The Chester Valley Trail is 18.6 miles long in total. Of that, 13.5 miles in Chester County are open for use, as are another 5.1 miles farther east in Montgomery County. The paved trail is fully ADA-accessible and is used by pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, and inline skaters.
Trails, Water, and Varied Landscapes
The Struble Trail offers a different experience, with 2.6 miles open. The trail follows the eastern headwaters of Brandywine Creek and runs mostly flat along the former railroad bed of the Waynesburg Rail Line. Along the trail, Dowlin Forge—a preserved ruin of a 19th-century ironworks—recalls the area’s industrial history.
Along Brandywine Creek, between the bridges on Dorlan Mill Road and Dowlin Forge Road, is a 0.9-mile Delayed-Harvest fishing area managed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. At Chambers Lake, boating, kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding are possible using human-powered or electric-powered watercraft. Check the current registration information in advance.
The county park system encompasses more than 4,400 acres and over 35 miles of trails. Chester County’s Parks and Trails Department manages seven regional county parks. Their landscapes vary considerably: the 119-acre Black Rock Sanctuary includes wetlands, woodlands, and meadows, and serves to protect wildlife habitats as well as provide public access.
The approximately 701-acre Exton County Park features a mix of open fields, forests, stream corridors, steep slopes, ridges, wetlands, and agricultural land. The park also has the only Chester County-operated trailhead for the Chester Valley Trail. By contrast, the terrain of Nottingham County Park is shaped by a serpentine area of more than one square mile, one of the largest serpentine barrens on the East Coast. The National Park Service recognized the park as a National Natural Landmark in 2008.
Visitors to Wolf's Hollow County Park will find nearly ten miles of hiking trails through varied terrain, with overlooks above the creek and thickets of mountain laurel. The habitat of old-growth forests attracts, among others, Brown Thrashers, Scarlet Tanagers, and Baltimore Orioles. French Creek flows through Warwick County Park’s 535 acres of hardwood forests, meadows, and wetlands. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has designated the waterway as a water of exceptional value; the restored Fink Truss serves as an overlook above the French Creek Valley.
Discover Gardens and History
Longwood Gardens offers a different focus from the county parks: its 1,100 acres include gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, a large conservatory, and an Aeolian organ with 10,010 pipes. The District Main Fountain Garden includes European-inspired architecture, fountain displays, the Rose Garden, and the Topiary Garden. In Chester, designed garden spaces and expansive landscapes and natural areas offer different sides of a visit.
Springton Manor Farm offers a look at agriculture across different eras. The historic landscape includes a colonial-era plantation, a scientific farm from the Industrial Revolution, a Victorian tenant farm, and the country estate of a wealthy landowner. Visitors can meet the farm animals and learn more about Chester County’s agricultural history. The Family Farm Museum contains tools and equipment used seasonally on Chester County farms from the 18th through the 20th century.
Other historic sites also offer different perspectives on regional history. The museum collection at the Chester County History Center includes more than 70,000 objects and documents over 300 years of Chester County history. The 848-acre Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site and its historic buildings illustrate the economy, technology, and way of life of the growing nation.
Admission to Brandywine Battlefield Park currently includes an 18-minute orientation film, a museum visit, and a guided tour of Washington’s Headquarters and the Gideon Gilpin House. Check the current details about what is offered before your visit. Farms and farmers’ markets in Chester County’s Brandywine Valley offer another connection to everyday life in the region, with fresh produce and handcrafted goods.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: West Chester, Kennett Square, Malvern, Phoenixville, Exton, Coatesville, Paoli, Elverson, Honey Brook, Downingtown.
Go to the main travel overview: Pennsylvania.
