Tohickon Valley, PA - 01/29/2012

[Daniela Wagstaff]

This hike is about half way between Frenchtown and Lambertville on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River.  If you aren't familiar with this area, you will be amazed at the unexpected terrain.  Tohickon Valley is a deep gorge with amazing vistas that can't be captured adequately in pictures.  This hike is easily overlooked because it traverses Ralph Stover State Park (45 acres with 1 mile of hiking trail) and Tohickon Valley Park, a Bucks County park (612 acres with any hiking trails?).   At a glance it does not seem worth the trip but somehow or another I happened on mountain biker GPS tracks that show a connection between the parks (both parks actually cover a large area combined) so I went to check it out.  Turns out there is a whole network of trails (no map exists) and I ended up hiking 12 miles.  As is usually the case, with a parking lot right at the main vistas, the very popular High Rocks Vista, that area can get crowded but out on the trails I didn't run into many other people.  This might also be a good option for during the week or on a Saturday as neither park allows hunting.  While I best not attempt to draw a map (it would be ugly, trust me, I tried), I tried to give as much detail as possible about the trails HERE.  I would say it's pretty hard to get lost since you are in a gorge the whole time.  Even though it's a relatively narrow strip of land, you won't see the roads even in the winter and there is never any traffic noise because it is overpowered by the sound of fast moving water in Tohickon Creek below.

Another bonus is getting up close and personal with turkey vultures.  They soar by very close and at eye level at the High Rocks Vista.