The Greatest Day Journeys from Philadelphia for Nature Lovers

Philadelphia is a vibrant metropolis with loads of tradition, historical past, and leisure. However typically, you may wish to escape the city hustle and bustle and revel in some contemporary air and pure magnificence. Fortunately, there are various wonderful locations inside a brief drive from Philly that provide simply that. Whether or not you’re searching for mountaineering, biking, kayaking, wildlife watching, or just stress-free in a scenic setting, you can see one thing to fit your style.

Listed here are a number of the finest day journeys from Philly for nature lovers, together with what makes them nice and what you possibly can anticipate to see and do there.

Ringing Rocks Park – Bucks County, PA

Distance from Philly: 60 miles, 1 hour and quarter-hour

Ringing Rocks Park is a singular geological surprise that can delight nature lovers of all ages. The park options a big area of boulders that produce a metallic sound when struck with a hammer or one other rock. The rationale for this phenomenon continues to be a thriller, however it’s enjoyable to experiment with completely different rocks and listen to the completely different tones they make. The park additionally has a lovely waterfall, a mountaineering path, and a picnic space. You’ll be able to deliver your personal hammer or borrow one from the park workplace. Simply watch out to not injury the rocks or your self whereas exploring this fascinating place.

Marsh Creek State Park – Downingtown, PA

Distance from Philly: 35 miles, 45 minutes

Marsh Creek State Park is a superb vacation spot for water lovers, because it contains a 535-acre lake that gives boating, fishing, swimming, and windsurfing. You’ll be able to hire a kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or sailboat from the park’s concession stand, or deliver your personal. The lake can be dwelling to quite a lot of fish, equivalent to bass, walleye, catfish, and trout. In the event you desire to remain on land, you possibly can benefit from the park’s 18 miles of trails that wind via forests, fields, and wetlands. You may as well spot wildlife equivalent to deer, foxes, birds, and turtles. The park has a seashore, a playground, and a picnic space to your comfort.

Longwood Gardens – Kennett Sq., PA

Distance from Philly: 30 miles, 45 minutes

Longwood Gardens is a botanical paradise that showcases the wonder and variety of crops from world wide. The gardens span over 1,000 acres and have greater than 11,000 varieties of crops, flowers, and bushes. You’ll be able to admire the beautiful shows of shade, perfume, and texture within the out of doors gardens, the historic conservatory, the meadow backyard, and the water backyard. You may as well benefit from the musical fountains, the kids’s backyard, the bonsai assortment, and the seasonal displays. The gardens additionally host occasions, courses, and performances all year long. Longwood Gardens is a must-see for anybody who appreciates nature and artwork.

John Heinz Nationwide Wildlife Refuge

Distance from Philly: 10 miles, 20 minutes

John Heinz Nationwide Wildlife Refuge is the proper place to take pleasure in nature with out leaving town. The refuge is positioned close to the Philadelphia Worldwide Airport and protects the most important freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. You’ll be able to discover the refuge’s 10 miles of trails that provide views of the marsh, the Darby Creek, and the wildlife that inhabits them. You may as well go fishing, boating, or birdwatching on the refuge. The refuge is dwelling to over 300 species of birds, in addition to mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. You’ll be able to go to the customer middle to study extra concerning the refuge’s historical past, ecology, and conservation efforts.

Delaware Water Hole Nationwide Recreation Space

Distance from Philly: 80 miles, 1 hour and half-hour

Delaware Water Hole Nationwide Recreation Space is a shocking pure space that spans the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The recreation space encompasses 70,000 acres of forests, mountains, rivers, and waterfalls alongside the Delaware River. You’ll be able to take pleasure in quite a lot of out of doors actions on the recreation space, equivalent to mountaineering, biking, tenting, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, swimming, fishing, and looking. You may as well go to historic websites, equivalent to outdated villages, farms, mills, and bridges. A number of the highlights of the recreation space embody the 40-mile Delaware Water Hole, the 100-foot Raymondskill Falls, and the 28-mile McDade Leisure Path.

Wissahickon Valley Park

Distance from Philly: 10 miles, 20 minutes

Wissahickon Valley Park is a hidden gem in Philadelphia that gives a peaceable escape from town noise. The park covers 1,800 acres of woodlands, meadows, and streams alongside the Wissahickon Creek. You’ll be able to hike, bike, or horseback trip on the park’s 50 miles of trails that vary from simple to difficult. You may as well benefit from the scenic views of the creek, the cliffs, and the historic constructions, such because the coated bridge, the mill, and the statue of William Penn. The park can be a fantastic place for birdwatching, because it hosts over 200 species of birds all year long.

The Brandywine River Museum of Artwork and Nature – Chadds Ford, PA

Distance from Philly: 25 miles, 40 minutes

The Brandywine River Museum of Artwork and Nature is a singular museum that celebrates the artwork and the surroundings of the Brandywine Valley. The museum is housed in a transformed Nineteenth-century mill on the banks of the Brandywine River and contains a assortment of American artwork, with a give attention to the works of the Wyeth household. You may as well discover the museum’s nature trails, which supply views of the river, the wildlife, and the historic buildings. The museum additionally affords excursions of the close by studios and houses of N.C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth.

Tyler Arboretum – Media, PA

Distance from Philly: 20 miles, half-hour

Tyler Arboretum is likely one of the oldest and largest arboreta in the US, with a historical past relationship again to 1681. The arboretum covers 650 acres of woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and gardens, and options over 1,000 species of crops and bushes. You’ll be able to wander via the arboretum’s 17 miles of trails, which supply alternatives for mountaineering, biking, birdwatching, and images. You may as well go to the arboretum’s historic buildings, such because the Painter Home, the Barn, and the Lachford Corridor. The arboretum additionally has a butterfly home, a tree home, and a fairy backyard for youngsters.