Troop 48 has adopted the Horse Shoe Trail as a special hiking adventure offered every Spring and or Fall. The Horse Shoe Trail covers approximately 132 miles from Valley Forge National Park in the east to the Appalachian Trail west of Harrisburg PA. Each Spring the Troop organizes a backpacking trip that covers 10-12 miles of the trail with the goal of completing all 132 miles before a Scout turns 18. In the Fall of 2017 the troop completed the entire Horse Shoe trail end to end with a 21.5 mile one day hike marking a major accomplishment. The Horse Shoe trail is unique in that it offers a variety of terrain challenges from steep hills, to rocky climbs to strolls down farm lanes and walks through historic towns. We never know what will lay around the next bend. For Scouts that have completed a section of the trail, they'll earn a special patch to wear on their uniform and then be eligible to earn a new star for every ten miles more they complete. Our Scouts have also hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Rocky Mountain trails of Philmont Scout Ranch and more, but the Horse Shoe Trail has become uniquely our own special challenge.