This is a great little park to explore if you're not looking to hike too much. You have to look out…read morefor it while you're driving because it is right up a hill and in a tricky spot if you're not keeping an eye out. You also have to walk across a field to get into the hiking trail. If you make a right as you enter, keep walking until you reach a waterfall. It is a beautiful view! It is safe enough to walk up the rocks too. It is good for exercise and picnicking. Be sure to look at the weather beforehand though because it could get muddy.

Years ago I lived on West Street where this park is located and visited it nearly every day. In the…read moremany years since I have gone back 10 or 20 times per year. its a gem of a park that most people aren't even aware exists in Media. Glen Providence is good for exercise, picnicking, communing with nature if you don't mind walking down a very long hill to see other parts of the park. Just remember you must make the hike back up

This sort of boring trail becomes more interesting as you head deeper in. At the very end of the…read moretrail is the prize for your efforts... it might be the most beautiful nature scene in the entire area. To really take it in, you have to go off the trail just a little bit. One slight problem: the trail has been closed because a very small part of the trail has severe erosion. There is a chance you could fall straight down maybe 10 feet if you go beyond the barrier and aren't paying attention... and then there is always the chance the earth will cave in on you as you are screaming for help. If you lack common sense, don't go back there. Parking is abundant. There are more trails on the other side of Ridley Creek. That part of this nature area is known as the Louis W. Scott Memorial Park.

Middletown Township Memorial Park is located directly across Balt Pike from Media Waterworks. It is…read morehome to the Middletown Township "Millennium Trail" which parallels the western side of Ridley Creek. The trail is singular and is pretty much a straight line, following the bank of the creek, with a loop at the far end, to bring you back out the same straight. There is a power station to the west of the trail which you see somewhat early into the walk. Various benches to sit on along the way, which is nice. Shaded spots, sunny spots, and various slips for creek access. There is pretty wooded scenery, nothing remarkable, but a decent way to get a nature fix for a 1/2 mile's walk (a mile up and back). Today's visit was early June and the trail was full of baby frogs (thumbnail size) hopping across, all headed to the meadow, from the stream. They were super fast too, otherwise I'd have taken a pic. I remember visiting this greenspace as a kid, but the trail is much newer. I presume it was added at the turn of this century, thus the name. I do not recommend this, but we used to ice skate here as kids. The ice got thick enough to hold the dads supervising these crazy adventures, but it was always really bumpy ice (NOT good), and you never knew when it was going to get deadly. So I don't condone this at all, but just a little history, that people used to do that here, back in the day when no one wore seatbelts or bike helmets and all.

Really lovely setting, several good parking areas which are not obvious from the map description so…read moreyou can park off of Swedesford or go down Church Farm school Lane to a parking spot or continue to the main entrance to get towards the children's park. Nice views. A couple of picnic tables at the top of the hill. The low lands are wet... So be careful if you decide to walk through the field. Also appears to have easy access to the Chester Valley bike trail.

Nice place to take a short walk for fresh air. It's just West of Church Farm Ln, the parking lot &…read moreTrail Head is on the South side of Swedesford Rd. Its a nice grassy path around a small lake and a large farm field. No hiking boots required.

We absolutely loved hiking here. The Ollie's playground for kids was the cutest thing and so much…read morefun. It was clean and quiet and overall, a really nice trail.

ChesLen is relatively HUGE compared to other Natural Lands preserves. 1282 acres of Wyethesque…read morelandscapes everywhere you turn! Ironically, for the size of this place, it had one of the smallest parking lots I've seen at any of the other Natural Lands preserves I've visited. A rain storm cut my visit short, but I did get close to an hour of the meadow trail. If you visit on a sunny day, be ready for extreme sun exposure because there is very little tree shade along the trails I walked. Also, the mowed meadow terrain is lumpy and uneven in spots, and I'd have appreciated my hiking boots over the sneakers I wore, for ankle support. Again, I can't speak for the full 1282 acres, but the ambiance closest to the parking lot and trailhead, is pretty but lacks the variety and depth of character that many other Natural Lands preserves possess. It's kind of just plain old field. I appreciate plain old field, but having been to other preserves, I prefer the ones with woods and clearings, stream crossings, hills and valleys, etc. But, if you want to paint a Wyeth scene, this is certainly your place! It is a popular occurrence at Natural Lands preserves for locals to visit with their dogs off leash (in discordance with preserve rules). This preserve was no exception. In fact, it is so casually disregarded, Natural Lands was recently looking to hire someone, specifically, to visit all of the preserves and enforce the leash rule. As a dog mom, I understand the desire to not have to fuss with leash tugging, and be able to watch their furry joy running "free," but these rules are in place for everyone's safety, including your own (and your dog's). ChesLen is great for hiking boot walks, dogs on leash, and birding or butterfly watching. It is not accessible for handicapped people, strollers, bikes, etc. Babies have to be carried (as in backpacks) if in attendance. While more rugged in a countrified way, the land itself is peaceful and serene, and fun to photograph or paint!

Love this place! We Had a lot of fun tubing from the northeast corner of the parking lot at the…read moreChadds ford - brandywine river museum of art parking lot to the smith bridge road parking lot! (The museum told me that they do charge for parking on the weekends for tubers. The trip took us 3 hrs and 43 minutes with the water level at 1.92 on the usgs sensor at the museum sensor #01481000. I used a regular walmart intex river run tube and weighing in at 220lbs did not have to portage or get out of the tube at all on this stretch. Paddles are recommended , though we did not bring them. Also make sure you have watershoes. There are portable toilets, trash receptacles, grills and picnic tables at the smith bridge road parking lot.

I visited Winterthur and walked to the Brandywine Creek State Park from there. The trails are…read morebeautiful and I especially liked walking alongside the river! If you like trails or hanging out in the outdoors you should definitely visit!

OK, so here's the thing... This isn't an Arboretum in the way you think of curated trees. And…read morealthough they tout the mature Woodland, there are some areas that are very recent growth. But it is truly a delightful nature area, nestled in the midst of a residential area, The trail which does have two entrances marked towards the right and left corners of meadow (from parking lot) is an actual loop trail. But there's no way to know that from the markings or even the Township description online since it says there's a spur that comes out on the far end. Leisurely pace for the loop 15 to 20 minutes depending on speed or longer if you want to stop and enjoy wildlife along the way. Very active bird calls, and visit The Township site said that it comes out on a route road further away and there does appear to be a smaller spur that would take you in that direction. Please be cautious and be prepared because there are a fair amount of downed tree to scramble over, Gulleys, that clearly fill up with water, and two rickety bridges, including one that has actual broken planks on it so test the wood as you walk across. It was very dry the day I came so my white gym shoes made it through but there are at least seven or eight major areas of true muck that will absolutely challenge your footwear if you're not prepared Really little hidden gem. Also worth taking a look at the rules of hopscotch on the embedded hopscotch layout. Clearly trying to make it fun for children.

Free township park, called an "arboretum". Parking is a gravel lot that can accommodate…read moreapproximately 15-20 cars depending on how courteously people park. Trash can is near entrance. Leashed dogs allowed (no dog waste bags). One source stated this is a 2.3-acre greenspace, however it appears to be larger on the township trail map. I did not see the trail map before my visit so I didn't get a chance to explore the trails. The property kind of bottlenecks after the lawn area around parking, and the "neck" is wooded area that passes between residential properties. It is helpful to know ahead that the property then will fan out to a much larger trail system, otherwise you may assume (like I) that it's one short trail, perhaps tributary-ing off to residences, and not worth exploring. Next visit I will pursue the trails! The lawn area by the parking lot is definitely a relaxing space with various benches and Adirondack chairs for sitting. Two Adirondack chairs are hugely oversized for pictures or kid fun. There is a small pavilion, and a maze-like swirl pattern set in the grass with paver stones. It is a fun and safe place to explore for outdoor time.

Stunning Preserve & amazing trail to walk on that is over 300 acres. Great for kids, horseback…read moreriding...or just beautiful peaceful walks. You can see short video's on my personal youtube and get a feel for what it is like. https://youtu.be/-nRcjGKmIck https://youtu.be/u1ru5yL754s

While this preserve is members only, you may visit with a pass you can borrow for free at many…read morelocal libraries. The preserve is maintained by Brandywine Conservancy, so if you obtain the free visitor's pass for Brandywine Museum and Conservancy at the library, you may access any of their preserves and/or the museum (and the trails on the museum grounds). Because The Laurels is a private, members-only preserve, there is not major signage for it out by the road. They are down a pretty nondescript long driveway, which I'd never know was a preserve if I hadn't been looking for it, AND read all their navigation details on the website in advance. They are located in what I'd call Unionville, but their mailing address is Coatesville. The parking lot and driveway are all gravel/dirt, so you might want to note this for winter months, depending on how your vehicle handles snow. Their main trails are basically dirt roads connecting forests and meadows, with a meandering creek, and cool old covered bridge. Since they're wide as roads, the trails are very safe to keep a distance from places where ticks hang out, and allow safe distance from others (COVID), and other leashed dogs if you bring your dog(s). The scenery changes a bit, for interesting sights, and great photo opportunities. There are open spots of sun, as well as canopied forest shady areas. I didn't walk the whole preserve but did a couple miles, and did not feel anything was a challenging incline or anything too rigorous. I also pushed my toddler's stroller for him to get in and out as he pleased, and I had no problem navigating on the paths. Note: I had a hard time finding directions. I had best luck using this "address": Doe Run Rd & McCorkles Rd, West Marlborough Township, PA.

Very pretty and neat park, very well maintained. Most of the trails are paved, thus not muddy. We…read morebrought our little dog along on a Sunday afternoon in February, and we all had a great time!

What a quiet, little oasis. A little off the beaten path, but close enough to the city to make you…read morefeel like you're in your own backyard. I thought I'd pop in for a nice walk since the weather was nice and it was a great way to reset! The park consists of many walking trails even hiking trails if you're feeling adventurous. It's clean and a great place to picnic or walk your dog. There are flowering trees and a vast array of daffodils throughout. I even found a man painting, easel and all! Very peaceful...a walk here will definitely calm your nerves after a long day!