Chapel Trail & Horse-Shoe Trail via Joseph Plumb Martin Trail is an 8.6-mile out-and-back in Valley Forge National Historical Park near Glen Hardie, PA. It climbs 1,128 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 2/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Chapel Trail & Horse-Shoe Trail via Joseph Plumb Martin Trail
8.6 mi · ▲ 1,128 ft · 3 hr 26 min
Elevation 70–611 ft
Out & Back · Valley Forge National Historical Park
Trailhead: Joseph Plumb Martin Trail · 40.09736, -75.42541
Weather Sep 5: sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:29 PM
Transit-accessible: stop 556 m from the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Chapel Trail, heading NW.
- 1.3 miTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Horse-Shoe Trail, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Owen Drive, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Horse-Shoe Trail, heading S.
- 1 miReach Chapel Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Chapel Trail, heading N.
- 1.2 miSharp right, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading E.
- 1 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.1 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.0 mi in (~53 min). Leave by 6:16 PM for the 7:29 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:40 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: stop 556 m from the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Joseph Plumb Martin Trail Trailhead
- Joseph Plumb Martin Trail 1.9 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Joseph Plumb Martin Trail 1.9 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Joseph Plumb Martin Trail 1.9 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Joseph Plumb Martin Trail 3.5 mi · ▲ 246 ft
- Wayne's Woods & Joseph Plumb Martin Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Schuylkill River Trail & Sullivan's Bridge Trail 4.7 mi · ▲ 175 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Glen Hardie, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Glen Hardie, Pennsylvania