Horse-Shoe Trail–Mt. Joy Trail, 3 sights is a 5.5-mile out-and-back in Valley Forge National Historical Park near Valley Forge, PA. It climbs 867 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 2/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi69 – 610 ft · steepest grade: 20%6.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Chapel Trail 40.10289, -75.45640
Nearest town Valley Forge, PA
Directions
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Horse-Shoe Trail–Mt. Joy Trail, 3 sights
5.5 mi · ▲ 867 ft · 2 hr 16 min
Elevation 70–611 ft
Out & Back · Valley Forge National Historical Park
Trailhead: Chapel Trail · 40.10289, -75.45640
Weather Sep 5: sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:29 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Chapel Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Horse-Shoe Trail, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Owen Drive, heading SW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Horse-Shoe Trail, heading SE.
- 1 miReach Horse-Shoe Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Mt. Misery Trail, heading E.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Library Lane, heading SE.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 450 ftBear left, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Knox Tindle Road, heading SE.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 100 ftBear right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading N.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Mt. Joy Trail, heading E.
- 1.3 miTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
84% dirt7% paved2% gravel7% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:34 AMSunset 7:29 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~4 min). Leave by 7:05 PM for the 7:29 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:48 PM — 9 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Chapel Trail Trailhead
- Horse-Shoe Trail 2.1 mi · ▲ 420 ft
- Mt. Misery Trail via Horse-Shoe Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 471 ft
- Horse-Shoe Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 472 ft
- Horse-Shoe Trail 2.5 mi · ▲ 491 ft
- Horse-Shoe Trail 3.3 mi · ▲ 583 ft
- Chapel Trail 3.9 mi · ▲ 267 ft
Get outside more
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Hikes near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania