Themis 10 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Our Troop is planning a trip to Valley Forge and Philadelphia this summer. We were planning on hiking the historic trails. I was wondering if anyone knows how long it takes to hike the Valley Forge Trail? Also, does anyone have any advice for our trip? Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites
Basementdweller 608 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I was under whelmed on my visit with the family.... Information and links to the hiking trails....it says there 19.9 mile available. http://www.nps.gov/vafo/planyourvisit/hikingtrails.htm If you have not been to Gettysburg, much more interesting...... Link to post Share on other sites
ASM162 20 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Themis, Our Troop has gone to Valley Forge a few times. In the visitor's center, you may want to purchase the guidebook for scouts. It is a map and compass route, and a very good exercise for boys working on advancement. The map and compass route, IMO, is somewhat of a challenge. I have hiked the trail a few times, with different scouts, and each hike was slightly different than the last. It is very easy to miss a turn, as many of the trails are not marked, and at various points on the route, you are not even on a trail. The scouts must use their map and compass, as well as their eyes and brain to determine their positions and orient themselves to the trail. The map and compass route is about 9 miles total, and we have always completed it in about 6 hours, with breaks for lunch and snacks, and of course following the history lesson in the guidebook. Camping is available nearby at the Valley Forge Fire Staion grounds. The VFFC charters Troop 73. http://www.vftroop73.org/ If you are interested in camping on their grounds, just follow the links for the camping information. A word of advice, the campsites fill up fast, so you may want to check out site availability ASAP. Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle732 27 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 We stayed at the Troop 73 campground behind the fire station. What a treat when the siren went off 4 times throughout the night! It's a good place to camp though. The 9 mile hike took the better part of a day. It's a great test of map and compass skills for the boys. Oh and don't bother with buying the trail medals, they're cheap looking and kind of cheesy.(This message has been edited by Eagle732) Link to post Share on other sites
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