French Creek State Park, PA and Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, PA

 

ABOUT THE PARKS:
French Creek State Park - Pennsylvania DCNR
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site - National Park Service

DIRECTIONS:
Although there are several parking options along this route, the Shed Road lot is large, has easy access to trails, and was accessible and plowed when I was there after a snow storm 4 days prior.  
GPS Coordinates 40.217513, -75.775452

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TRAIL MAP:
French Creek State Park Trail Map
I did find this map somewhat confusing to follow with trail names instead of colors so I colored in the trails to illustrate more clearly. 

HIKE DISTANCE:  8.85 miles (plus .7 miles walking around Hopewell Village)

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
This hike starts in French Creek State Park, goes through Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, then finishes through French Creek State Park.  From the Shed Road parking area, cross over Shed Road; cross to the other side of the barrier; turn left on the white with red stripe/green trail.

The hike will follow the white with red stripe Mill Creek Trail for a little over 4 miles.

White with Red Stripe Mill Creek Trail

Miller's Point

Mill Creek

Limited Seasonal Views Along Mill Creek Trail

Yellow with Red Stripe Buzzards Trail

Walk Along Hopewell Road Crossing Route 345 to Hopewell Village

Restrooms at Far End of Hopwell Furnace Administrative Building

Note this sign at intersection at the admin building - return here after exploring Hopewell Village.

Dogs are not allowed in buildings so we peeked in from the outside.

 After returning back to the Reading/Valley Forge sign, the gravel road blazed intermittently in green takes you to the white-circle-blazed Collier Trail, then the green-blazed Lenape Trail, back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Cross Shed Road; left on white with red stripe combined with green trail
[  0.30]  Keep straight on white with red stripe as green goes right
[  0.70]  Cross power cut
[  1.00]  White with red stripe trail slits - go left
[  1.80]  Miller's Point
[  2.15]  Left on white with red stripe where blue/red trail comes in from the right
[  2.50]  Cross small creek
[  2.75]  Cross small creek
[  2.85]  Cross Mill Creek; keep left on white with red stripe when red comes in from right
[  3.00]  White with red stripe trail makes sharp right turn
[  3.20]  Stay left as unmarked trail goes right
[  3.55]  White with red stripe trail leaves woods road to the right
[  4.35]  Left on yellow with red stripe Buzzards Trail just over top of the hill
[  4.50]  Yellow with red stripe trail splits - go left
[  5.05]  At top of hill left on yellow with red stripe as unmarked goes straight
[  5.90]  Yellow with red stripe trail splits - go left
[  6.25]  Welcome to Hopewell Furnace sign at park boundary
[  6.45]  Keep straight when yellow comes in from right; few steps then turn left at unmarked trail junction
[  6.60]  Cross bridge keep following unmarked trail
[  6.80]  Turn right crossing bridge; then turn left towards paved Hopewell Road
[  6.90]  Turn right and walk along paved Hopewell Road (intermittent green blazes on trees); cross Route 345; continue along Hopwell Road
[  7.25]  Left on gravel road at Admin Office sign with green blaze on tree
[  7.40]  Restrooms at for end of admin office; note Reading/Valley Forge sign at intersection and return to that point after exploring Hopewell Village; continue along green blazed gravel road in the direction of Reading.
[  7.45]  Keep straight at intersection with blue trail, take a few steps then turn right on white circle Collier Trail
[  7.80]  Cross paved park road and continue on white circle trail
[  8.25]  Right on green trail where white trail joins green trail to the left
[  8.75]  Cross intersection of Route 345/Shed Road and continue on green trail; turn left at information board; cross Shed Road at other side of barrier
[  8.85]  Arrive back at parking lot

Merrill Creek Reservoir, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:  Merrill Creek Reservoir

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates  40.742477,-75.091381

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TRAIL MAP:  Merrill Creek Reservoir Trail Map

HIKE DISTANCE: 5.85 miles

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
I don't recommend doing this hike on a frigid winter day with 20 mph winds and sub zero wind chill factor - in the woods it's not bad at all but there are multiple dams to cross where you are completely exposed with nothing to block the wind and that is brutal!

The trails start behind the visitor's center.  On a less windy day I would have explored more of the trails but I ended up taking the more direct route to the black-blazed perimeter trail which was blue to yellow to black.   Then it's simply following the black trail around the reservoir.

There are bird feeders outside the visitor's center.  I noticed something odd out of the corner of my eye and went to investigate.  There stood two small deer among all of the birds.  They  looked up at me briefly then continued eating bird seed from the ground. 

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the blue trail from behind the visitor's center
[  0.70]  Right on blue/yellow when yellow joins in from left
[  0.85]  Right on yellow when blue goes left
[  1.15]  Left on black over bridge when yellow goes straight
[  1.90]  Cross NW2 Dike then NW1 Dike
[  3.95]  Cross main dam
[  5.60]  At boat ramp trail goes along road then across bridge and up steps
[  5.70]  Turn left on black as black/green goes right
[  5.85]  Visitor Center/Parking Lot

Harriman State Park, NY - Lake Skannatati/Lake Askoti/Hansenclever Mine/Old Cemetery

ABOUT THE PARK:  Harriman State Park

DIRECTIONS:
GPS 41.242389,-74.102401

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TRAIL MAP:  NY/NJ Trail Conference Norther Harriman Bear Mountain Trails Map 119

HIKE DISTANCE:  6.2 miles

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
I had intended to follow the 8.4 mile Red Cross/Beech Trail and Long Path Loop from Lake Skannatati as described on the NY/NJ Trail Conference site but had to reroute to avoid following bear tracks in the snow, cutting off a little over 2 miles of the loop.

From the parking lot start steeply uphill on the inverted red triangle trail.

Near the top of the climb watch for the red cross trailhead and make note of where it is as you will be backtracking to that trail soon.  Continue straight ahead to a view of Lake Skannatati.

Backtrack a very short distance and turn left on the red cross trail.

Cross over Seven Lakes Drive then past Lake Askoti on the right.

Cross the inlet stream to Lake Askoti:

At 2.3 miles reach an intersection with the Hansenclever Road (woods road).  The water filled pit is what remains of the main opening of the Hansenclever Mine.

At this point to follow the NY/NJ Trail Conference directions you would turn left to continue on the red cross trail.  The only prints in the snow going in that direction, however, were these...

Seems all of the human footprints turned around and headed back at this point.  Not wanting to follow behind a bear I turned right on the unmarked Hansenclever Road instead.  This cut off a little over 2 miles of the loop.  At 3.05 miles I met up with the blue-blazed Beech Trail as it crossed over Hansenclever Road.  A right turn on the blue trail put me where I needed to be to continue following the NY/NJ Trail Conference directions.

At 3.45 miles arrive at an old cemetery with tombstones dated in the 1800's.

At 5.05 miles turn right on the aqua-blazed Long Path.

At 6.10 miles cross over Seven Lakes Drive and walk along Lake Skannatati back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take inverted red triangle trail (to the right of the aqua Long Path) from parking lot
[  0.30]  Arrive at scenic overlook; backtrack short distance to red cross trail
[  0.35]  Left on red cross trail
[  0.85]  Cross over Seven Lakes Drive
[  1.60]  Cross power cut
[  2.05]  Cross over wooden foot bridge
[  2.10]  Left on red cross trail where unmarked trail comes in from the right
[  2.35]  Hansenclever mine; turn right on Hansenclever Road (woods road)
[  3.05]  Right on blue-blazed Beech Trail
[  3.45]  Old cemetary on right
[  4.40]  Blue trail leaves woods road on foot path to the left
[  4.50]  Cross over Route 106
[  5.05]  Blue trail terminates; turn right on aqua-blazed Long Path
[  5.65]  Right on Route 106 for 250 ft then continue on aqua-blazed Long Path to the left
[  5.90]  Cross power cut
[  6.10]  Cross over Seven Lakes Drive
[  6.20]  Arrive back at parking lot

Delaware Water Gap NRA - Pocono Environmental Education Center, PA

ABOUT THE PARK:  Pocono Environmental Education Center

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.171924,-74.914895

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TRAIL MAP:
NY/NJ Trail Conference Northern Kittatinny Trails Map 122
PEEC Trail Map

Be sure to bring some cash with you.  If you are coming from New Jersey over the historic Dingmans Ferry Bridge, there is a $1 toll each way - no EZ Pass as this is a privately owned, old-fashioned kind of bridge.  The PEEC also asks for 50 cents per trail guide - the guides are very informative and highly recommended.  Numbers attached to trees, color coded to the trail and trail guide, are explained in the corresponding trails guides.  If the office is closed there is a display and self pay outside the front door.  For this hike you would need the orange, yellow and blue guides.

HIKE DISTANCE:  7.7 miles with many shorter options available

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
This hike starts on the combined yellow/red blazed trail just to the left of the yellow cabin (Cabin #1) in the picture below.

Stay on yellow as red leaves, merges back in and leaves again.  The trail will follow along, then ascend the ridgeline to the left.

An outcrop on the ridge overlooking wetlands.

Steep descent from the ridgeline.

Looking back up the descent from about 1/3 way down.

Chimney from former homestead.

The red trail joins back in at 2.9 miles after crossing a bridge over small waterfalls.  At the end of the yellow/red trail, turn left on the paved road then left again between any two of the brown cabins.

Walk straight through the field towards the fire pit where you will find the trailhead to the blue Fossil Trail to the left.

At 3.95 miles arrive at the Fossil Quarry.  They ask that you leave fossils for others to enjoy and indeed, there are many displayed on a fallen tree trunk.


At 4.65 miles turn left on orange when orange/blue goes right.

Old fireplace with views of Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey

View of the Delaware River Valley and Kittatinny Rige in NJ

At 5.95 miles take the side trail to left out and back which descends on steps and switchbacks down to the waterfalls (about .15 mile each way).

 

After retracing your steps back up to the orange trail, turn left.  The trail will eventually merge with the white trail and go through pine plantations, trees planted in straight rows 50-60 years ago after logging, with the intention of harvesting before the land became protected.

The white/orange trail arrives at Pickerel Pond at 7.2 miles and follows along the pond.

A wildlife blind just before crossing the road back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Start at red/yellow trailhead to the left of yellow cabin #1
[  0.45]  Turn left on yellow as red goes right
[  1.00]  At #13 red trail joins briefly, cross creek on log bridge through hemlock forest
[  1.20]  Cross log bridge at #5 and ascend ridgeline
[  1.30]  Wetland overlook at ledge on right at #6
[  1.50]  Steep descent from ridge

[  2.05]  Chimney from old homestead at #10
[  2.85]  Cross bridge to right over creek
[  2.95]  Cross bridge over small waterfalls then immediate left on red/yellow along creek
[  3.15]  Trail veers to the right away from the creek
[  3.20]  Cross over 4 consecutive bridges
[  3.55]  End of red/yellow trail at #18; left on paved road; left between brown cabins; walk straight through field towards fire pit
[  3.65]  Left on blue Fossil Trail at far end of fire pit
[  3.95]  Fossil outcrop
[  4.25]  View of Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey through trees if no foliage
[  4.65]  Left on orange where blue/orange goes right
[  4.75]  #4 Cedar Knolls with red cedars
[  4.90]  Cross over paved road; rock hop over creek; turn left then right on woods road
[  5.10]  Clearing at site of former landowner house
[  5.25]  Left at fork; trail ascends
[  5.35]  Mixed oak forest
[  5.50]  Stone fireplace with view of Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey
[  5.80]  View of Delaware Valley and Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey
[  5.95]  Turn left on side trail at #9 down steps and switchbacks to falls
[  6.10]  Arrive at falls; retrace steps up switchbacks
[  6.25]  Left on orange trail
[  6.40]  Left at intersection at #3
[  6.85]  Woods road through pine plantation
[  6.95]  Keep straight on orange as white joins in from the left
[  7.10]  Trail turns right and crosses two bridges
[  7.20]  Arrive at Pickerel Pond as trail turns left following along the pond
[  7.30]  Red pine plantation
[  7.45]  Cross road diagonally at curve in road to continuation of orange/white trail
[  7.55]  Rock hop over creek
[  7.60]  Cross clearing, turn right at intersection on boardwalk to wildlife blind
[  7.70]  Cross paved road arriving back at parking lot