Six Penny Trail

The Six Penny Trail loops through the heart of French Creek State Park, which protects the largest contiguous block of forest in southeastern Pennsylvania — a remarkable ecological island amid the heavily developed Philadelphia suburban landscape. The trail passes through mature oak-hickory and beech-maple forest, skirting the park's two lakes and connecting to the adjacent Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, a beautifully preserved 18th and 19th century iron plantation where charcoal-fueled furnaces produced pig iron and cast goods. The juxtaposition of living forest and industrial ruins is distinctive: charcoal hearth platforms, ore mines, and iron master's mansion sit surrounded by the same woodlands that once supplied the furnace's insatiable appetite for charcoal. The trail crosses several small tributaries of French Creek on wooden bridges and stone fords. Birding is exceptional throughout; the park's forest interior harbors breeding populations of scarlet tanager, wood thrush, ovenbird, and numerous other area-sensitive species that require large unfragmented woodlands. Box turtles are frequently encountered crossing the trail in warm months. Spring wildflower displays along the creek corridors are excellent, featuring bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, and Virginia bluebells. The park's trail system totals over 35 miles, and the Six Penny connects to the Boone, Mill Creek, and Lenape trails for longer combinations.