Ridley Creek State Park

The Experience

Take a guided trail ride on horseback. Or go fly fishing in Ridley Creek, which is always well-stocked with trout. The wooded trails and rolling hills make biking and hiking popular. Meanwhile, cyclists and cross country skiers both like the paved, five-mile trail along Sycamore Mills and Forge roads.

Take your pick from hundreds of picnic tables in 14 different areas at Ridley Creek State Park. Located in Delaware County Park, it’s just 16 miles from Center City Philadelphia. And sightseers and history buffs won’t want to miss the restored colonial plantation, an architectural landmark located right in the park.

Bicycle or hike along the 12 miles of trails that wander through the park’s 2,600 acres of woodlands and meadows. Dip a fishing line in trout-stocked Ridley Creek or ride horseback on the 4.7-mile equestrian path. When it snows, try cross-country skiing or tobogganing.

The park is open for archery deer hunting during the appropriate season. In the interest of raising awareness, appreciation and knowledge about natural resources, the park offers hands-on environmental education and interpretive programming.

In season, visit the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation, a 300-year-old farming mainstay; it was restored using nothing but 18th-century tools. Interpreters in period clothes bake bread, mend fences and card wool to recreate the lives of the Pratt family, three generations of whom lived on this 1710 Quaker plantation.

History

The former Jefford estate, with additional parcels of wooded and meadow farmland, was purchased by the state in the 1960s. Ridley Creek Park was dedicated to public use in August 1972, and the park offices now occupy the family’s 1914 Hunting Hill Mansion. The park, including a small 18th-century village, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark.

Come Prepared

The park closes at sunset, alcoholic beverages are prohibited and pets must be leashed.

Outsider’s Tip

Take time to investigate the cluster of historic buildings at the small 18th-century mill village known as Sycamore Mills.

Support the Friends of Ridley Creek State Park

The Friends of Ridley Creek State Park, a nonprofit organization dedictated to preserving, protecting and enhancing Ridley Creek State Park, are always seeking new volunteers and members!

Kids’ Stuff

Children will find fun at every turn: playgrounds and athletic fields, rocks to climb and wildlife to identify.