We don’t often drive north. When we do, Virginia is about as far as we go. Between the potholes and the inevitable traffic, the roads beyond do not make for an enjoyable towing experience. But Jesse’s sister’s wedding was an effective tug in that direction.
We appreciated the opportunity to catch up with lots of family. We explored several good hiking spots in the area. And all the while, we learned new things about Aiken.
Where We Stayed
Oak Grove Park is about 28 miles north (and a little west) of Philadelphia. Most of the campground is appears to be used by long-term residents, but there are a handful of sites that are availalbe for short-term use. The campground was fairly basic, but perfectly adequate. There was a pool and a small playground. It’s even walking distance (just over a mile) to an ice cream shop called Mom’s Real Italian.
| Campground Name | Oak Grove Park |
| Location | Hatfield, PA |
| Dates | July 25-28, 2024 |
| Site Number | Site 52 |
| Site Surface | Gravel |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups + 50-amp electric |
| Cost | $47 per night |
| Water Pressure | 45-50 psi |
| Voltage | 125 V |
| Verizon Speed Test | Mbps down; Mbps up |
| T-Mobile Speed Test | Mbps down; Mbps up |
| Campground WiFi | None? |
Our site was long, pretty wide, and had good shade. Unfortunately, between wedding activities and hiking with the dogs to tire them out, we didn’t spend a lot of time at the campground so we didn’t have an opportunity to try the pool or the ice cream shop.
The only issue we had was the road noise. Our site backed up to Cowpath Road. A lot of large trucks use the road, and we could hear them even from inside the RV.
Here, Aiken watches the afternoon traffic.
One skill where Aiken needs improvement is relaxing outside. He actually settles reasonably well in the house, but when he’s outside, he has trouble sitting still. The weather was so nice on this trip that we sat at our campsite picnic table and rewarded him whenever he would sit or lie down.
What We Did
Dinner and the Delaware River Heritage Trail
We met Jesse’s parents for dinner in Bordentown, NJ on Thursday night. We chose a restaurant with outdoor seating so we’d be able to bring the dogs. Jesse’s parents hadn’t met Aiken yet, and this seemed like a good opportunity for them to meet their new granddog.
I am so proud of Aiken for this adventure! We left so early that morning that I didn’t take the dogs for a walk; we just threw the ball in the yard for a bit (plus time to potty). Then we drove almost all day, with just a few quick potty breaks whenever we stopped for fuel.
When we arrived at the campground, we had just enough time to get the basics set up and take the dogs for a short walk around the campground.
For not having had much exercise that day, I thought Aiken did really well. He was a little antsy at first, but he eventually settled and was able to lie down and relax while we ate. We need to teach him how to keep his cool when seeing other dogs, but he was a gentleman when he met several of the restaurant staff.
After dinner, Jesse and I walked through through Bordentown, down W Park Street, to the Delaware River.
On Google Maps, the area is labeled as Bordentown Beach. There’s a trailhead for the Delaware River Heritage Trail. It was almost 7:30 when we were there, but the area was busy with people fishing and walking around.
Kohler Park
Kohler Park is about 20 minutes from the campground. We parked by the fishing pond, intending to work our way clockwise around the park, but quickly had to change our route. Aiken saw about a dozen geese by the pond and basically lost his mind. I’m sure we were quite a sight with our very large (and noisy) dog jumping around and barking like a lunatic. Instead, we went away from the pond over a small bridge, crossed a parking lot, and picked up a trail by the tennis courts.
We definitely recommend this park if you’re in the area and need something to do. In addition to the fishing pond, there are soccer fields, a dog park, a playground, and several options for trails.
About halfway through our loop, we found a lovely spot to access the creek that cuts through the park. Then dogs enjoyed getting their paws wet, and we were happy for the photo op.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a garter snake in the leaves by the soccer fields!
On this map, I marked the route we walked in yellow. The green star is where we parked, and the blue water drop is the perfect spot for the dogs to play in the creek.
Skippack Trail
Skippack Trail was a surprise in several ways. Reviews on AllTrials talk about it being several miles of wide, paved trail, but that’s not what we found. We parked in the small parking lot at 3664 Kratz Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426. Even though the area is marked as Skippack Trail Parking Area on Google Maps, we found a narrow, unpaved trail.
I prefer unpaved trails anyway, so no problem there. The next surprise came in the form of a sign by the parking lot warning of hornet and wasp activity. We decided to go anyway. The trail crosses under powerlines, and there were a lot of buzzing insects among the bushes, so we assumed that was it and kept going.
Once we passed the powerlines, the trail was very nice. The trail hugs Skippack Creek and is completely shaded.
We found a tree that had fallen across the trail. There wasn’t an obvious way around, so we opted to pick our way through.
We stopped to play in the creek a few times.
It’s hard to see in these photos, but the creek is filled with crayfish!
Aiken and Corona took turns walking through the deeper water with me. Aiken was pretty happy as long as he could still touch the bottom. There was a deep spot in the middle that he went through on the way across the creek but refused to go through on the way back. I guess that was a little deeper than he was comfortable with, so we found a shallower route across.
At some point, the trail moves away from the creek and climbs.
We started up the hill, but the sign on this tree made us turn around.
Without more information, we were hesitant to risk going further along the tree just a few hours before the rehearsal dinner and one day before the wedding. It was just a really bad time for anything wasp-related to happen, so we turned around and went back to the car.
Peace Valley Park
Peace Valley Park is only 20 minutes from the campground. If you’re looking for a type of outdoor recreation, you can probably find it in this 1,500-acre park. There are more than 14 miles of trail for hiking and biking and a 350-acre lake (Lake Galena) for fishing, sailboating, paddleboating, and kayaking. There are trash cans and restrooms at several spots.
We walked a section of the paved, six-mile trail around the lake, stopping a few times to let the dogs get their paws wet.
There are sunny sections and shady sections of the trail.
We saw a heron and several ducks.
Later I saw what I suspect is some sort of hawk.
Does anyone know anything about trees? We passed one tree that I really thought was an acacia tree…but that doesn’t make any sense to me. What was it doing in Pennsylvania?
Frick’s Trail
Frick’s Trail is less than 10 minutes from the campground.
The first quarter-mile is nicely shaded, and it runs along a small creek. The creek has so many of these tiny fish. This photo isn’t ideal, but it was the best I could get.
After that, the trees disappear and you find yourself in a neighborhood. This is where the trail meets the neighborhood sidewalk.
Notice the houses you can see behind the cattails.
We believe the trail picks up again on the other side of the neighborhood, but we decided to do a quick loop of the neighborhood and head back. It was hot without shade and we dawdled for too long in the tiny creek that ran along the first part of the trail, so we were running behind schedule.
Where We Ate
Old Town Pub is about miles from the campground. We chose the restaurant because they have outdoor seating and we wanted to bring the dogs.
The food was amazing and so was the service. They brought out cups with water for both dogs. Definitely recommend this place!
Wildlife
I included most of the wildlife sections with the rest of the information about the place it was seen, but there were two more.
We found this adorable frog at the campground one night while walking the dogs.
And this beautiful moth was on the door of a convenience store. He was maybe four inches wide!
Not wildlife, I know, but we came across this beautiful tree on Skippack Trail. Corona could not be convinced to stand next to it, so you’ll just have to believe me when I say it was a really big tree.
Happy travels!
