Monocacy Hill Recreation Area — Attraction in Amity Township

Decent hiking, but take heed: it's not just a little rocky, it's practically nothing but rocks (Monocacy trail and Railbed trails for sure at least). If you hike in sneakers like I did, prepare for some turned ankles. Also, don't go unless it hasn't rained for a day or two. Trails get muddy. Canopy is dense, so sun shouldn't be a hassle when there's leaves on the trees. FYI, if you're out of shape (like me, unfortunately), you'll be sucking wind going up for sure. It's not a particularly difficult trail, only about 650ft elevation over maybe a mile to the top, give or take, but with the rocks it's a bit more strenuous than it seems, so just avail yourself of the benches along the way for small breaks and it's not too bad. I went on a Wednesday just after noon and I was completely alone until I got back to the parking lot. View at the top isn't bad, but it's no Hawk Mountain. Would probably be better late October when the trees are more bare, should obstruct the view a bit less. There's a bathroom and picnic tables by the (small) parking lot, along with garbages. Nothing like that along the trails though. There's an interesting stone structure not far from the parking lot (lower trail), not sure what it is (besides a graffiti target), but check it out. FYI, lower trail doesn't loop all the way back to the parking lot, it ends just up the road. Hang a right when you exit the trail and you'll hit the lot in maybe...

Well kept park with great views. Fun geological facts: Monacacy Hill is a linear hill made of an igneous rock called diabase. It is a “sill,” which forms from the magma plumbing network below volcanoes. The magma dates back to the breakup of Pangaea, the last supercontinent. That makes this hill about as old as the Atlantic Ocean! Head down the Creek Trail to see red mudstones and sandstone that were part of rift valley lakes in the Triassic Period, when early dinosaurs walked around this very area! If you climb up to the the summit and look west, you can see out toward Reading, where some lava flows have been documented from volcanic eruptions at the time that Monacacy Hill’s magma was was forming...

One of my kids learned in a geology class at a Berks County college that Monocacy Hill is actually the remains of an ancient volcano! The rocks/boulders at the top are the visible part of what was once the magma chamber. It's a great place to get some exercise, picnic, get some fresh air and enjoy nature, but it may not be for everyone because of the hill itself & the rocks around the top. However, if you do make the journey to the top, the view is really spectacular, especially during Autumn! 🍁 There's also plenty of trails around the base of the hill, one of which follows an old railroad line to an abandoned rock crushing station which filled the train...