Mt. Joy, VFNP, 5/20/12

I recently had a chance to get out for a short Sunday morning hike. I was in the Valley Forge area, so I went into the park and decided to explore the trail that climbs Mt. Joy. I only recently discovered the trails in this area, so I decided to see if I could find out if it connected to some other areas in the park that I'm familiar with.

I parked in the lot at Washington's Headquarters (top right on the map below). I walked through the park and crossed Rt. 23, and the trail starts immediately on the other side of the road. The trail climbs steadily, and when it levels off, it feels like it really hugs the side of the hill (it's a bit of a stretch to call this little suburban hill "Mount" anything.) Looking at the topo map, it *is* a steep slope down to Rt. 252 (which is audible, but not visible through the thick tree cover.)

I continued on the trail, taking it further than I ever had before. It gradually descends, and I finally came out at a road I knew. It was near a parking area on Rt. 252, so I continued there, and then down to the covered bridge on Yellow Springs Rd.

At that point, I picked up the wide packed-dirt Valley Creek Trail, which is quite popular, and always filled with walkers, families, kids, and dogs. It's flat and pretty, following the creekside. I followed it back to Rt. 23, then crossed back over to Washington's Headquarters and my car.

A very nice leisurely hike on a beautiful sunny morning.

Distance: 4.28 miles
Elapsed Time: 1:18