Harmony Hill Nature Area is a loop trail through woods, with various inclines. There are some parts…read moreof the path that are covered in tree roots, and other areas with a lot of bedrock. There is a lot of mica along the trail if you are interested in this stone. A lot of bikers were using the trail while I hiked, and this got a little dangerous and frustrating because trails are too narrow for bikes to pass walkers without walkers needing to veer off the trail to allow room to pass. I was uneasy with my child and dogs in this situation. Luckily the bikers slowed down when they saw us, but there were some close calls. There are a lot of signs saying horses aren't allowed; I can only imagine how much more chaotic it would be to have to share the trail with horses too. Wish they'd consider widening the trails. I'm spoiled by Natural Lands' preserves. There is a ruins site by the stream, which is interesting to visit, and a picnic area close to the parking lot. The trailhead has an info board, list and found, bike station with some tools tied to a post, and a port-a-potty.

A favorite hiking/nature walk spot in the Philadelphia area. Check out AllTrails to discover the…read morevarious trails. Trails range from flat and paved, to hilly, winding trails. All trails are wooded. Parking is available at Skelp Level Road for the upper dirt trails. Parking off Harmony Hill Rd at the covered bridge offers easy access to the paved Brandywine Trail and the dirt trails off either side of the road. Parking lots off 322 at Sugars Bridge and the train trestle are located at either end of the paved Brandywine Trail. Additional dirt trails are located at either end of the Brandywine Trail. Port-a-pots are located at both Sugars Bridge and Skelp Level parking lots. Doggie bag dispensers are located at all 4 parking lots. I never had a problem with the mountain bikers. They are not often present.

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.

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.

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.

Great spot! Play area for kids. Open lawns for running around. creek with bridge. Volleyball court.read more

I wasn't expecting much when I saw this was a 12-acre park, but, wow, 12 acres never looked or felt…read moreso big! Wide open greenspace, very picturesque and beautifully designed. The park has ball fields, picnic pavilion, playground, chess table, 1/2 mile walking trail, bridge over a stream, port-a-potty, dog bags, water fountain with dog bowl, etc. This is a beautiful spot! It's located behind the Westtown Train Station Gallery and the Salty Cow (formerly Goose Creek Grill). New township building being built adjacent to the park behind aforementioned businesses. They all use the same entrance from 926/Street Rd.

You can tell the caretakers for this park put a lot of time into it. This is basically a bunch of…read morewoods trails, great for walking (the trails are a little soft so I wouldn't recommend bikes or wheeled anythings). They are great for runners or walkers. The paths are mostly all neatly trimmed in the warm months, with fresh mulch on the walkways. Some of the paths weren't trimmed recently, and it limited our walk because of ticks and possible poison ivy. But the ones under the majestic tall pines looked beautiful, and were very pleasant to walk. In the winter, these are great exercise in the snow (x-country skiing, snowshoeing or walking in some good boots). The entrance to the Upper Providence Park area is directly across from Rosemary Lane, off N. Ridley Creek Rd (the stretch between Rose Tree Rd and Kirk Lane). The areas near the creek get very muddy, so I don't recommend for certain dogs, or very young children. If you come prepared for mud you'll be fine. There are some neat cinder-blocks sunk into the swamp to make a stepping path across it to the solid ground on the other side (however, this area gets muddy often, so mud shoes would be recommended). The trails connect to the neighboring Louis W. Scott Memorial Park, and I am not sure if they are maintained by the same group(s) or not? The Louis W. Scott Memorial Park is an open field, with the ruins of a stone building beside it. The stone area seems to attract litterers, which is not pretty, and not sanitary or safe for children or dogs. Wish they kept that up better, but elsewhere it is clean and well-kept.

All of the Willistown Conservation land is beautiful- this preserve is no exception. They've done a…read moregreat job with making this walkable despite how muddy it can get, but you should still wear boots. The paths are well-marked and there is a decent sized parking lot.

Easy and beautiful trails with great scenery. Once you've passed the blue route, the noise of…read morenature takes over. Deer, chipmunks and squirrels are frolicking around. Disc golf course can be "human loud" on the weekends.

Fun fact: Decades ago, this property was the site of the Haverford State Mental Hospital, which…read moreoperated from 1964-1998. In 2006 Haverford Township sold the property to a developer with requirements that part of the land be kept for public recreation. These 5 miles of trails are the result, along with a rec center, dog park and athletic fields. On an unusually warm winter day Sheba and I went for a hike along the trails. We entered by the rec center, then followed the creek bed to the meadow & back. We passed a pollinator garden and some disc golf sites. It's a lovely hike any time of year. Trail markings are minimal, this would be the principal reason for a 4 star review. We could see the heavy autumn rains have taken a toll in a decent amount of trail erosion, leaving mazes of roots spread across the paths. As the property borders a busy highway we never quite got to the peaceful sounds of the deep woods. I highly recommend you have a photo of the trail map with you as it's not hard to get turned around. Wear good sturdy shoes, and a walking stick is not a bad idea. We swill definitely be back.