A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Towpath Park and how I squeezed outdoor time into a day of running errands. I ended my day with a walk on the Uwchlan Trail, the third of my outdoor stops that hectic Saturday.
I’ve written about the Uwchlan Trail before, describing a late spring bike ride on it and the connecting Struble Trail. Its just as delightful in autumn as in spring. While the description “township paved walking trail” brings to mind a loop around the playground and baseball diamond, the Uwchlan Trail is different. Uwchlan Township links their small township parks with the trail, which wanders through a quiet residential and wooded area and then downhill, following Shamona Creek to its confluence with the Brandywine. The browning and falling leaves and late time of day seemed to enhance the scenic qualities of the trail.
The trail is the most scenic as it begins to follow Shamona Creek as it rushes to meet the Brandywine. The path rises and falls, and makes side stops at parks and parking areas. We see ruins of historic structures, and one preserved spring house. We cross bridges and pause at the site of an old mill. At the trail’s end on the Brandywine we cross a low traffic road and stand on the Struble Trail, a flat county path that follows the Brandywine and leads into Downingtown. Light is fading and we have to walk back uphill, so we head to the car, crossing Shamona Creek on the trail’s bridges.
If you visit, and I think you should, you will need some help finding the trailheads. Uwchlan Township no longer mentions the trail on its website. The best map I can find is at this hiking website, and despite the fact the information is a decade old its still valid. The trail follows Dowlin Forge Road, and I parked at the Dowlin Forge trailhead, half a mile up from the Brandywine Creek and Struble Trail. Further uphill is Shamona Park, which also has parking.
Still, despite some trouble finding the Uwchlan Trail, it was worth finding. And my mile hike was the best end to the day.
December 5, 2014 @ 11:03 am
The Tolkien fan in me loves that the creek is named “Brandywine.”
Isn’t it great that cities and towns do set aside land for walking/hiking! 🙂