I passed the trail head for Jacob’s Creek on my way home from Hike 15 at Ted Stiles Preserve and noted the location for a future hike. I had done minimal research on the area, and only knew that the hike would be a relatively short out and back along the creek.Hike 28 stats:
Date: July 30, 2016
Weather: 85°F, partly sunny
Trail Route: Jacob’s Creek Trail
Distance:  2.31 miles
Time: 1:23
Total Ascent: 141′
Highest Elevation: 167′
Highlights: Jacob’s Creek, rock wall, sugar maples, massive oak tree
I parked the Jeep in the small gravel pull off just before the Jacobs Creek bridge on Pennington Titusville Road (GPS) and headed North along the trail. The trail was beautiful, despite being very overgrown through the first couple hundred yards along the creek. I worried about snakes and assumed I’d be finding some ticks on me later – I had no issues with snakes, but did find a tick on me when I got home (shorts weren’t a great choice).  Once the trail headed into the woods I found some 100 year old (or so) farm equipment, some stone ruins, and some sort of natural wall built into the hillside.Just after passing a power line cut, the trail reenters the woods into an awesome piece of forest. The eastern sloping hillside leads down to the creek through sugar maples and old oak trees.After admiring that massive oak tree for a few minutes I approached a section of wetlands where the trail follows a series of plank bridges; I then crossed the creek twice more before coming to the turn around point at Pennington Harbourton Road.For a hike that wasn’t even two and a half miles long, the Jacobs Creek Trail certainly had a lot of awesome things to offer. Before starting the 52 Hike Challenge I hadn’t done much hiking in the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Spaces – but I’m certainly glad I started. One more picture of that awesome spot next to the power line cut from the return!