Horse Shoe Trail

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The Horse Shoe Trail is a 140 mile trail that runs from the western edge of Valley Forge National Historical Park westward toward Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where it ends at the Appalachian Trail.

The trail was developed for equestrian and pedestrian use, according to the Horseshoe Trail Club guide (see below), hence the name (horse + shoe).

Contents 1 Trail junctions 2 Minor Connecting Trails 3 Points of Interest Along the Trail 4 Horse Shoe Trail Club 5 External links

[edit] Trail junctions

The west end of the Horse Shoe Trail terminates at the Appalachian Trail. It goes through Chester, Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Dauphin Counties.

The east end of the Horse Shoe Trail is nearly connected to the Schuylkill River Trail, which runs through the north side of Valley Forge Park. Existing park trails almost connect them, but it is not signed, and busy PA Route 23 has to be crossed twice. The Horse Shoe Trail runs roughly parallel with the planned Chester Valley Trail. Since the Chester Valley Trail is planned to connect to the Schuylkill River Trail, east of the Park, there should be access from the Horse Shoe.

The Horse Shoe trail connects with the Brandywine Trail at Yellow Springs Road (mile 8.5). The Brandywine Trail runs approximately 35 miles South to Wilmington, Delaware roughly along Brandywine Creek.

[edit] Minor Connecting Trails

Struble Trail (Downingtown, Pennsylvania)

[edit] Points of Interest Along the Trail

• Near the start of the trail are the ruins of an old root beer bottling plant. A spring runs through the ruins.
• The trail also runs through French Creek State Park.

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Horse Shoe Trail Club

The Horse Shoe Trail Club was founded in 1935 and coordinates volunteer and funding efforts to maintain the trail.

The Club also prints a guide to the trail that is updated occasionally. The guide is available for sale through the club. It is also sold at the visitor's center to Valley Forge Park and other select locations. The most recent guide was published in July 2002. There is also a newsletter, Blaze, that is published and includes updated information to the guide.

[edit] External links

• http://hstrail.org/ site maintained by a Horse Shoe Trail club member.

v • d • e Hiking Trails in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States of America 202 • Appalachian • Baker • Black Forest • Brandywine • Bucktail Path • Chester Valley • Chuck Keiper • Conestoga • Cresheim • Cross County • Darlington • Donut Hole • Evansburg • Forbes Road • GAP • GET • Glacier Ridge • Golden Eagle • Horse Shoe • Joseph P. Saylor • Laurel Highlands • Liberty Bell • Lost Turkey • Lower • Loyalsock • Mason-Dixon • Mill Creek • Montour • North Country • Old Loggers Path • Mid-State • Pennypack • Perkiomen • Pinchot • Power Line • Quebec Run • Quehanna • Rachel Carson • Rock Run • Schuylkill East • Schuylkill River • Standing Stone • Struble Trail • Susquehannock • Tanbark • Terrace Mountain • Thunder Swamp • Tuscarora • Valley Forge • Warrior • West County • West Rim • Wissahickon • Youghiogheny River