Falls Trail

Location: Ricketts Glen State Park, Benton, PA
Season Visited: Summer
Trail Length: 7.2-mile loop
Time to Hike: Approximately 5 hours if you're taking the time to stop and marvel at the falls
Difficulty Level: The PA State Parks website classifies this trail as "Most Difficult Hiking."  I disagree and give it a 4.

Falls Trail is an absolutely amazing trail.  It's my favorite trail in Pennsylvania, and is also one of my top five favorite trails anywhere.  I've hiked it twice and it's now become a yearly tradition, with my friends and family joining me to hike it in July or August each year.  It's long, but there's plenty of places to rest by the falls and it's worth every step.

Along the trail you'll see no less than 21 beautiful waterfalls, hence the name.  Waterfalls are my favorite thing to see on a hiking trail, so you can understand why this trail is a delight for me.  Few things are more rewarding than a beautiful waterfall after a long hike, and you get to see 21 of them along this trail!  Of course, beauty like this has not gone unnoticed, and the trail is often very crowded.  However, my naturally anti-social self has never found this to be unpleasant or restricting.  Even on a weekend in the dead of summer I've still been able to find a parking spot at one of the trailheads and have been able to get pictures of the falls without people in them, although getting these shots requires patience.  Still, I'd come hike this trail for the beauty of the falls even if it was twice as crowded.  Combine that with the fact that the trail itself makes you feel very adventurous with steep rock steps and only a few feet between you and the falls and you've come close to the perfect trail.  The park is also filled with hundreds of gorgeous wild butterflies.  What more could you ask for?!

A group of red-spotted purple butterflies.

Here's a link to some information regarding hiking at Ricketts Glen.

There's more than one trailhead to get onto Falls Trail.  I've tried two, and I definitely have a preference.  This map shows the locations of the waterfalls on the trail.  There is parking on the north side (up past Onandaga, I think) and the south side (by Murray Reynolds.)  Without a doubt, you should park closest to Murray Reynolds, at the bottom of the Y-shape that the trail makes.  I've done it both ways and the trail is far more enjoyable if you do it this way.  Since you're making a loop, you will both start and end with Murray Reynolds.

From there you'll make your way past Sheldon Reynolds and Harrison Wright, coming to a fork in the trail (called Waters Meet), a large sign with a map on it, and a wooden bridge.  You can go either left or right at the fork (I think left is actually more like going straight), and I recommend going right first, so that you come to Wyandot instead of Erie.  I've done Falls Trail in both directions, and I suggest this one for two reasons.  First, it is much, much easier to go right than left because you'll spend less time doing steep uphill hiking on the slippery rock steps of the trail.  Second, this way allows you to see the highest and most spectacular waterfall later on in your journey.  It's kind of like saving the best for last.

When you turn right at Waters Meet, you'll see eight waterfalls before you come to the halfway point, which is the Midway Crevasse.  Here are some of them.

This one is tons of fun to climb, but be careful.  It's slippery!

Midway Crevasse itself is fascinating, and offers a nice break from the rushing water.  It's a really cool rock formation and is lots of fun to climb on.  Listen for the hauntingly beautiful songs of thrushes singing in the woods around the rocks.  Also watch out for snakes!

On the last leg on your journey you'll see 10 more waterfalls, including the 94' Ganoga Falls.  Have fun climbing around them, and don't be too shy to go for a swim if you wear your suit under your clothes, which you should!

Ganoga Falls

My sister and me at Ganoga.

After you come back through Waters Meet, you'll be right back where you started.  Retrace your steps through Harrison, Sheldon, and Murray, and you'll find your way back to the parking lot.

If you want to see a video a friend of mine made when he went with me to Ricketts Glen, you can watch it here.

Enjoy your hike, and keep wandering.

Mount Joy and Valley Creek Trails

Location: Valley Forge National Historical Park, King of Prussia, PA
Season Visited: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Trail Length: Estimated 2.5-mile loop
Time to Hike: Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
Difficulty Level: Valley Forge does not have difficulty levels listed on its trail map.  I rate trails on a 5-point scale.  1 = easiest, 2 = easy, 3 = moderate, 4 = difficult, 5 = most difficult.  Difficulty levels are of course subjective given the fitness level and experience of the hiker.  The Mount Joy section of this loop for me is a 2, though it can be a 3 on some uphill portions (I am moderately winded after some of them).  The Valley Creek portion is an undisputed 1.

If you haven't been, Valley Forge National Historical Park is a lovely place to visit.  I've been there countless times since I went to college only 15 minutes from the park.  I've walked around many of its trails, but my favorite is actually two trails that I have combined into a loop, even though they're not really meant to be.  You do have to take a slight detour to connect them - they don't just lead into each other - but taken together they make a very nice walk when you've got an hour or two to spare.  This is not the trail to take to see many of the historical sights, but it's the one to take if you want to get into the woods for a little while.  It's more shaded than most of the trails at the park and you have an opportunity to see a bit more wildlife.  I've seen deer and countless chipmunks on the Mount Joy section and a belted kingfisher and great blue heron on the Valley Creek section.

Here's a link to Valley Forge's trail map: http://www.nps.gov/vafo/planyourvisit/upload/2011-VAFO-Trail-Map.pdf

I begin this trail with the Mount Joy trail.  To ensure that your car is parked in a convenient location for when you end with Valley Creek Trail, I suggest parking at the trailhead for the Joseph Plumb Martin Trail that is closest to the covered bridge and walking to the Mount Joy trail from there.  I actually access the Mount Joy trail at a location other than its trailhead.  If you want to do this, cross the street at the parking lot and make your way up the hill with the two log cabins on it.  You'll see a small path that is mostly used for horses, and you can take that up to the tree line and make a left onto the trail.  You don't have to do it that way, but I enjoy that first uphill climb and seeing the historic cabins along the way.  Just make sure you make the first left onto the trail, or you'll end up on the wrong one.

The trail itself is pretty in all seasons.  You'll have a bird's-eye-view of some of the park since you are ascending a "mountain" (it's a hill, but whatever).  You'll come to a few forks in the trail here and there.  You can take a right on some of them and still be on the Mount Joy Trail, but I prefer to go left the entire time.  You're closer to the edge of the mountain and never have to worry about getting lost if you always just stay to the left.  Here's a picture of my dog Cleo heading down the Mount Joy trail a few years ago, which reminds me - Valley Forge is pet-friendly!

Along the Mount Joy trail you'll see some interesting rock formations and a lot of rhododendrons, and usually you'll see a bit of bird activity as well.  The trail alternates gently from uphill to downhill, ending on a downhill section.

When you come to the end of the trail you'll be at the road in front of Washington's Headquarters.  It gets a little tricky here if you want to get back around to the parking lot via the Valley Creek trail.  If you make a left at the intersection and keep walking you'll cross a small bridge.  You'll be on a road at this point.  In front of you you'll see a stone wall and buildings.  Make a left and start up the little hill with the private residences on it, and you'll come to the trailhead/kiosk map listed on the trail map at the Valley Creek Trail.  Go up the hill a little more and you'll be started on it.

This trail is much different than the Mount Joy Trail.  It is wider and has more gravel.  Along the way you'll come to a little creek (where you'll want to make a left), see a dam, and should see some waterfowl.  You'll be following the creek until you come to the covered bridge.  Here are a few of the sights:

Trees along the creek.

Sean and Cleo looking at the water.

The covered bridge.

Cross the covered bridge at this point to get back.  Follow the road until you come to the Valley Forge Farm and make a slight right onto the farm road.  This will lead you straight back to the parking lot.

All in all, Mount Joy and Valley Creek make for a pleasant walk.  There are always lots of people at Valley Forge, but the Mount Joy section tends to have less people in any season.  In the winter you may only pass one or two other people, and even in summer it's doubtful that you'll exceed ten.  Valley Forge isn't really the place to go for extreme solitude, but as much as I like hiking alone I've always found it pleasant to see everyone enjoying themselves on a beautiful day in the Great Outdoors.

Enjoy your hike, and keep wandering.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog, Those Who Wander.  In this blog, I want to share one of my greatest passions with you: hiking!  Here you'll find posts about the trails I've hiked.  I provide information and reviews so that you can check out the trails on your own.  I hope you enjoy the journey, and remember, "Not all those who wander are lost."