I came here for a hike yesterday on the Yellow Trail and it was beautiful! This time of year…read moreeverything is green and the forest is full. The wildlife are out and about creating a great sound to complete the scene. The Yellow Trail is the longest in the park (about 7.5 out and back) and takes you through the woods and crosses the paved path a couple times. The trail has a few small hills in it that make the hike a little more interesting and fun. In some parts the trail is narrow and the trees are hanging over, but it is nothing unmanageable. The trails are marked throughout the park, but we did find that these markings could have been improved with more arrows when two trails intersected. The best method for making sure you stay on the right trail is to look at the color markings on the trees. However, the marked trees may be several yards down the path. Just keep walking until you see the marking and then turn around if you need to. I would definitely recommend checking out Ridley State Park for a hike, or even a picnic, as there were plenty of areas to do so. I would love to come back and see other areas of the park or even do the same hike again!

We have one of the Pennsylvania Parks Passports so we try to visit new parks to explore and also…read moreget passport stamps. Today was Ridley Creek. It's a nice park with lots of trails to explore and we did the 4-point-something mile white trail loop. We enjoyed it though the trails are busier than the ones we're used to. It's close to Philadelphia, which makes it attractive for hiking, but also more crowded. Is this park worth the two-plus hour drive for us? Well, yes, to get a passport stamp and explore someplace different. Would we come back? Probably not because we saw nothing remarkable and the trails were busy. But any state park with decent trails is worth four stars so four it is!

By now, I've been to a number of Natural Lands preserves, and while all of them are naturally…read morestunning in their own unique ways, Stroud is most easy on the eyes, as one helluva photogenic preserve! 571 acres of GORGEOUSNESS!!!!!!! Sunsets are beautiful here. Many visitors were there just to hike up the hill to see the sunset. Some were even there with professional photographers, for a couple's shot in the moment. I wasn't able to hike the grassy trail with a stroller, but I got some shots of it setting behind the trees, and it was still beautiful to watch from the lowlands. This preserve features a paved trail, mowed grass meadow trails, and dirt woods trails. The terrain varies as explained, so be aware that bikes and strollers, etc. will have limited access. That said, the paved trail was quite long, and we didn't have time to finish with fading twilight, hence there is plenty of exercise to be had on each type of trail. Obviously the meadow trails leave you open to sun exposure, so be prepared in summer months. I did not feel too many bugs along the paved trail, but I would worry more about them in the meadow or woods, so consider repellent if you plan to explore those areas. Also, while I hike my local park on a daily basis with no symptoms, my allergies went nuts with the variety of grasses and trees at this preserve. There is ample free parking in the gavel lot. The East Branch Brandywine creek is very close to the parking lot, so if you plan to kayak, canoe, etc., it is not far to carry anything to a slip. There is also a smaller Taylor Run stream on the property, but it's not big enough for watersports. The Natural Lands website says some of the acreage is working farmlands, and yes, there are rolling hills of hay crop all over the place. There are some old buildings on the preserve (homes, barns, spring houses, etc.), but any I encountered were prohibited areas, and are not approachable for the public. This was unusual for other Natural Lands properties I've visited. According to their website, one of the stone homes dates to 1740, and is on the National Register of Historic Places, however it is being lived in, thus the notices not to proceed beyond designated boundaries. Also unlike other Natural Lands preserves, there is a lot of scientific study/research going on at this preserve. There is evidence of data collection in various places, and their website explains ecological projects run by the Stroud Water Research Center. Stroud is the only preserve in PA to be part of the Environmental Protection Agency's National Monitoring Program, to evaluate how human inhabitancy affects water quality. Natural Lands hosts various events at Stroud (low-cost admission, and pre-registration required). For example, in August they are hosting a splash in the creek for kids, and in September they'll have an evening Harvest Moon Hike and S'mores!

This is a perfect place for a quick-ish and relaxing hike. There are several different options and…read moremost of them loop. I did the red trail loop which is a bit longer. It's through some grass and along some private properties. I went on a Friday afternoon and there were not many people there. There are great views and clearly marked trails. Parking can be difficult.

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

Many memories here. Gotta love this place. I've been coming here for 2 years now and it's great. I…read morewish 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.

We really enjoyed this trail today, first time there!…read more The trail is relatively flat and very well maintained. There is a big loop around the lake that my dogs and I took, which is nice because it's a good walk without being too long or too short and you don't need to turn around. Lots of winding path areas so you feel pretty secluded. If you have reactive dogs you can easily step aside in many areas to let others pass. I'm excited to bring my dogs back here.

A nice walk in the woods. I enjoyed an early spring walk there. Blue Jays and Robins were…read morenoticeable as were a group of turtles sunning themselves on a rock in the lake. Very glad I found this place

The walks were cool. The water was peaceful. It's beautiful. People and their dogs were so nice…read more The nature was cool. And the hike was so so so so cool. Written by my 7 year old.

Great hidden park! The turn in is tight and can be easily missed but the trails and creek access…read moreare great! Trails are at the beginner level, great for my 5 year old.

Came here on Sat 10/25 to hike with a couple gf's and brought my doggo, Linc, since it's a dog…read morefriendly trail. I work out but I wasn't ready for this trail as a first time hiker lol! I wore sneakers but would have greatly benefited from hiking boots for more ankle support after slipping and tripping my way along the dense leaf covered dirt trail that continued to get more rocky on the ascent. Also, you will need to climb some legit large rocks/boulders to reach the Pulpit Rock overlook but the challenge was well worth it for the views! My gf's & I chose the easy way down which was to take the gravel road alongside the observatory that eventually transitions to pavement. Even the decline of this road was steep in itself. No easy way up or down haha! I saw people of all ages and fitness levels along my hike and plenty of cute dogs! Bring snacks and water to re-energize during a rest break. My one friend packed some TP and I thought it was a great idea cuz you just never know when you might have to go! Parking lot is a joke with ~20-25 spots but many ppl, including us, parked along Reservoir Rd so make sure to get here early in the morning or expect to walk a couple extra miles just to reach the start of the trail.

Great spot for a day hike, with beautiful views at the two main lookouts - Pulpit Rock and the…read morePinnacle. The hardest part of the hike is getting to Pulpit Rock, as it starts with a fairly steep road to get to the trail, and then some more elevation climb as you get up to the lookout. From there, it's probably another 2.5 miles or so to get to the Pinnacle, but the elevation gain is minimal. Both of these stops provide great views, with lots of raptors flying around if you're lucky! Bring snacks and water, especially on a hot day, and cameras to take pictures!

My second trip there during trips to Philadelphia. A nice break from the city. The volunteers with…read moreFriends of Heinz NWR were great. They showed me a small black racer that had gotten stuck on a piece of duct tape. They were able to use--wait for it--mayonnaise to get it unstuck. Back outdoors it went and slithered happily away. Nice collection of swag at the Friends store

Good spot, easy to forget it's still in the city…read more I've been here a handful of times, usually after work or on weekends when I need to get outside for a bit. Once you're on the trails it gets surprisingly quiet. Like, noticeably quieter than you'd expect from somewhere still technically inside Philadelphia. The paths are mostly flat gravel so it's not a hard walk at all. I tend to stop on the boardwalks and just look out over the marsh for a few minutes. Last time there were a few turtles lined up on a log, and I'm pretty sure I spotted a couple of herons near the water too. You do hear planes since the airport's close by, but it doesn't really bother me. Kind of adds to the strangeness of the place in a way I actually like. One thing worth knowing: the mosquitoes are no joke. I skipped bug spray once and regretted it pretty quickly. If you're going in summer, just bring some, especially if you're planning to hang around near the water.

Beautiful and quiet place for a walking. People go for walks and bike rides but it's very quiet to…read morewalk around.

This is quite a find. I'm so glad I got to wander around this trail before I left our hotel…read more(Fairfield Inn). This walking trail is right in the rear of the hotel and is built on the former railroad trax. Besides finding out there are some cool birds nesting on the trees along the main walking trail I found out there's a side path, that strays off the main trail that most people don't wander off to and probably don't even know about. And so there's a really cool pond with an amazing fountain like water sprouting out as you can see in my photos. This is a must see!

We were scheduled to do a 1/2 day ice hike at Ricketts Glen. I had spoken to the owner Dave and…read morelet him know of my disabilities. He asked a few questions, then determined that it should be OK for me to go on the hike. Shortly before the hike we received an email from Dave saying that because of the warm weather the trip would not have as much ice as it normally does. He offered to reschedule or refund our money if we wanted, but also said we could go if we wanted. We wanted. When I got there Dave and the guides were fantastic. Very personable. They were helpful but without being intrusive. One of them carried one of my forearm canes in his backpack in case I needed it. (This was to have one hand free for the ice axe.) The hike was great. At the end of the hike I asked one of the guides if he thought I could do the repelling they offer... he conferred with the owner and the lead repeller guide, and they agreed that I would be allowed to do that in the Spring. I highly recommend Valley to Summit for a great time. I look forward to a full day ice hike in February.

Intro to Rock Climbing with Valley to Summit on September 18, 2022…read more This was my second trip to Chickies Rock with VTS and it was wonderful! There were only 5 of us, so plenty of time to climb. Our Guide, Bob, was so patient, engaged and informative. I learned a lot of great things that I had not known before about clothing, ropes and technique. Bob was so patient with me and was there with his " green pointer" to help me over the tough spots. You should know that I am 74 years old and tho I have climbed indoors for a few years, my stamina was not that of the youngsters who were there! Nonetheless, it was a great time! I highly recommend Valley to Summit, this being my 3 rd trip with them. They Rock!