Grandma & River Walk 1 of 3

A series of free walks this summer geared toward young kids
  • WhenJun 17, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (America/New_York / UTC-400)
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Join RCTC volunteer Kathleen Ganster and her 5½-year-old grandson River for a series of free walks throughout the summer to enjoy beautiful Western, PA. All hikes will be along portions of the Rachel Carson Trail. Walks will be easy hikes for shorter legs and have other attractions such as creeks to play in, nearby playgrounds and picnic areas. Please bring your own water and snacks and dress appropriately (especially if you want to play in the creeks)!

Crouse Run is a wonderful, 22-acre nature reserve located in Hampton Township. There is plenty of free parking at 2684 Wildwood Road (next to Mineo’s pizza). We will meet in the parking lot then make an easy creek crossing and walk along a fairly level hiking trail that meets the Rachel Carson Trail. There will be plenty of opportunities for little ones to wade in creeks along this walk and look for crayfish and salamanders. Join us as we observe wildflowers, birds, fish and possibly tadpoles and frogs. This is an easy 1–2-mile hike and will last 1-3 hours depending on how fast little ones go, water time, etc.  Please be aware that you most likely will get wet.

For grown- ups to know, Crouse Run has a rich history: Rachel Carson studied here while she was a student at Pennsylvania Women’s College (now Chatham University).  This area is considered a cold ravine, which means it contains not only the typical varieties of flora of the tri-state region, but many northern and Canadian species. 

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