Hike Through Chester and Delaware Counties

Our region ranks high for is its natural beauty, and there’s no shortage of fresh air and open space in Chester and Delaware Counties! A perfect way to enjoy nature is to be out in it — engaging in forest bathing or a more Western variation, perhaps while getting in your steps.

So here are a few of our favorite spots to take a scenic hike — or bike or horseback ride — this summer. All are free, and all welcome friendly, leashed dogs. Just be sure to pick up after them!

For more great places to walk your pup, check out the Delco Trails & Tails pass. Sign up online, check in on your phone at dog-friendly trails, and earn points toward free swag — stickers, bandanas for dogs and “wooder” bottles. Learn more at VisitDelcoPA.org/Trails-And-Tails.

ChesLen Preserve

Natural Lands has 20 nature preserves, wildlife refuges and public gardens in our region. All are worth a visit, especially ChesLen Preserve. At 1,282 acres, ChesLen is the largest privately owned nature preserve in Chester County. There you can explore over nine miles of hiking trails, traversing shady woodlands, flower-filled meadows, farm fields and stream valleys. Leashed dogs are welcome, and many trails are open to horseback riding.

The 2.8-mile Peter O. Hausmann Trail starts by the south parking lot and passes through open space, row crops, woodlands and wetlands, with several scenic overlooks. Kiddos will love Ollie Owl’s NaturePlayGround near the Lenfest Center pavilion. Here youngsters can climb logs, build stick teepees, hunt for bugs and explore small streams.

ChesLen Preserve also hosts special events throughout the year, including the Friday Night Lights outdoor concert, July 12, and Pints on the Preserve, July 20. Open Fri. to Wed., dawn to dusk. 1199 Cannery Rd., Coatesville. NatLands.org/ChesLen-Preserve

Chester Valley Trail

For running, jogging, dog-walking, biking, inline skating and, weather permitting, cross-country skiing, check out the Chester Valley Trail. This paved, ADA-accessible trail is currently 18.6 miles long, with 13.5 miles in Chester County, from Exton to Tredyffrin Township. In Montgomery County, a 3.8- mile extension opened last year that connects to the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown. Another planned extension will add five miles west to Downingtown.

The trail generally follows the Chester Valley Railroad, a 19th-century rail corridor that once stretched 22 miles from Downingtown to Bridgeport. History buffs may know that parts of the trail coincide with movements by Washington’s Continental Army and General Cornwallis’s British troops following the Battle of Brandywine. This includes an area called “Battle of the Clouds,” where an impending battle was canceled for torrential rain, near Phoenixville Pike and Swedesford Road.

Open daily, half-hour before sunrise to halfhour after sunset. Trailheads and parking at 101 E. Commerce Dr., Exton; 132 Church Farm Ln., Exton; 125 N. Phoenixville Pk., Malvern; 209 Conestoga Rd., Malvern; 1055 Westlakes Dr., Berwyn. Chesco.org/4643/Chester-Valley-Trail

Okehocking Preserve

Willistown Township is home to several great hiking locations — including Willistown Conservation Trust’s four nature preserves (see our May issue for details). Okehocking Preserve, owned and operated by Willistown Township, is no exception.

At this 180-acre preserve, you’ll find diverse habitats, including meadows, uplands, Ridley Creek riparian areas and mature woods. There are over seven miles of mowed and wooded natural surface trails, much of which are open to leashed dogs as well as horseback riding. Hike to an 18th-century stone bank barn, find 140 bird species in the meadows surrounding Delchester Run, and find stunning views of the preserve from a lookout platform atop rolling hills. Plus, your pup can run wild in the leash-free field.

Wondering about the name? The preserve is part of a 500-acre land grant from William Penn to the Okehocking band of the Lenni Lenape tribe, the first Native American land grant in the colonies. Open daily, dawn to dusk. 5316 West Chester Pk., Newtown Square. Willistown.PA.us

Ridley Creek State Park

Delco’s only state park is a perfect place to take in the best nature has to offer. Encompassing over 2,600 acres of woodlands and meadows bisected by Ridley Creek, the park is home to many large, old-growth trees, some dating back to colonial times, and plenty of wildlife.

Hike over 17 miles of trails, with varying scenery and difficulty. Loop around the historic gardens and mansion on the mile-long, beginner-friendly Mansion Gardens Trail. Take in woodland views on the more challenging Blue Trail (2.3 miles), which loops around one of the park’s 12 picnic areas. Or try to spot a great blue heron along the creek on the 1.7- mile Orange Trail.

The park also has a paved, 4.2-mile Multi- Use Trail for hiking, biking and horseback riding, which travels through the woods, by agricultural fields and next to the creek, offering great views and fishing opportunities. Open daily, sunrise to sunset. 1023 Sycamore Mills Rd., Media. DNCR.PA.gov/StateParks/Find-A-Park/RidleyCreekStatePark

Newlin Grist Mill

History buffs may come for the three-century- old working mill, but the outdoorsy among us know Newlin Grist Mill for its 160- acre park. Its 8.5 miles of trails offer a unique blend of natural beauty, environmental diversity and cultural history.

Trails pass through diverse habitats, from upland grasslands to river-bottom wetlands. You’ll find both native species and specimen trees, as well as a wide range of wildlife, including resident and migratory birds. Seasoned and beginner ornithologists alike enjoy free monthly Bird Walks led by naturalists from Wild Birds Unlimited — next one on July 27 at 8 a.m. Remember to bring your binoculars!

You’ll also discover evidence of past industry, agriculture and transportation along the trails. The 1.6-mile Industrial Trail follows the Octorara Railroad, passing the Markham Station Visitors Center, railroad bridges and the site of a cannery and creamery. On the 0.9-mile Mill Race Trail, explore the dams, gates and races (canals) that deliver water to the mill’s water wheel. Grounds open daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 219 S. Cheyney Rd., Glen Mills. NewlinGristMill.org

The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College’s idyllic campus is more than just 19th-century stone buildings. It’s also a 350-acre arboretum. A self-described “garden of ideas,” Scott Arboretum displays over 4,000 of some of the best ornamental plants for Delaware Valley gardeners.

While you can spend hours strolling through the arboretum’s gorgeous gardens and plant collections — the Hydrangea Collection is in bloom in summer — hikers will enjoy the trails of Crum Woods. Encompassing 220 acres of mostly forested land, the woods contain 3.5 miles of trails. Hike alongside the Crum Creek on the 1.7-mile Valley Walk and take a detour on Wister’s Garden Walk. In springtime, take the Bartram Path past the outdoor amphitheater to the Rhododendron Collection.

For a longer hike, take the 2.2-mile Leiper-Smedley Trail, which connects the historic Leiper House & Park in Wallingford to Springfield’s Smedley Park and passes through Crum Woods. Open daily, dawn to dusk. 500 College Ave., Swarthmore. ScottArboretum.org, Swarthmore.edu/CrumWoods