One-Tank Getaway: French Creek State Park • October 24, 2002

One-Tank Getaway
French Creek State Park
Day trips & overnight stays are just a tank away >> by Danielle Reed

From somewhere deep within my blanket cocoon, the time mechanism stirs. I begin the arduous climb through the various layers of sleep and re-enter consciousness with a start. It’s late—too late. Pets and blankets fly in my desperate search for a malfunctioning alarm clock. My fears are confirmed—9:30 a.m. Way too late. Before I can reach the phone to begin my round of excuses, the mellow light of truth dawns upon me. Saturday. A full tank of gas and nothing to do. Hot damn, I’m going to French Creek.

Late October means shorter days, and since French Creek State Park is about an hour and a half as the Volkswagen flies, breakfast is short and to the point. I need to select my accoutrements carefully, and this is the most difficult decision of the day. Three options sit before me—a bag of golf discs, a full-suspension bicycle, or a map and compass. Any of these three selections will yield a fun-filled afternoon at French Creek. After some fierce internal debate, I choose the golf discs and head for the turnpike.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike was once called the Eighth Wonder of the World. After I finish contemplating how weird this is, I consider the options not chosen. French Creek encompasses over 7,339 acres, and offers a tremendous amount of opportunity for recreation. More than 30 miles of very well-marked hiking trails wind through the park, for which beautiful, full-color maps are available at no charge from the park office. Many of these trails are open to mountain biking; loops range in length from 4 to 25 miles. The terrain is Pennsylvania at it’s finest—rocky, rugged trails surrounded by old oak, poplar, hickory, maple, and beech trees, spectacular in the fall. Considered some of the finest mountain biking in the east, French Creek offers rugged, grueling climbs, rocky, heart-pounding descents, and sweet, fast singletrack.

The little-known sport of orienteering is a big deal at French Creek. In fact, the park is considered by some to be the orienteering capital of North America. The object of orienteering is to find markers located throughout the park with the help of a map and a compass. French Creek houses a permanent, self-guiding course appropriate for both novice and expert orienteers. The advent of the GPS has recently made this a prime spot for geocaching.

I park beside the 68-acre Hopewell Lake, one of two lovely bodies of water available for fishing or boating (boat rentals are available), and head across the field into the woods for a round of disc golf at one of French Creek’s two world-class courses. Both are fairly short, with most pins at less than 300 feet, but extremely technical. As I throw disc after disc into unrelenting oak, I remind myself that the real reason that I’m here is to enjoy the season. Just walking the course is a lot of fun, as it criss-crosses over streams and rocky hills through beautiful forest. This is what I tell myself as I count my score—15 over par. A beer or three is starting to sound tasty.

Clever meandering gets us to Victory Brewing Company, recently named the 2002 Brewery of the Year, in about thirty minutes. The bar is packed as usual, but the service is fast and accurate. Nearly mad with hunger, I lurk in the corner, scanning the bar like a vulture for patrons preparing to leave. I set my sights on an older couple, nearly drooling as he reaches for his wallet. Three minutes later we occupy their still-warm seats. Glasses are filled; menus are presented; my stomach eats itself from the inside. Victory offers standard pub fare as well as a wide selection of hearth-baked pizzas, and ten Victory brews are on tap at any given time. Almost every time I visit Victory, I get something free—a pint glass here, a free beer there. It’s just like that: a very jovial, friendly sort of place, and family-friendly to boot.

I end the night with an alcohol-free root beer, also brewed on the premises. It is, after all, a long ride home. The night is clear and getting colder by the minute. I am warm and happy. My clothes still smell like outside (although they probably smell more like beer), and I am pleasantly worn out.

French Creek State Park
Elverson, PA
610-582-9680
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/
parks/french.htm

Directions
• Take the I-76 East to exit 298 (Morgantown/Reading). Take the PA-10 S ramp towards PA-23-Morgantown, stay straight to go onto Reading Rd., which becomes Cherry St. Turn left onto E. Main St., which becomes Ridge Road. Turn left onto Bulltown Rd., then slight right onto Warwick Rd. Turn left onto Pine Swamp Rd. Turn right onto Harmonyville Rd., then left onto Pine Swamp Rd. Pine Swamp Rd. becomes Shed Rd. Parking is straight ahead near the lake.

Nearby Attractions
• Hopewell National Historic Site (Hopewell Furnace)
2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson, PA
610-582-8773

• Daniel Boone Homestead
400 Daniel Boone Rd, Birdsboro, PA
610-582-4900

• Historic Joanna Furnace
Route 10 North, Morgantown, PA
610-286-0388

Where to Stay
• French Creek State Park
Year-round camping and cabins
888-PA-PARKS

• Red Carpet Inn & Suites
3736 Main Street, Morgantown, PA
610-286-5061

• Holiday Inn Morgantown
6170 Morgantown Rd, Morgantown, PA
610-286-3000

Where to Eat
• Victory Brewing Company
420 Acorn Lane, Downingtown, PA
610-873-0881

• Old Village Inn
Main & Mill Streets, Morgantown, PA
610-286-5050