Several years ago, I went hiking with a good friend at Ricketts Glen, a state park in Pennsylvania famous for its spectacular waterfalls and huge rock formations. My backpack was filled with our lunch and bottles of water for a long afternoon of exercise and outdoor fun. It wasn’t long before we passed other hikers on the trail and rather than just nod our heads or say, “hi,” my friend and I offered an enthusiastic and playful, “howdy” to lighten up the mood. We always hoped someone would say “howdy” back, and when they did, it made our day. Saying “howdy” was that little something that made this hiking trip one to remember—well, that and the snacks I had packed.
To create your own outdoor adventures a little closer to home, look no further than Berks County for miles of challenging trails that link one to another in natural, manmade and historical settings.
This Land is Your Land; This Land is My Land
From Neversink Mountain to Earle Poole Sanctuary, Berks County Conservancy’s “Greater Reading Trails” project is always working to maintain and perfect connections to other parks and trails. On Neversink, you can hike or bike on about eight miles of trails on protected land between the Schuylkill River (south side) and the City of Reading (north side). The Conservancy’s portion, about 500 acres, links one end of the mountain to the other. This area can be accessed at multiple city locations including 10th and South streets, 15th and Fairview streets, and Reading and Klapperthal roads.
“It’s our baby,” says Tami J. Shimp, vice president of development and community relations at the Conservancy. “We’ve been trying to protect the land there for many years and we’ve done a pretty good job.” The Sanctuary, a 30-plus acre property, is located in the Antietam Creek Watershed. This area features a barn, wooded trails, a stream and picnic areas. “It’s like a wildlife preserve, great for families and birding,” says Tami. Also popular here is an outdoor game called letterboxing that allows players to search for rubber stamps and log books in hidden containers. When you find one, you stamp the log book and sign your name. If you like the idea, check out letterboxing.org to learn how easy it is to get started.
You can walk or bike the Angelica Creek Trail (ACT), which has an entrance point, also referred to as a trailhead, at the Ken Grill Recreation Center at 730 High Blvd., Kenhorst, and also at Angelica Creek Park, off Route 10 in Reading. A Conservancy upgrade, the ACT trail now connects to the Schuylkill River Trail, which will have a projected length of almost 130 miles when it is completed, according to schuylkillrivertrail.com.
The Gravity Trail, new to the City of Reading, is a moderately aggressive 3.5-mile trail that connects Mt. Penn Gravity Railroad historic sites to Antietam Lake Park and Neversink. Trailheads can be found at Mineral Spring and Egelman city parks, off Angora Road in Reading.
And then there’s Antietam Lake, an open space that is mostly used for passive recreation. This land will never be open to development, says Becky Richards, superintendent of recreation at Berks County Parks and Recreation (BCPR). “It’s a pristine area for hiking, horseback riding and advanced mountain biking with 10 miles of intertwined trails,” she says. “And it is pet friendly, so you can walk with your dog!”
The Union Canal Bicycle and Walking Trail, about 4.2 miles one way, runs along the Tulpehocken Creek. This trail follows the old-time towpath mules had once used to pull canal boats. Markers along this trail help provide insight into the significance of the area. “If you’re interested in history, you can learn something at several stops along the way,” says Becky. This trail starts at Stonecliff and ends up at Rebers Bridge Road in Bern Township unless you decide to push on for two more miles on the Union Canal Connector Trail, which connects to a trail system around Blue Marsh Lake.
Last but not least, Kaercher Creek Park located just east of Hamburg along Old Route 22 features a walking trail, lodge, picnic pavilion, children’s playground, volleyball courts, quoits and horseshoe pits. “This trail is like taking a walk through a forest,” says Becky, “but it doesn’t connect with other parks.”
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (HMS)
At this famous spot, hikers can enjoy a round-trip, 8-mile trail system or take it one mile at a time each day.
“There’s an easy, short walk to the nearby South Lookout, a one-mile walk to the North Lookout and several challenging hikes down into the valley or scrambling rocks over the escarpment,” says Mary Linkevich, HMS director of communications and grants. First-time visitors should check the sanctuary’s website for trail information or stop by the Visitor’s Center where all guests or nonmembers pay an admission fee.
About 60,000 to 70,000 visitors a year pay homage to Hawk Mountain and its rocky terrain.
Before your hike, Mary suggests you come ready with a daypack, bottled water, trail map, good sturdy shoes and snacks. She also suggests allowing enough time to complete your walk and not overdoing it the first time. Remember to stay on the trail at all times for safety and to protect the fragile ecosystem here. Easy to find from Reading, take Route 61 north (past Cabela’s) to Route 895 east and then turn right onto
Hawk Mountain Road. After about two miles, look for HMS’s parking lot on your right.
The Pinnacle
For a real uphill challenge (no, not the granite spires in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, South America, but save that thought for later), the Pinnacle, six miles round-trip, is the second highest elevation point in Berks County. It can be found on the Appalachian Trail on the Blue Mountain Ridge. And it is not for beginners.
Harpweb.com provides several GPS coordinates or routes that will help get you to its starting points. Those who take this rocky path should wear good hiking boots.
If you are truly blessed with the explorer gene there are even bigger challenges outside of Berks County. REI Adventures is a good option for vacations led by top guides who make exploring their career. Also offered are “volunteer” travel opportunities in places like Yosemite, Machu Picchu and even Torres del Paine—but expect to do some trail maintenance along the way. Take a look at rei.com for a better idea of what you’d be getting yourself into.
No matter how high you climb or how much ground you cover, the one nice thing is that it’s usually okay to do it all in silence. No hard set rules, really, other than try to share the experience with a friend or two and say “howdy” on the trail now and then. For a quick guide on real trail etiquette, go to dailyhiker.com.
Cache Rewards
While you’re planning your first outdoor hiking adventure, more seasoned folks are hoping you try to find their hidden trinkets in a game called geocaching. Geocachers hide small trinkets or coins in caches, airtight hidden containers, on public trails. When or if you find one, you can take a treasure; just make sure you replace it with something different. To get started, you look for coordinate locations (to use with your GPS or smartphone) on geocaching.com. In three years, local geocacher Frank, who goes by “Knarf,” found about 582 caches. Last year, he completed the Tulpehocken Creek Valley Geo Trail (TCV) where about 20 clue caches (all within the county’s park system) are hidden. “It took me to places I never knew existed,” he says. “It’s a real nice trail system.”
The Lure of Mountain Biking
If you like to go fast or slow and cover lots of ground, biking is the only way to go, says Justin A. Bernardo, 35, of JB Mountain Bikes, Shillington.
For beginners, it’s important to have a professional like Justin make sure that the bike fits the style or type of riding you will be doing. You’ll need gear, so when you’re in the store don’t forget to pick up a helmet, water bottle and pair of gloves. Other items, Justin says, include riding shorts, spare tubes, a patch kit, and a pump or a CO2 setup. The list of accessories is pretty long; it just depends on how much you’re willing to spend.
If you plan on transporting your bike, Justin suggests investing in a good hitch rack for your car or SUV. At home, you can store your bike and keep it out of the way by hanging it (from one of its wheels) on a hook in the ceiling.
“Biking is a great stress reliever as well as a great workout,” Justin says. “It’s fun, and let’s face it, as adults what else can you do where it's acceptable to go out and play in the mud?”
RESOURCES JB Mountain Bikes 211 W. Lancaster Ave., Shillington | 610.777.5253 | jbmountainbikes.com Hawk Mountain Sanctuary 1700 Hawk Mountain Rd., Kempton | 610.756.6961 | hawkmountain.org Berks County Conservancy 25 North 11th St., Reading | 610.372.4992 | greaterreadingtrails.com Berks County Parks and Recreation Department Main Office 2083 Tulpehocken Rd., Wyomissing | 610.372.8939 | parks@countyofberks.com
