Appalachian Mountain Club Delaware Valley Chapter

Phoenixville's fun downtown area - which includes historic architecture and a lively arts, restaurant and brewery scene - is so appealing that Travel & Leisure just voted it #1 Small Town in America! With Saturday's forecast of 79 degrees, we will have great weather to explore this gem.

To register, add your name on Meetup and click here to https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UUN000001RGmT2AW/act00015008 to sign the online waiver form.

Our day begins with a 1.7-mile hike into town starting near the Reynolds Dog Park. Park your car in the sizeable lot next to the restroom facilities.

We will walk on the wide, flat, gravel towpath into Phoenixville. Along the way, we will pass Fitzwater Station, a popular canal-side restaurant with canoe/kayak rentals. Depending on the weather, we may see kayakers, the occasional fisherman, and local turtles sunning on logs in the canal.

Phoenixville is pedestrian-only on weekends, so when we reach the town, we will walk up Bridge Street, the main street. We'll see restaurants, specialty shops and breweries. We will also check out the Vegan Fest at Reeves Park, just a few blocks from Bridge St. I'm not vegan, but it's fun to learn about different cuisines. We will return to our cars on the shady towpath, for a total of about 5 miles.

You can bring your own lunch, but Phoenixville has so much to offer that we can also dine at one of several tasty lunch spots.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and layer clothing according to the temperature. It's always good to bring water, especially on a warm day. Because we will walk through downtown crowds and poke our heads in stores and breweries, we can't include dogs in our adventure.

We will meet in the parking lot around 9:15 AM for our 9:30 AM departure. The address is Reynolds Dog Park, 1000 Longford Rd, Phoenixville, 19460. (Note: Some online sources say 100 Longford Rd. but 1000 is correct) Use this address if Goggle coordinates seem questionable. Use Google maps for best results.

Temperatures above 88 (we should be good) and seriously bad weather will cancel the outing, so check the hike status around 8am.

Please note: In order to comply with Pennsylvania Youth Protection Laws, all children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. This policy applies for all events offered by the Delaware Valley Chapter as well as any other Chapter events within the state of Pennsylvania.

Join us on the trails at French Creek State Park at 9 AM.

We are doing around 10 miles, so expect a 9 to 11 miles long hike at a moderate pace. We can reach the farthest trails in French Creek at this distance. This hike is rated "vigorous" only because of the length. It is not geared to be a workout hike. We will take time to stop for breaks at the top of hills and as needed to keep the group together.

Expect less than 2000 feet total elevation gain the whole hike.

The starting location is at the French Creek State Park Playground. This is 800 feet southwest of the Hopewell Lake boat ramp parking area going towards the park office. The GPS coordinates for the playground are: 40.1983077435609,-75.79114511944678. Modern bathrooms at the start. We meet there at 9:00 AM and leave soon after. We normally finish about 30 minutes before the stated end time.

Bring water plus a snack if desired. We will stop to de-layer once we start moving. I have only limited text and talking cell phone coverage in the park at the start.

I only cancel this hike due to adverse weather conditions which make it unsafe to drive or hike. Check Meetup comments. I'll update the AMC database status too.

Well behaved dogs can come on this hike if they can keep up with the group. Owners of dogs not on leashes will be asked to leave the hike. Please post a Meetup comment in advance if you are planning to bring your pet.

On-line registration in the AMC system is not required for this hike; While I find Meetup convenient, I welcome and reserve spaces for AMC members from the Outdoor Connector website (go to http://activities.outdoors.org/ ) (Meetup is: https://www.meetup.com/Appalachian-Mountain-Club-Delaware-Valley-Chapter/ ). Update your RSVPs if your plans change. All participants will need to agree to and sign a paper AMC legal waver sheet just prior to the hike if you did not register on the AMC Outdoor Connector site.

Please note:
In order to comply with Pennsylvania Youth Protection Laws, all children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. This policy applies for all events offered by the Delaware Valley Chapter as well as any other chapter events within the state of Pennsylvania.

Moderate paced hike starting on the paved path loop, and possibly going next to the river or across a meadow as well. 5 - 6 miles. Meet at 5 PM at the Valley Forge Visitor Center Lower Parking Lot at the picnic tables near the Restrooms and Bike Rental. Bring water. Heavy rain, heat advisory, or lightning/thunder cancels. Well behaved dogs welcome.

Please note: In order to comply with Pennsylvania Youth Protection Laws, all children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. This policy applies for all events offered by the Delaware Valley Chapter as well as any other Chapter events within the state of Pennsylvania. (SEPTA Bus Route 125 stops at the Valley Forge Visitor Center)