Horse-Shoe Trail is a 2.5-mile out-and-back in Valley Forge National Historical Park near Valley Forge, PA. It climbs 491 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi69 – 463 ft · steepest grade: 18%2.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 40.10267, -75.45830
Nearest town Valley Forge, PA
Directions
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Horse-Shoe Trail
2.5 mi · ▲ 491 ft · 1 hr 5 min
Elevation 70–463 ft
Out & Back · Valley Forge National Historical Park
Trailhead: 40.10267, -75.45830
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 at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 300 ftBear right onto River Road, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Chapel Trail, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 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 S.
- 0.5 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 0.8 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto River Road, heading E.
- 100 ftBear left, heading E.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 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
55% dirt21% paved6% gravel18% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:34 AMSunset 7:29 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~7 min). Leave by 7:02 PM for the 7:29 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:50 PM — 7 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 this 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 3.3 mi · ▲ 583 ft
- Chapel Trail 3.9 mi · ▲ 267 ft
- Chapel Trail 4 mi · ▲ 264 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Valley Forge, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania