French Creek State Park, Pennsylvania

[Karma13]

I've been hiking, hiking, hiking in preparation for Springer. I've been hitting French Creek State Park near Douglasville, PA a few times a week -- and I swear to god, I keep seeing people who look exactly like WBers, judging from their avatars. It's spooky! I keep wanting to say, "Hey, are you on WB?" But I have to assume they're not, and they'll have no idea what I'm talking about.

So has anybody from here been hiking in French Creek lately?

Anybody? Guy with a German shepherd dog? Guy with a yellow backpack? Various other people with various dogs?

Were they you? Were they?

[mikec]

I've hiked the Horseshoe Trail through it, done a number of side trails in it and have camped in it numerous times. Nice park. Most of the PA state parks are also very good.

[Lyle]

Lately? No.

I used to go the often when I lived in Honeybrook and Reading. Worked for VisionQuest, so had two days a week off. I would often camp at French Creek on my time off, hike the many trails, including the Horseshoe Trail. Also enjoyed exploring the Hopewell Furnace NHS. Could hike there from French Creek.

[Karma13]

Yeah, Hopewell Furnace is nice! I've got a 10-mile route that goes right through it at around mile 8. (I park at the Millcreek Trail trailhead, then Millcreek Trail, Buzzard Trail, Hopewell, Collier Trail, Lenape Trail back to the trailhead.)

[moose717]

I haven't hiked there since last year, but I love FC. It's a couple hours from home. When I need a break from work & the family I'll go there to camp and hike for the weekend. As a matter of fact, I tested out my winter gear at the campground in December. If something didn't work out, I knew I would be able to hop in my car and drive home or just turn on the heat and keep warm. I'm going there in a few weeks and I'm going to check out your 10-mile route Karma ... thanks!

[WingedMonkey]

Biked and hiked there years ago on one of my slow road trips. First place I ever saw a real disk golf layout with the chain nets. We were always happy just hitting marked trees with the Frisbee here.

That's changed.

:sun

[rocketsocks]

I too use to wander around French Creek, collecting minerals at the near by mine. Lots of rich history there, fooled around on the orienteering coarse at the park...pretty cool place, But haven't been there in years.

[kayak karl]

i used to camp at french creek in the 60's with the Indian guides.

[Wise Old Owl]

Awe damn PM me I just got caught.

[rocketsocks]

i used to camp at french creek in the 60's with the Indian guides.I seem to remember reading a post of yours or a trip report about French creek??? No?

[rocketsocks]

Awe damn PM me I just got caught.What did you do Woo?

[Wise Old Owl]

I have all the trails and those that are not on maps....Hiked the whole damn thing.

[rocketsocks]

I have all the trails and those that are not on maps....Hiked the whole damn thing.I have an older map book, the little yellow one, but it's probably 20+ years old, I'm sure things have changed a bit, but hey, that's why the make paint, brushes and blazes....

[Karma13]

It's not the best blazed park, and there are a lot of trails that aren't blazed at all or have older blazes that are faded and easy to miss. (Also, the storms have knocked some blazed trees down and peeled away blazed bark; I don't know why, but it seems like a lot of blazes are on this one kind of tree that seems to peel more easily than others, and I'm not enough of a tree person to know what kind it is.) Some of the trails go off into privately owned areas (which can be scary with gunfire at this time of year; I wear orange and I try not to make mistakes). That said, once I got the blazes and tricks figured out (by getting lost), it's a pretty nice little set of trails for day-to-day hiking. I rarely see more than one or two people on weekdays right about now. (I imagine that's different in the summer.) Mostly if I see somebody else, it's a mountain biker or a dog walker.

I like it!