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

Crum woods is a lovely area to take a stroll; walk or hike through! I saw bicyclists; families…read morewalking their dogs and swimmers in the creek! Crum Woods has something for everyone! I enjoyed coming upon the outdoor amphitheater during my exploration..but I will see this be prepared for the different elevations on your walk! Be prepared and be agile! Overall, it is a great area to enjoy nature!

This probably belongs in "hiking" and "parks" and "pets" if there is such thing…read more.. We were looking for good places to take the dog where she could run around (preferably off leash) in grass or leaves or something. There's a website, believe it or not, for hiking with your dog, and this spot was in the top ten. I was semi-familiar with Swarthmore as a college, but had no idea they had all of this random land quasi-on-campus that was available for public use. Bonus: apparently it's Swarthmore spring break. Empty campus + lots of available visitor parking + relatively empty woods = dog in overjoyed exhaustion. There seem to be plenty of visitor-access parking lots around, we basically found the first one on campus and wandered over to the Scott Amphitheater. Our limited information indicated that there would be some kind of network of trails in that general region and that once we hit said trails it was kosher to let the dog off leash as long as she was under "voice control." As we made our way toward what looked like the beginning of a trail, we met a very nice woman and her very nice collie. The collie was on leash, but had clearly just enjoyed a nice dog-exhausting walk. We wandered a few yards down the trail and let her loose: bliss. There isn't really a single trail to a destination or a loop or anything like that. We took several forks, backtracked, wandered down what might have been a trail or might have been just random leaves having fallen in a semi-path, etc. There's plenty of space to explore and the trails range from 100% level and easy going to a bit more rocky and climby oriented. I didn't see any maps or other signs of civilization/development, but we followed various trails to what I think might have been the edge of Scott Arboretum. (Five different specimens of twelve different kinds of holly -- all labeled -- tipped us off.) Near that area is a pretty big meadow/clearing with some random stone-henge-looking arrangements that made a good place to stop and play fetch for a bit. The review we read on the dog hiking site seemed to indicate drinking fountains and dog bowls, but I didn't see anything like that, so if it's hot and/or you plan to be out for a while, bring water (your dog will be fine though, as there's a fairly clean looking stream/creek right alongside many of the paths). We ran into five or six other dogs -- all off leash -- during the approx. three hours we wandered around. Everyone was super-friendly and their dogs were excited to enjoy some random play as well. It's a bit of a hike from Philly (too bad Septa won't allow dogs), but worth it for some non-dog-park variety, I think.

The Willisbrook Preserve is a large serpentine barren in the middle of Malvern housing…read moredevelopments. From what I've read about serpentine barrens, there is bedrock close to the ground's surface, with only a shallow layer of soil on top. This prevents growth of deep rooted vegetation, and typically causes some desert-like conditions. There was also information about Native Americans setting controlled burns of expanses of land in the Mid-Atlantic region, to create hunting grounds, and this too, helped caused the desert-like serpentine barren conditions. I am not an expert, so that's my summary from my tired mom brain, of what I read a couple years ago. But the gist was interesting to me, and I made a trip down to some serpentine barrens in the very south portion of PA to see them. It wasn't what I expected, and little did I know that this barren was minutes from my home! I was able to identify the geology and vegetation described in my research a lot better at Willisbrook, than I could at the other preserve. While not all of this preserve is representative of "PA desert," it was really neat to find the parts that are. I have one photo that gives a close up of the ground, where you can hopefully see what I mean. Ironically, much of the terrain held standing water (opposite of desert), and there was a significant amount of mud on the trails. It was miserable trying to walk it with a small child, and for those who don't want muddy dogs in their car, either don't bring them, or bring towels! All in all, this is a really neat place, but not fun if it's recently rained. Also, there were dogs off leash, which was super annoying, and their families were less than accountable for breaking Natural Lands rules. As I've mentioned in other NL reviews, I know this is a concern they are addressing, and it's not NL's fault. But it's annoying to those of us who love visiting, and DO follow rules. As with all NL preserves, this place is pristine clean, no litter anywhere, and free!

Beautiful location for a hike and all of the preserves in the area are absolutely gorgeous but I…read morereally like this one because the paths are always pretty clear.

It was a chilly fall morning to take a hike around Taylor Arboretum! This was a perfect COVID…read moreactivity..very few people out and enough room to social distance from others! We took the walk along the creek and stopped along the way to observe all the different types of trees--it was nice to see the holly trees still had berries that the deer didn't eat up! I like this area because it seems that it is a quiet place to enjoy in all seasons!

Taylor Arboretum is a hidden gem that isn't very busy. You can walk around the woods, along the…read morewater, or in open grassy areas. There are many birds to be seen, especially along the water, and it's just a very relaxing place to take a hike or a walk. Or have a picnic! Parking is ample. I do not believe they have restrooms, and if they do then they are easy to overlook. I will definitely be integrating this location into my birding rotation. It's definitely an overlooked spot.

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!

Beautiful landscape horrible place to run. Should be called Rocky Trip Trail. Maybe it's because…read moreI'm a beginning runner but no way.

The lower part of this trail is fabulous. It is full of amazing hidden beauty…read more The northern section was more solitary while I was there. It takes you to Fair Acres and beyond. Parking is extremely limited at the Valley Road parking lot. One solution to not having a parking option there is to park at the YMCA. They have a long trail that leads from their property on to the Rocky Run Trail. But they don't advertise this. There is no signage. It's up to you to find the entry trail into the forest. How to do this: Simplest way is to park in the rear lot. Find the retaining wall. The entrance to the forest is there. Take the first trail to your left. Go beyond the picnic table area and bear left. Follow the trail until it intersects with the Rocky Run Trail. I recommend going leftwards. This will eventually take you past a small sewage treatment plant. Cross Valley Road and pick up the trail again. And this is where it gets really interesting.

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.

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

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.