Horse-Shoe Trail at Valley Creek Trail in Valley Forge National Historical Park.jpeg
Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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

0 mi69 – 610 ft9.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Joseph Plumb Martin Trail 40.09736, -75.42541
Nearest town Glen Hardie, PA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading N.
  3. 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  4. 1 miTurn right, heading W.
  5. 0.2 miSharp left onto Chapel Trail, heading NW.
  6. 1.3 miTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading W.
  7. 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
  8. 150 ftTurn right onto Horse-Shoe Trail, heading W.
  9. 250 ftTurn left onto Owen Drive, heading W.
  10. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Horse-Shoe Trail, heading S.
  11. 1 miReach Chapel Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 0.6 miTurn left, heading E.
  13. 0.7 miTurn left, heading NE.
  14. 150 ftTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading NW.
  15. 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
  16. 0.1 miTurn right onto Chapel Trail, heading N.
  17. 1.2 miSharp right, heading E.
  18. 0.2 miTurn left onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading E.
  19. 1 miTurn left, heading E.
  20. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  21. 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

62% dirt29% paved4% gravel5% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:34 AMSunset 7:29 PM

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.

More sunset hikes nearby

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