Appalachian Mountain Club Delaware Valley Chapter

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 before 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.

Activity Type: Family Hiking
Difficulty: 3 - Easy
Trip Leader: Scott Harney
Registration Type: Registration required

Please Click Here to RSVP: https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UUN000001sZ0D/act00016978

Description: Help us celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Appalachian Mountain Club by joining us at 1 pm on Monday April 20th for about a 1 mile loop at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. We will climb 100 feet of elevation split between several segments. Staff from the nature center will join us to teach us about the local nature and history. Non-members are encouraged to attend.

This hike is targeted at families with younger children and is rated easy. Check Outdoor Connector for a longer option for families with older children, and hikes in the area for adults.

We will meet on the porch of the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s Osprey House (8844 Paint Mill Rd, Slatington, PA 18080). We will start with the Prairie Warbler trail, explore the Osprey Sensory Garden, and finish with the River Trail. We will stop occasionally for water breaks, for the group to catch up, remove/add layers, and to explore interesting things we see.

Please wear sturdy footwear (boots or sneakers), the trails are not suitable for strollers as there are rocks, steps, roots, and could be mud. Please bring at least one bottle of water per person. No dogs please.

There are bathrooms and a water fountain at Osprey House, which will be open while we are there.

All participants must register individually for the hike at https://activities.outdoors.org so that the waiver is signed and an emergency contact is provided.

Severe weather such as heavy rain or thunderstorm will cancel, drizzle will not. If in doubt, or have any questions contact Scott Harney at 610-442-0797 (call/text) or smharney79@gmail.com.

"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."

Reminder: Please click the RSVP link above to register!

Activity Type: Family Hiking
Difficulty: 4 - Moderate
Trip Leader: Scott Harney
Registration Type: Registration required

Please Click Here to RSVP: https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UUN000001sZ1p/act00016979

Description: Help us celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Appalachian Mountain Club by joining us at 4:30 pm on Monday April 20th for about a 3 mile loop at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. We will climb 150 feet of elevation mostly near the beginning of the hike. Staff from the nature center will join us to teach us about the local nature and history. Non-members are encouraged to attend.

This hike is targeted at families with older children and would normally be rated easy but has been adjusted to moderate to account for the younger participants. Check Outdoor Connector for a shorter option for families with younger children, and hikes in the area for adults.

We will meet on the porch of the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s Osprey House (8844 Paint Mill Rd, Slatington, PA 18080). We will explore the Osprey Sensory Garden, then follow the Lehigh and New England Trail (LNE) to a lookout over the Lehigh River, then continue along the LNE to the Bobolink Connector, which we will follow down to the Delaware and Lehigh Canal Trail (D&L) finish with the River Trail. We will stop occasionally for water/snack breaks, for the group to catch up, remove/add layers, and to explore interesting things we see.

Please wear sturdy footwear (boots or sneakers), the hike is not suitable for strollers as there are rocks and steep slopes on part of the LNE, and could be mud. Please bring at least one liter of water per person and snacks as desired. No dogs please.

There are bathrooms and a water fountain at Osprey House, which will be open as we gather. It may be closed when we return, but a porta-potty is available.

All participants must register individually for the hike at https://activities.outdoors.org so that the waiver is signed and an emergency contact is provided.

Severe weather such as heavy rain or thunderstorm will cancel, drizzle will not. If in doubt, or have any questions contact Scott Harney at 610-442-0797 (call/text) or smharney79@gmail.com.

"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."

Reminder: Please click the RSVP link above to register!

Hike Plan
This is an "easy" rated (shorter), but fast moderate to brisk paced 6-mile walk in urban Phoenixville, PA. We walk established trails and wide gravel/paved paths, mostly along the Phoenixville Canal. We will head into downtown Phoenixville on some evenings. You may need a light of some sort towards the end of the hike.

Location
The meeting place for this hike is at GPS coordinates 40.129247, -75.483021. The street address is 987 Port Providence Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460. Some maps have "Port Province Trail Head - Schuylkill River Trail." There is a bathroom at the parking area we use. We leave shortly after 6:30 PM.

Notes
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 https://www.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 unless you register on the AMC Outdoor Connector site.

Please update your RSVP when your plans change since I will try to limit the group size to around 18 using waitlists in Meetups. You may be pulled in to "Going" the day of the hike, so take your name off the waitlist too if you decide not to go. If you are unable to cancel in Meetup, just Meetup message me or leave a comment, Thanks!

Dogs on a leash are allowed. Please tell the group in advance using Meetup comments.

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.