private home we'd seen since the last section of the Horseshoe Trail. In fact, it was one of only two private homes we saw all day. The trail continued to descend and there was more evidence of human activity like some junk and a burning barrel right on the trail.

The trail continued down and over Baptism Creek to the Raccoon Trail where we turned left. I turned off the trail briefly to look at the ruins of a stone house nearby, only a couple crumbled walls remaining.

We then crossed into Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site and contined as the trail became a woods road to Hopewell Road. We continued to Rt 345 where Carol, Rob, and Christina all waited for DJ Ray to come pick them up. I know the others cut out earlier somewhere, but I'm not sure where. I think Eric waited at Rt 345 at the beginning of Shed Road and Mill Creek Trail earlier, and the others must have left with Jason.

Mr. Buckett, Amish Paul, Major Tom, and I continued along the old road going into the Hopewell Furnace settlement, first stopping to goof off on an awesome giant tree.

Tree in Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Amish Paul taking a break on a tree branch in Hopwell Furnace

We continued west past Hopwewell Furnace and then picked up a piece of the Horseshoe Trail, followed by an old road trail along the south side of Hopwewell Lake. We passed the dam followed by some parking areas and such, and on the west side found a trail bridge which gave us an almost connection back to where we parked.

On the final leg of our trip, French Creek State Park on the south side of Hopewell Lake

At the close of the hike it was too bad we couldn't all be together, but it was a tougher one than expected. Rob did an excellent job of keeping up with me the entire time out, and he could have easily finished it if he hadn't had to go with Ray who drove them. We figured this was his first twenty mile day, and he was fine.

Mr. Buckett, Major Tom, and I stopped for dinner at McDonalds in Reading on the way home.