Large lake and great for kayaking! Clean restrooms and plenty of parking. Boat launch area is great! read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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Many memories here. Gotta love this place. I've been coming here for 2 years now and it's great. I wish you were allowed to swim in the water though. They should start checking the bacteria levels. Also the boats are really expensive. Those are just minor changes. Overall 4/5 stars. Well done Marsh Creek. read more

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Sweet place to lay out and lots of opportunities to get on the water and explore the surrounding lands. Very kid and family friendly. read more

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Parking: free, multiple lots and parking wasn't an issue for us. There were also people constantly coming and going for turnover. Admission: free! no entrance fee to the park Rentals of paddle boards and kayaks: These have various costs depending on how long you want to rent. I chose 4 hours for $80 paddle board. I was able to pay with a credit card and there was no add'l fee (i.e. no transaction fee). They also held my driver's license to ensure I'd bring the board back. The guy who gave me the board was super nice and explained everything very well. He was much appreciated! My friend and I spent the afternoon at Marsh Creek state park. She brought her own board and I rented. We each had water proof bags and took our lunch way out on the lake and ate on our boards out in the middle of the water. There were places to stop on the edge of the water but we chose to eat on our boards. We had a lovely time enjoying the scenery and chatting with eat other. When I got hot, i took a quick dip in the water to cool down. We had no issues with 'the authorities' as many other people mentioned but my friend (who has been to this park many times) did mention they are strict about parking and following the rules. I would definitely recommend! read more

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Kendall and the other evening staff were fantastic during our moonlight kayak tour last night. The event was well organized and we enjoyed following along. Kendall did a great job ensuring that all in our group had a wonderful time. I highly recommend. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Moonlight Kayaking at Marsh Creek Lake - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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Beautiful place to relax, enjoy with family. Wherever you decide to sit, there's a nice view in front of your eyes. People are kind too, they usually say hello to you and you feel so welcome. read more

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Small lake. Good for fishing, teaching sailing to young people, hiking around the five mile trail along the shore. It is picturesque. There is a snack-bar with scooped ice cream, burgers, dogs, fries, and a boat rental operation called Marsh Creeek Water Sports w kayaks, small sailboats, electric motor boats a pontoon boat. On the west side of the lake is a boat launch area w parking for cars w boat trailers. read more

Love this place, with that said Sad that boat rentals are so expense! Most sit on the side! Terrible u can't swim and who knows if it is safe after the oil spill a few years ago read more

Tried to come for 4th of July- fairly early as it was understandably busy, but ended up getting yelled at by park rangers. Absolutely unnecessary as people travel to the lake to have a good day. No signage anywhere saying what was going on, whether the lake and pool were closed. Everyone who stopped to ask the park ranger just gets yelled at. Followed the road to where we thought would be more parking (turns out it's a mile away) to stop and ask police officers if this was more parking, to get yelled at again to wait... as we're impeding traffic, like its so hard to quickly say "March creek is closed". Just super unprofessional and upsetting since we've wasted part the morning driving there. read more

Great park. It is a lot larger than it looks and there are so many things to do here. I know it is called a creek, but the creek empties into a large lake. They have canoe, kayaking and boat rentals. Or you can bring your own. I think it cannot have a motor, but I would double check before you get there. If you have a Pennsylvania license you can fish, but it has to be in certain areas, which they have well marked by signs. The back part of the park has a paid swimming pool. There is also a camp ground that is available for picnics and grilling. For the most part Marsh Creek State Park is a great place to get away and get some peace and quiet. The only problem is that this is the place I go to get away from noise and some people that come are so obnoxiously loud. This has been a more recent thing, but it can be really annoying. Sometimes when I fish, I think they scare the fish away. If I go during the colder days, it is usually more quiet. read more

Beautiful place to spend an afternoon kayaking, relaxing, paddle boarding or swimming with the kids. A gorgeous lake flanked by forest that includes some hiking trails. Includes picnic spots, a concenssion stand. Has rentals for paddle boating and kayaking as well. The only downside is that it can get crowded on the weekends, so come prepared for the crowds on days with nice weather read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Birds sitting peacefully on the lake - there's plenty of birds, turtles, and fish - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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There was a time when this was an awesome place to go, but now it is way too overcrowded and dirty. On a weekend, if you're not there by noon, you're not getting in. On top of that, the park rangers ticket for EVERYTHING. No warnings, just tickets. AND they try to hit you with the biggest infractions they can. They will park their truck in front of the "No Swimming Sign" and then ticket people who come up afterwards while the sign is hidden. There are fines for parking in places not marked as "no parking"! No whistle on your kayak...have a fine! Unload you boat somewhere they don't like (not marked of course)...and you get a fine too! There's better places to go for sure!! read more

Awesome park to relaxing with the family. Only suggestion I have is to update the picnic tables a lot of them are old and moldy. Recommend bringing table clothes but overall awesome place I love the pool and splash area read more

Beautiful state park. We love to go kayaking there. The is only one complaint. The restroom at the boat and kayak launch has been closed for several years. The do proved port-a-potty's but we have been there several time and they are full and disgusting. Everyone was well past being cleaned. There were only four but years before there were like 7. My wife refuses to use them. Not sure why the restroom has been closed for so long. read more

Beautiful creek with many activities and great staff. Lots of parking too. Very family friendly and they we even have lockers for your belongings. Definitely can't wait to go back. My whole family loved it here. read more

Drilling is stopped after leaks develop along Mariner East pipeline. One is affecting Chester's Marsh Creek Lake. Drilling fluid used in Sunoco Pipeline LP's Mariner East project in Chester County leaked into Marsh Creek Lake in a state park of the same name on Monday -- one of three incidents in recent days along the pipeline construction project route. Virginia Cain, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency is investigating the three incidents, which occurred at two project sites, in West Whiteland and Upper Uwchlan Townships. The DEP said the first leak occurred on the 100 block of Shoen Road in West Whiteland on Saturday. Both the DEP and the Fish and Boat Commission responded and tested water to see if it contained drilling fluids. Drilling was stopped to await an analysis of the liquid. read more

Ok I'm a bit peeved that Jim H. reviewed this first, as we've been going here for years! But as his review is dated a year ago, I'll forgive him, just this one time. Marsh Creek State Park is a great place. A lake, pool, nice place to picnic, etc. We go primarily to rent sailboats. I love to go on a sunny, windy day, rent a 3-4 person sailboat, about $35 hr or $95 for 4 hrs, and let the world melt away. The lake is just big enough to make it a nice place to sail, but not so big you would have any concerns about being capsized by an errant wave. You can also rent kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, so "whatever" boat that " floats your boat"-so to say. I have to admit that I stay far away from the pool. A little too one-on-one with the masses for me. Hey it's MY psychological hang-up. It shouldn't stop you from enjoying it. Close, convenient-although parking on a busy weekend afternoon can be challenging-Marsh Creek Park offers most of what you'd be looking for in a summertime outdoor experience. read more

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We have been to Marsh Creek State Park many times. There is a nice smaller size sand beach, Swimming and a food pavilion. The beach at the lake has grass and picnic tables. You can bring a cooler. We have always gone during the week when it's not as crowded. Saturday's are crazy crowded during Summer months. They have a canoe rental nearby. Kids will enjoy it. Marsh Creek doesn't have a Long Beach with lots of hot sand. There are some trees for shade. If you have kids or teens it is a nice day trip! read more

I so want to like this place because it's local and in nature, however it's crowded, dirty, and loud. A bunch of parties in the parking lot (oh wait, I guess there are tables there) and the weird grass/sand beech is crowded and you can't swim. Trails are nice, boating is nice. read more

Okay so a few things that I didn't mention in the first review I wrote.. The other side of the creek across from the park road entrance (in your google maps you'll see it as marsh creek boat launch near creek road) there are really great trails for bikers and runners. There are quite a few entrances to the trails in this park, I use the park road one for kayaking but never for running or biking. As I said before, the dorlan mills road entrance to trails is good too and I did pass a place to park and go on handicap friendly trails on dowlin forge road (dowlin forge park). read more

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We are fortunate to live so close to this park. For the past 13 years we hike here with our dogs. We enjoy biking on the trail too!

Great for water-sports, close to home. Marsh Creek Water Sports makes it so easy to rent, and very helpful with instructions for first timers. Get there early on the weekends though, parking can be difficult it gets crowded. Great place to go to have fun and enjoy the water. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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Very nice place to visit reasonably priced food for the kids boat rides which we have not taken advantage of yet pretty decent hiking trails clean truly a place to relax and enjoy the scenery and put the week behind you would recommend read more

Best hidden gem in Chester County. Although more and more meeting folks from out of the area! Love the water sports for the kids!

Please please put soap in the containers in the bathroom it's COVID-19 people other than that I absolutely love the place

I took my family here yesterday because I had a Groupon for 2 hours of kayaking. This was everyone's first time kayaking and we learned quickly, and we all had a blast! The lake is beautiful and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. The best part is that the park is dog friendly so I got to bring my little pal with for the fun. Everyone had a great time, and I'm sure we will all be back at some point this summer to try something new because there is way more to do than just kayaking. read more

Great place to sit, chat, and relax. Looking forward to going back for more activities. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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It's always pleasant to goto a park with open body of water. Parking can be a bit of a hassle on weekends. But if you get here early it's not a problem. I do have two complaints. 1. Not too many official shades picnic areas by the water so you'd have to bring your own seating and grill. 2. Lots of goose crap near the waters edge:). Other than that the park is very peaceful. There's a concession area and boat, kayak, paddle board rental which are nice additions. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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I'm a birdwatcher so I'm reviewing this for its birdwatching potential. This park is listed as an eBird hotspot and as of writing this review, a whopping 161 species have been reported here: http://ebird.org/ebird/GuideMe?step=saveChoices&getLocations=hotspots&parentState=US-PA&bMonth=01&bYear=1900&eMonth=12&eYear=2010&reportType=location&hotspots=L272015&continue.x=56&continue.y=4&continue=Continue Pretty impressive! This park can get very crowded during the warm months, but in the winter, it's almost empty. This is an artificial lake, created by damming, and appropriately, most of the shoreline is devoid of wetlands. However, there are a couple places, the most accessible of which is along the main road, which have shallower, marshy areas that attract waterfowl. Park in the lot and walk back along the main road to easily view this area. The other similar area, south of the main landmass, is much less easily accessible. Most of what you see here is canada geese, Ring-billed gulls, and Ruddy duck, but according to eBird, you can find some good ducks here. I also saw quite a few kingfishers; interesting to see so many of these birds. There are lots of woods to see forest birds as well. All-in-all, this is an excellent and easily accessible birdwatching spot. read more

I just discovered this awesome state park an hour away from Philly and spent the day there last weekend. We had such a fun day and I can't wait to go back. The park is pretty large and encompasses many hiking trails, which we did not take advantage of since the day was extremely hot! There's plenty of parking and it's free which is a plus. There's an area with picnic benches that you can rent out for a party and there's a large pool with a water playground that looked like a blast for kids. The pool was pretty crowded and we opted to not use it. The lake is huge and gorgeous and we settled down on a grassy area right near the water. Bring a picnic blanket and a cooler and you'll be set. There's also a snack bar right at the lake with cheap food. The lake itself is not for swimming. There's a very small area where kids were playing in the water, but beyond that, no swimming! It would have been a little nice if there had been a larger area designated for swimming but oh well. The boating options really make the trip to Marsh Creek worth it. They have anything you could want for water activities: sailboats, canoes, single and double kayaks, paddle boards, fishing, etc. We rented a double kayak for an hour ($30) and 2 stand up paddle boards for 30 min each ($20 each). Paddle boarding was something I've been wanting to try for a while now and it was so fun! Balancing is a little challenging but I managed to not fall in. For an entire day of fun, I thought the pricing was totally reasonable. I plan to go back soon and bring a group of friends! read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Marsh creek - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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Great park and huge lake for all sorts of popular activities - BBQing, swimming in the pool, hiking, fishing, and boating (non powered only). There's plenty of parking but I would go before noon, because the park is very busy after lunch time. Fishing from the shore is possible, but we've only caught your typical crappies. I think the lake is stocked with bass, murkiest, and catfish too. On our last trip we brought a groupon for a 2 hour 2-person kayak rental. (They have a lot of rental options available!) Staff is friendly and nice. We went around most of the lake in 2 hours, stopping by shaded tree areas to take a break from the sun. You can see a handful of wildlife if you look carefully enough - turtles and all sorts of birds. (Would love it if anyone can identify the bird in my picture below. They swim with their bodies in the water but head above the water.) read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Don't know what type of bird this is, but it's cool! - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Marsh Creek State Park includes the man-made 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake, built some 40 years ago to handle water issues in Chester County as well as provide a recreational area for residents and visitors. It is out of the way, so must be planned for in terms of visiting. The activities offered include: fishing, boating, hunting, swimming and trails. It is a majestically beautiful area, a place to go and be alone or be with family and friends. Either way you will enjoy being with nature. For the best nature has to offer, I suggest Fall when leaves turn colors. It doesn't get much better than this. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Beauty of Nature @ Marsh Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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Probably the most memorable experience of my life. First time kayaking, all the staff was incredibly nice! My friend and I took a two person kayak around the lake, which was larger than we expected and absolutely beautiful. So as soon as we stopped at a little island we heard thunder and saw a storm heading our way. Before we knew it, we had a lovey gentleman (Robbie was his name I think) rescue us from the storm and ride back on the boat. Hands down the best experience and rescue squad! Thanks for everything and making us feel safe! We will be back often! read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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I love Marsh Creek State Park!!! So much to do! Hiking, kayaking n boating! I have hiked the trails! Kayaked in the pouring rain n walked on the lake when it was iced over! It's an awesome place to go for a day. The people are so nice that work in the rental place. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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Marsh Creek State Park is in the rolling hills of northcentral Chester County. The 1,727-acre park contains the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake, which is great for fishing, sailing and is a reststop for migrating waterfowl. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/marshcreek/ http://www.marshcreeklake.com/ read more

The Good: A beautiful lake to view and to take a boat out on. You can bring your own small boat (kayaks, canoes, etc.) or rent one down by the lake. There is a fair amount of space for picnics or just sitting out in folding chairs. There are also a few picnic tables and benches, but not many. If you don't want to bring your own food there is a small place located by boat rental to buy nuggets, hot dogs, fries, ice cream, etc. The Bad: Parking can be challenging if you don't get there early on weekends. Also, the men's restroom was a bit below average, even for a state park. Overall, between the lake and walking path this is a great place to relax or hang out with your family. I give this park between 4 and 5 stars. Enjoy! read more

There are some very fun mountain biking trails in this park. While some of it gets very muddy during the rainy seasons, it's a blast the rest of the year. The are good bike shops nearby and it's just a few miles of rt. 76. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - Just to the east of the dam. - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

What a gem in our state park system. There is something for everyone- picnicking, water sports, fishing, walking trails, public pool, snack bar. The place was packed with happy families taking in all that this place has to offer. If I lived closer, I'd be there frequently. read more

It's packed during the summer and great times when I went. You could rent boats out for 5 people or less and they have single and doubles for kayaking. Super fun and great rates, the park is well maintained and they have a water park for the kids. Lake is big and tons of travel for you to go out, plenty of fun and recommend. read more

Love this place it is so nice boat rentals are a little expensive but the area I very pretty. The pool is nice also it's the first salt water pool I've ever been too. It was very clean for as many people that were there. read more

Marsh Creek State Park - 5:00pm on Marsh Creek Lake - Parks Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania