Great place for a nature walk. Several different paths that can take you for miles and miles, or quicker loops if you dont want to go that far. Bridges over the water allowed us to see turtles, ducks, and surprisingly large fish, 18 or so inches long. The other hikers were all friendly. Bring some water to carry. We went twice for a total of 5 hours of walking and did not take same route twice. Stroller friendly through most parts. My son and I found a muddy trail that nobody else was going down, but we like to get dirty. We went down it while rest of family went on another trail and met us on far side. We will be returning.

Several loops of trails, varying lengths 0.6 mi-4 mi so you can choose, around a scenic lake and marsh area. Gravel and paved paths, nice boardwalks. Bathrooms on site. BEWARE if you are immunocompromised or extra cautious about the pandemic, as about 1/3 of the people we passed on the trails this weekend were not following the mask mandate.

This is a beautiful hiking trail with astounding scenery. A great place to ride or bike, walk your dog, hike or enjoy the Boardwalk view. It is a wonderful place to escape into nature and to educate yourself on the wildlife that surrounds us. Also a great place to have a picnic or to relax and read on a peaceful day!

Beautiful place for a nature walk with plenty of sun access and spots to look over the water. It took us about 2 hours to walk around the wet land loop, walking fairly slowly. The trails are completely flat, so I would not call this a hike. Its a great place for anyone to get some exercise though. We loved looking at all of the birds and turtles, and the fall foliage was pretty nice as well (probably needs another week or two to be amazing).There are some restrooms along the way, and you can park right near the visitor center.

What a beautiful day at John Heinz! We saw lots of familiar ducks, geese, swans, and a heron. We noticed water fowl we hadnt identified before and saw 2 bald eagles (one flew directly toward us from the nest as we read the placard, and the other flew nearby).

Super little spot. There are even swans there! The water is murky but shallow so you can see where the fish are moving. Forest area. Handicap accessible. Has bathrooms open even during covid19. Parking can be tight during weekends and holidays.

Gorgeous nature preserve so close to the city! There are a few different trailheads, some just for walking, some are walking and biking. There is a canoe launch and lots of creek and lake to kayak or canoe down. There are several fishing spots too! Right now some of the trails are closed due to storm damage and flooding. The woodland trail and tinicum trail heads are open near the fishing stretch (from the highway, if you hit the historic house, you went too far). Theres some great views of the skyline from the trails, and youll still be able to get a few miles in!

Beautiful hike. Flat even gravel path. Just note it runs along 95 and near the Philly airport.

This is literally in my top 3 outdoor peaceful locations I love this place and the depth of it. I am going tomorrow; hopefully theyre open.

Love this place soooo very much. A great way for beginners to start hiking. It’s also a great place for spending time with kids or even a spouse. The “Boardwalk” trail actually has a cute boardwalk over top of a swamp with benches. Can catch a really cool breeze in this area on a hot day. I really miss this place. Impatiently waiting for them to reopen.

Nice place to walk around in the evening. Take your kids there, lots of parking space in the street. You can catch fish there and there definitely huge carp there as well.

An amazing place to bring lids or talk a nice walk!! Lots of different things to discover and see like birds and rabbits, deer and spiders of all kinds!!! You can even go fishing! Its a wonderful place to go and very clean as well!! Highly recommended!!

What did you eat to come here and get some nature close to the heart of Philadelphia. This is a hidden gem on the southside of Philadelphia. You can do a really great three or 4 mile bike ride around Tinicum. Noticing the wildlife is really cool. Their cranes and birds of all types.

Located on the south part of Philadelphia. While you can see and hear 95 when you are on the trail on the south side of the preserve, the north side is very peaceful. This is Americas first urban refuge. It is preserving and restoring Tinicum Marsh. This is the last remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania.There are trails that permit biking and hiking and some just for hiking. They also have a trail that is wheelchair accessible. The park also has canoe/kayak access for its 4.5 mile water trail on the Darby Creek which is which fluctuates with the tide.This place is popular for fishing and bird watching. The observation tower is a great place to bird watch and take photos. They have binoculars at the visitor center that you can borrow.The visitor center is built using geothermal and solar. The refuse has a great variety of plants and birds.

I like it very much. The environment is very good!

I ended up walking the entire first loop which was about 5 miles, but in reality the first 1/2 mile up until the bridge was where all of the wildlife was at. The birds were incredible and there are turtles everywhere. It was a beautiful day. I recommend going right on the green trail, going over the bridge, and coming back on the blue trail if you are into photography.

Beautiful . The animal life and trails are just beautiful. Its very clean and quiet. Very peaceful to get fresh air .

Great place to take a hike, jog, bike, run, and enjoy beautiful views. Loved every moment of the clean air, and friendly passersby. The lake, and ponds are epic scenery. It was free!!

John Heinz is accessible by car and by bike but not really by transit. Most people seem to drive there and there is on-site parking.The refuge is a really great place to go for a walk or a bike ride, see some wildlife, and get some space. There is a welcome center with some cool wildlife information but otherwise it’s wonderfully bare bones - it’s really just a series of trails that you can go out and explore. The trails are mainly gravel so a bike ride requires something hardier than a road bike. If you have a fishing license you can also fish in many locations, and some folks bring kayaks and other boats they can take out from a designated launch.It’s very rarely crowded — even in the time of COVID-19 — which makes it one of my favorite local destinations.

I love going to this place at any time of year. There is so much to see and do. The diversity of wildlife, the walking/running trails, biking trails and the ability to canoe and kayak, provide for a world of activities for someone who loves to spend time outdoors in nature.The Refuge is on the migration path of many winged creatures so you can see something different every time you go. I had never seen an eagle in the wild until I saw them at the Refuge.You can stop in the Visitor Center for a listing of all creatures that can be seen at the Refuge and the time of year when they visit. There is also very interesting information about the habitat that can be found there.If you are a photo enthusiast, bring your camera and the longest telephoto lens you have for the photo opportunities are endless. Youll love taking pictures here.I highly recommend visiting this place for all that it has to offer. Its a peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives where you can enjoy the quiet of nature as you immerse yourself in some of its beauty.

My first visit. Very nice, a little noisy with the airport, refinery,train and traffic nearby. Also, I wish people would pick up their trash. However, its a nice place to walk and watch the birds.

We love this place!! Took our two grandsons for a ride in their wagon. The bathroom was UNUSUALLY clean for a public bathroom. Also perfect for bike riding

This was my first trip to John Heinz. It was lovely. Its an incredible amount of wetland to explore for being so close to the city. The marsh was alive with turtles and all sorts of birds, and the wooded areas played host to a bunny, a deer, and a myriad of tree species. That might seem like small potatoes to some, but its a great treat for those who hike with curiosity and a sense of wonder. I had a fantastic time there. My only want would be for an outside water fountain by the restrooms. With the visitor center closed due to COVID-19, there wasnt a way to stay hydrated after I ran out of water! Oops!

What a beautiful, peaceful place. I had visited here when I was younger and never came back. Happy I decided to revisit 20 years later. Highly recommend for walkers, bikers, kayakers, bird watchers (they provide binoculars!), and fishers. Looking forward to coming back with my bike to ride the trails!

Kids loved it. Loved it!!!! The fishing rods are free to use. Just have to bring them back by 3:30. So many different spots and areas. They have a observation deck with a to die for view. 10 miles worth of trails. Fishing, animals, swans, spiders, snakes, everything

Unbelievably amazing place for bird watching! Lots of areas to go through and usually have enough space and quiet moments before others walk through.Downfall, parking is scarce and the roads around the park are less than thrilling. Lastly, a good amount of adults with small children let them around and (in my opinion) destroy some of the habitat.

Beautiful, trails not crowded, great water bird views. Parking lot very crowded, not sure where all the people were. Visitor center remains closed.

Amazing natural scenery+gravel and dirt routes. walking +biking +fishing and picnic settings

A beautiful nature reserve, with easily walkable trails and lots of interesting nature to look at. Perfect for bird watching, especially red winged black birds. Can also see turtles and other wildlife throughout the park.

Gorgeous. Small children never want to leave. So much to see and do. Even when many people around. Still feels quiet and peaceful.

A lovely walk in the nature. Lot of wild life to see.

A great stop on the way to airport or if you just want to “escape” the city without actually leaving the city. This wildlife reserve dispels the math that urban areas cannot incorporate nature. There are numerous hiking trails and areas to observe the creek as well as even in the area for canoes. There are paved paths in addition to unpaved paths for a more authentic nature immersion experience.

Gorgeous wetlands. Hiking paths galore. Great fishing and birding, so many birds! Plenty of blackberries to pick along the way. Cant believe this is right next to the airport

Gorgeous area! Currently because of the COVID crisis the parking lot, visitors center, and bathrooms are all closed. Fishing, walking, and biking. So much wildlife!! We were there for about forty minutes and saw herons, swans, turtles and baby birds close up! There are boardwalks across the marsh and shaded wooded areas to walk in is well. Will be going again soon.

Beautiful views and long trails. I really enjoyed seeing the swallows up close.

Amazing, easily-accessible spot to see beautiful migrating birds.

Very nice break from the city. Lots of trails and benches

I love this place. When you’re here you can’t believe you’re in Philadelphia. Not that we don’t have great parks but because of all the wildlife you end up seeing. You have to listen and look closely but there are animals and unusual plants everywhere. During our visit in early November we were still able to find a snake, two fuzzy caterpillars, herons, turtles, a sassafras tree and all types of water fowl and countless other bird species. Everyone should come here multiple times a year.

Walked to End Alzheimers. Beautiful area spacious

I love this place. Its very close to where I live so I go here multiple times per month. Great place to take a stroll, walk your dog or ride your bike. People come here to fish, bird watch or just relax. I love the community programming such as archery! Great place!

Gorgeous scenery, I love to go walking and enjoy nature

I LOVE IT HERE, MY PEACE, MY TIME

Nice park. Plenty of awesome opportunities to watch birds, fish, hike, walk, jog, run. Plenty of opportunities to take some near pictures etc. Definitely make your way

Great place for a walk and to see some wildlife. Lots of birds, turtles and garter snakes. Its always packed when the weather is nice. Sometimes its so busy theres literally no place left to park. Part of the loop is paved, which is great. But the rest of the trails are dirt and gravel, and get extremely muddy and wet if its rained.

Its so beautiful and my kids loved it

Absolutely beautiful and refreshing. Bery long walk, thoroughly enjoyed it!

Beautiful place. Great for hiking, photo ops or just a nice walk in the park. Beautiful views too

Great place for biking, walking, running, bird watching, fishing literally a beautiful area me and the family had a absolute ball! Turtles, Egrets and something bigger in the water lol loved it foot note might wanna bring some bug spray and sun block

Lovely place to hike. Enjoyed the gravel paved trails and too so many great pics. Highly recommend. Dog friendly and great for avid hikers and children.

Fantastic learning programs are held here! Our family learned so much about BEES and STORMS. Thank you so much! We will be back for more!!!

Beautiful park, just be aware that parking and visitors center are not open at this time due to covid. Bathrooms are also closed.

Beautiful natural area. The paths are well maintained and wide, some ADA accessable. The signage is informative about the birds and other wildlife. And during the week it is not that populated.

I picked up rental car at airport and went here for about an hour before picking up my partner on another flight. Nice boardwalk across the marsh. But where are the Gators??!!! Heh. Reminded me of swamps back home in Louisiana but without the humidity and the bugs

Lovely place to take an easy hike. Birds all over the place. Most of the trail is paved. Cool walkway over the water. Unfortunately you can hear the airport and I-95, which makes the experience a bit less peaceful. Good parking lot.

I work for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and have an office at this location.The gravel path through the main section of the refuge makes a lovely walking path. The small loop over the boardwalk is a perfect short path to take your family, or explore the depths of the refuge on your bike. Make sure to grab a trail map on your way.I highly recommend to come during the visitor centers hours, as it was recently remodeled and the displays are breathtaking!Other activities include fishing and wildlife watching. I would also consider this an excellent picnic spot.

I used to do my running in the preserve. It was stimulating Id see a red tailed hawk, musk rats, deer and many more animals while I ran. The train was 2.5 miles in and 2.5 miles back of untouched virgin ground. Simply beautiful. Visit and enjoy. Its sad that you have to go to a preserve to be in natures wonder.

We walked over six miles of the 12-mile trail park. Winter of 2019-2020 has been mild enough to do so and I’m not complaining. The paths are mostly dirt and rock and are not paved. A few of the smaller paths you can fork off to are smoother but not completely dry yet after all the rain and likely recent water levels.The paths are surrounded by bodies of water and lots of plant life, though obviously nothing was green this time of year.Although our visit wasn’t the most picturesque this time of year, it was easy to imagine how beautiful and transitional this expansive place is during other seasons. Many people were fishing, walking their dogs, biking, walking, and running throughout. There were also a few cute bridges and lookout decks for birdwatchers.

Well not very difficult, there are so many birds to see and other various creatures. For whatever reason the animals here are not very shy. The trails are well marked, and very wide.

This is a beautiful spot near the airport to soak in some nature. I had a long layover, and a local friend drove us 10-15 minutes to the wildlife refuge. The gravel paths are easy to navigate by foot, bike, or stroller. I saw several birders there with cameras and binoculars checking out the local avian friends and those from out of town who were just passing through on their way south. If you have time to kill near the airport, I recommend coming here like I did. Even if you aren’t near the airport, it’s a worthwhile destination for a bit of peace, quiet, and Mother Earth.

Nature has its own power and this place speaks to you through its beauty and peaceful scenery?

A wildlife oasis very close to Philly. Beautiful to hike through even in the winter. Big visitors center, events arranged by the staff, educational options. Great for dog walking. Only marred by noise from PHL airport next door.

The Refuge here is really beautiful, and it is a great place for a nice walk. We were here early on Saturday, about 7:30am. At that time, it is still pretty empty. There trail system here is basic, but pretty extensive. There are quite a few miles of trails that go through a variety of different environments. There is also a ton of wildlife here. We saw a huge variety of birds, including a kingfisher and a few hawks, field mice, and even a muskrat! By mid day it started to get a little busier. There are bathrooms scattered around the trails. The trails are mostly dirt, but they are very flat. The visitors center/museum is also really nice and well worth a visit!

This place is absolutely beautiful. The facilities are great (although the visitors center was being renovated while I was there), the marsh is beautiful with a bunch of wildlife (see picture of turtles), and they offer a bunch of fun, free events all the time. The only reason I didnt rate it 5 stars is because of how polluted it was. Every body of water had large clumps of water bottles and trash at various places, and the creek had a bit of an unsettling murky color. All in all, I still recommend visiting for a nice walk.

Absolutely outstanding park. The wildlife is always diverse and abundant, and its never too crowded.

Open to the public and free, I took a group with me, this place is amazing! Free binoculars and fishing rods to use, (but must be returned) they have so much free stuff going on....

This is a peaceful refuge with much to see and do. It is well maintained and is a pleasure to visit.

The park is awesome. The only thing is if youre kayaking or canoeing then you have time it right with the tide or its going to be tough getting in and out of the boat ingress. Likewise while the scenery is beautiful, the water for Cobbs Creek is disgusting

Saw three turtles, five egrets, and other nature animals. Close to airport if you are waiting to pickup someone. Facilities closed due to covid.

This really was a special place a few years ago. Unfortunately I would no longer classify this as a nature preserve, maybe more of a recreation area as its just entirely too flooded with people now. Only a few years ago you could go and see giant snapping turtles, red bellied turtles, tons of migratory bird species, foxes, etc, etc, EVERY TIME you went. Now too many programs have bought too many people in and the large influx of people now has most of the animals hiding and really can no longer be observed in the park. IT’S SO CROWDED IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE IN AN AMUSEMENT PARK LINE ON THE TRAILS. I sincerely doubt this is what the founders of the park had in mind.

At the northeast entrance, there is a path that leads to some marshes that have an observation bridge. This is an awesome spot to see so much wildlife you think youre in the Everglades. Swans, Blue Herons, White Herons, snapping and painted turtles, and Redwings were observed all in 15 minutes. Great, small wildlife refuge. There is plenty of parking at the northeast entrance by 86th street. The gate locks at sunset and unlocks at sunrise.

Nicest Escape in Delaware County and not too overcrowded decent trails!

I love this place! Great for a walk/hike, a run, it a bike ride. Cool bird watching and you can sometimes see either wildlife like foxes or deer. Really beautiful, one of the most nature-y places close to the city besides wissahickon. Their committee center is also interesting and has nice clean bathrooms. Definitely worth a visit.

Low tide..... saw a heron and a snake....it was just a quick 2 mile walk....

Always an enjoyable experience. Well laid-out with a nice walking/biking trail. Places to canoe, fish, and sight Bald Eagles.

Beautiful place hidden Among the hustle and bustle. You can always find a quiet spot with a great view to sit and relax. PeopleI meet along the trail are always courteous and greet me nicely.

Nice, wide gravel paths through alot of the refuge, great place to walk, or bike. Beautiful!!

Lovely walking paths. Some paths utilizing All Trails were either closed or not marked appropriately.

Very impressed! Had a little more than an hour to kill before picking someone up from the airport and decided to stop here for a walk. Nice paths and a boardwalk with lots of birds. Took me an hour to walk the green Wetland loop. Dogs allowed.

This place is nice to come and walk. Great if you want to exercise but dont want to walk around a traditional track.Sometimes me and my boyfriend even bring my dog and have a picnic.Would recommend for anyone who likes the outdoors!

Completely empty. No people. Super quiet. Took almost 2 hpurs to walk around the lake. It smelled like nature and my dog got home super exhausted from all of the smells and bird watching. Ill have to go back again and again to make sure that I can try and do it justice.

Its an amazing place to learn about conservation and they are always running great programs

Loved this place so much! Got to see some blue herons and a small swan family, I also saw some deer tracks but never saw a deer but this place is amazing

Peaceful place, trails into the wooded areas is the best part to take a walk around. Variety of wildlife spotted.

It’s pretty hard to believe that this wildlife haven is right in philly close to the airport. I’m just sad I wasn’t able to walk through more of it; I just walked a short loop with the hubby on a beautiful day. We saw turtles covered in moss and large areas of Lilly pad covered water. We would go again in a heartbeat, and I’m so glad that we went!

I was actually on Folcroft side which is across the water from John Heinz...... Awesome. The turtle was trapped between a light post and a fence. Returned to the water

This is one of my favorite places to take my kids, there is lots to learn and so much to see! The patjs are stroller friendly and all the boardwalk are great for the littles to run around on. Lots of parking and bathrooms! All the things you need to enjoy a day out in nature with the family and not go far from the city.

Its very beautiful. You can actually walk the 9 miles from Philly to Essington. There is law enforcement to make sure people are safe. It has several natural habitats for eagles, & other birds. They also have a groundhog event this weekend.

Very unique refuge and bird watching all just a stones throw away from Downtown Philly

A gem in the city of Philadelphia! This picturesque location is a wonderful escape from the all the hustle and bustle where you can slow down and enjoy nature. There are paved paths, spots to fish, there are environmental educational programs for kids and family friends events. Yes, the center also has restrooms and a gift shop, too.

Lots & lots of trees! I enjoyed the birds i saw as well. Next time Ill go with a friend because its a big area with few to no people at least when i go.

Nice place lots of dog lovers. Could use more trash cans though.

First time had a good time going back tomorrow

A great place to get some exercise in and observe the wildlife of DelCo.

VERY large refuge. Miles of trails. Lots of birds. I saw a bald eagle. I took like 50 pictures of it. Amazing experience seeing that.

Peaceful easy loop. Saw lots of birds and fish including a regal blue heron. Trail is well maintained but unfortunately we spotted trash here and there. Love that its free.

Great excursion- exercise in the wild.

Clean air, great smelling flowers, pretty and varied wildlife, and a nice place to take a relaxed stroll outdoors

Awesome place yet it can be a little scary

Long trail, great for bird watch and photography lovers

Just breath taking views and much needed quiet and solitude