Hiking Green Lane ParkDate: October 5, 2011
Total Distance: 3.52 miles
Time to Completion: 1:37 (hr:min)
Elevation Gain: 276 feet
Configuration: Primarily out-and-back with short loop
Terrain: single and multi-track dirt; some gravel
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Parking: Left on Knight Road from Rte 29; lot on left
Three weeks is a long time for Hiking with Impunity to go without any time spent on the trails, but that's exactly how long it had been since Hike #27. To prevent any set-back in our physical fitness level, we continued our yoga practice to stay in shape. On October 5, 2011, we were finally able to get back out onto the trails, and chose a return visit to Green Lane Park as our first hike in a while. (Note: you can download a PDF version of the map from our website in our new 'Park Information' section by clicking here)
We started our hike at the Knight Road Trailhead. While we saw no horses along the hike, this is a multi-use trail, so be aware that you may have to get out of the way of horseback riders. After strapping our packs on, we headed up the gravel path from the parking lot, and made a right upon reaching the wooded area. Subsequently, we walked along the edge of the forest, following red-blazed markers, before reaching a divergence in the trail.
Hiking Green Lane ParkUpon reaching this intersection, we turned left, walking away from the trail leading to the road. The weather was absolutely gorgeous - low humidity, temperatures in the low 70's, and a breeze coming off the water. After battling bad storms for the past three weeks, the day was perfect! We continued on our way at a quick pace, excited by the fact that we were once more doing what we love.
Green Lane Park has approximately 25 miles of trails to hike along, including the locally famous Perkiomen Trail - the almost 20 mile trail that stretches from Green Lane Park to the Schuylkill River Trail (visit Perkiomen Trail website for more info). We walked along the Red trail, which follows part of the eastern edge of the reservoir. There are some amazing views of the reservoir from the trails. And, while the trails have several long portions which are single-track, the difficulty of this hike isn't overwhelming for beginner hikers (there are two decent inclines along this route that are not impossible to overcome).
At approximately 1.3-1.5 miles into this hike, we came to another divergence, with signs pointing to both the Green Lane Connector Loop (identified as GL Loop) and the Hemlock Point Trail (identified as a hiker-only, self-guided nature trail). We followed the Hemlock Point Trail, which again took us to the edge of the reservoir before taking us back into the forest. It's a short loop, but well worth taking. Upon coming off the Hemlock Point Trail, we found ourselves on a gravel trail that had us walk by what appeared to be a community center of some kind.
Hiking along the Hemlock Point Trail
We made a left onto the gravel trail, taking the Green Lane Connector Trail Loop back to the red blazed trail. If we had made a right onto the gravel trail, the Green Lane Connector Trail would have taken us to the start of the Perkiomen Trail. As we hiked, we came across an area that had restrooms as well as a bulletin board with an enclosed rack for maps and other information (we may have left our calling card here - as well as one other area. If you happen to find it, comment in the area after this post!). We took in the views of the reservoir again as we hiked back to the trailhead.
It doesn't matter which side of the reservoir you hike, you'll have a fantastic time. We would say that this side was easier than Hike #18; however, both have a decent amount of trails, and I have a feeling we only touched on what Green Lane Park has to offer. 20 miles may be quite a distance, but I feel the Perkiomen Trail calling - maybe sometime soon....
Check out our photo gallery of this hike on our website by using this link
About the Author”Hiking” Mike Magro is the primary contributor and editor of Hiking with Impunity. Always on the look-out for a good hike, Mike is hoping to get through the rest of the year having minimal to no injuries while on the trail.
Follow Me on Twitter