Valley Forge, PA

See slideshow of my walk in Valley Forge National Park.

The hiking trails in Valley Forge Park are apparently a national secret. They are not marked on the official map of Valley Forge, they are completely unblazed, and just when you think you finally found one, it disappears after a half mile and leaves you in an unmarked, untrodden thicket. I started along the Valley Creek Trail, which is wide and easy to follow, but simply deadends on 23 with no signs indicating which to go. I found a rough-looking dirt road and followed that toward the Schuylkill and ended up at the railroad tracks and farther on, the defunct railroad station, and found myself on the wrong side of an extensive system of chainlink fences installed to keep people out of all the renovations underway. Except I was trapped inside. So I ended up back-tracking while trying to look inconspicuous in my blaze-orange pullover to avoid attracting the attention of all the tourists on the other side of the fence. After a lot of bushwhacking, I eventually another nice trail along the Schyulkill which I followed to the cemetery behind the Washington Memorial Cathedral. Came across lots of deer both in the woods and in the meadows and enjoyed a foot-stamping showdown with one herd (they'd stamp, I'd stamp). I let them win, and continued on my way.