Aimless Exploration at French Creek

Spanning across both Berks and Chester counties, French Creek State Park is just an hour away from Philadelphia in Elverson, Pa. Its 7,474 acres of protected land offers nine trails and several lakes that serve as ideal settings for hiking, fishing, and canoeing. On my first visit to French Creek, I found a large, free parking lot right alongside Hopewell Lake, providing easy access to both water activities and trails. I was pleased to find about 10 canoes lined up outside of a boathouse, presumably available for rent. Unfortunately, there were no park employees stationed here to which I could inquire about rentals, so I meandered around the lake on one of the trails instead.

Looking for a rigorous day of hiking? Well, many of French Creek’s wooded trails may be too tame and not provide the exercise expected since they consist of mainly flat, worn ground or minor inclines. If you’re the kind of person who arrives at a state park wearing flip flops, such as myself on this day, many of the trails, like those encircling the lakes, are perfect for a relaxing stroll in the woods. You can also play the ever-popular game of disc golf on these trails, and according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources site, several are specifically marked for biking. I should mention, however, that I returned to French Creek a second time to try out some of the biking trails, but even after an hour of driving through the park and picking up a park guide and map at the main office, which was closed even on this summer day, I could not find an entrance to a bike trail.

While French Creek State Park is clean and well-maintained, if I plan on visiting again, I will contact the office first (contact information is listed at the bottom of the DCNR page) to find information about canoe rentals and biking so I can take full advantage of the park’s offerings.