Stroud Preserve

Awesome scenic view. Great for hiking, kayaking and weekend picnic. No entry fee, also parking is a bit hard here, it depends on your luck, weekends are so crowded. Trails are properly marked. Trails in the woods are wet lands, be careful it’s a bit slippery, use hiking shoes. Not all but there are shades on trails.Covid 19: Carry mask and wear it on trails if you can. But, you can find plenty of people not wearing masks, the trails are spacious enough to avoid having close contact.I had a great weekend coming here!!️

Well marked and maintained trails with rolling hills and amazing scenery. Try to go on dry days as the wetlands can be tricky get ready for an enjoyable day!

Great local resource for hiking and walking with both hilly and flat terrain. Some trails run through the woods but most are out in the open. Parking can be a challenge on busy weekend days so go early.

Has about 3 or 4 trails from easy moderate and hard, I took the early one of course and it was beautiful I enjoyed the trail very nice are definitely a must see

Great place. Been going there for years. My Irish terriers love it, too.

Great place to relax and also get some exercise. The trails are easily marked and most people are cool about keeping their distance during this whole covid 19 thing. however parking can be a bit of a nightmare if you dont know what youre doing so good luck with that.

Use to be a nice place to walk. Very scenic. Many people bring their dog or kids. Overly crowded recently. Not enough parking. Many people have to wait around for others to leave to park and walk the trail

Just happened to stumble upon this gem. I love running. Soft terrain, some hills, grass & dirt trails. So many birds chirping. Really beautiful place for hiking, running and bird watching. Definitely check it out!

Nice walking trails. Busy, but scenic farmland and grassland.

A wonderful local land preserve with beautiful views and cool trails.

Loved it. Beautiful scenery dog friendly trails of different lengths.

Great place for a short walk or long hike. Very busy at certain times!

Absolutely beautiful - a fantastic place to go foraging!

Its a beautiful place to go for a walk/run. At the top you can see a beautiful landscape with rolling hills in the background. Definitely worth going. Will not disappoint.

Crowded lately due to Covid but a great place to take a hike with the family. Beautiful views.

We take our dog here all the time. Super friendly atmosphere and great way to get into touch with nature

Very peaceful trails, hills and gravel, trees, saw a bird and a snake. A little crowded and parking lot was pretty full but found a space no problem and kept 6 feet distance easily.

I have been coming here for years. Beautiful, scenic, and peaceful nature preserve with miles of trails. Great for walks, runs, and hikes. Volunteer-run and privately (not state) owned. I just wish people would obey the one rule they have, and keep their dogs leashed (and clean up after them).

Tranquil. Well maintained. Clean. Not small. Hilly and flat. Creek running through. Love it.

Great for a hike, trail running, bird watchingor picnicking under a tree. The park changes greatly through the seasons so a trip each season is a great idea.

Lovely place to walk, hike, and run. Even on a cloudy wet day I really enjoyed my time!

Super trails, beautiful location on the Brandywine.

Easy trail. Dog friendly.

Very beautiful place with many different trails labelled by how difficult they can be!! Overall very satisfied with the entire place!!!

Great walking/running trails through rolling hills outside West Chester. A real open space treasure a short drive from the borough. Parking can get full during primetime.

I love to visit this little jewel on the west side of West Chester. From the parking area I crossed the Brandywine Creek on the main trail, heading west, and then climbed the steep hill with a rewarding view back over the valley and beyond.

Honestly one of my favorite places in the world, and I’ve been to a lot of places. It’s a great place to get lost in the woods for a bit. Friends and I used to launch our kayaks into the river from there as well.

Great trails and a 4.2 mile outer loop with shorter marked trails in middle. Gravel road splits park and makes getting around easy too. Big hills to climb with benches all over. Parking can be tough at times during nice weather. Only downside is road bikers use the lot as a meeting spot and take up spots for park patrons to use. But that’s the only downside.

I love this place!!! And you will too!

Beautiful place to hike or take a dip in the Brandywine.

Love it here. Ev n when its crowded this is a great spot to reconnect

The most beautiful spot in West Chester!

A serene alternative to the traditional parks in West Chester. Theres woods, hills, a creek, agriculture, wildflowers, unpaved trails. An especially fun place to take your dog.

Love the trails here! There are so many miles to explore. Includes the Brandywine Creek, with easy access for your dog and/or Kayak. Its just a beautiful area! They used to allow dogs off leash, as long as they were controlled. We miss that!!

Lovely preserve with plenty of walking trails. Tons of native flora and fauna to be seen.

Lovely place to hike and bird watch. Historic vibe, well preserved, and offers both hiking and horse back riding. Dogs are welcome, and their is access to the Brandywine River. On weekends, parking gets tighter, but I have never not found a spot. Trees, fields, views, and varied terrain. Its a treat to visit.

Beautiful place!!! Just what any Doctor would order!!! Green green green!! Outdoor at its best!!!

Beautiful place to hike and chill!!

Nice trails, very dog friendly. It is popular and could benefit from more parking space for busy weekends.

Beautiful location. Not as large as nearby Cheslen Preserve make it easy to explore in one visit. Great for dog walks (leashed) and jogging too. Bring your camera.

Would be a great spot to visit at night too..

Absolutely beautiful gem a short drive from downtown West Chester. Good for a short stroll or a short hike and its dog friendly.

Beautiful and great for slightly older children.

Pleasant 4 mile hike, not strenuous, but always feels good with the variation of terrain.

Pretty, quiet place to go for a walk. Long walking path surrounded by grass and trees on both sides. Plenty of parking. Dogs allowed. No bicycles.

This park is my favorite park even though it is crowded it’s still worth a try at any given point in time.

I love time spent at Stroud Preserve! Beautiful conserved land with a series of moderate trails. A bit muddy in places!

The Natural Lands Trust Stroud Preserve is great for hiking, petal biking, and horse back riding. You can choose from a short half a mile to 4 mile walk or run. The path for walking is soft gravel or grass. Love running at Strouds, it is worth the drive for me! Have paths in open areas as well as the woods; lots of choices for long runs. The hills can make it challenging, but there are also flatter areas available (trail difficulty is always marked). Very beautiful views too!

Beautiful location for a hike or run.

Great to go for a jog or walk. Very picturesque.

Great place to and we recently went tubing down the Brandywine. The trip from Stroud to Shaw’s Bridge Park took 2.5 - 3 hours. Definitely recommend.

Great tree silhouettes today under deep blue skies nd bands of clouds. Birding today for hawks.

Great walking trails and beautiful views!

An awesome place for runs, dog walks and generally surrounding yourself with nature.

Gorgeous. Lots of gravel or mowed grass trails. Not much backwoods hiking to be had, but then any footwear works. Unless its just rained, in which case there will be mud everywhere. Also everywhere are red wing blackbirds and the like. Field birds will swoop around your head on the main path! Not the best for Pokemon Go, if you were wondering. Theres a handful of stops and a bunch of remote gyms if you want some longer term holdings.

Wide open hiking. Can be a good workout if you bust it. Beautiful views, peaceful and very tranquil

Nice views of rolling hills, but the preserve is not very dog friendly and parking can fill up on nice days

Nice trail for walking, biking, and kayaking.

Such a gorgeous place!! From where we live a little of a drive but totally worth it. Thank you to whomever maintains it. If you like birding this is a perfect place for you!

Beautiful place to see, by land or by water.

Beautiful so much to see

Well marked and attractive trails, even amidst the dryness of late summer

Such a peaceful place to get away for an hour or so...

Great place to go for a run, walk or hike. Also a great place to take your dog for a walk. Lots of trails to choose from ranging from easy with all flat trails to intermediate for people who want more of a challenge. The place is so big that even on a crowded day once you get past the main entrance you will rarely see other people which is nice. Only downside is the parking is not great on busy days and some of the trails are covered in horse poop since they allow horses here. Overall I would reccomend giving it a try and I come back often.

A variety of trails and landscapes in a quiet area with lots of nature sounds and very limited human sounds. Good parking and decent trail marking.

Took a morning plunge in the icey cold Brandywine! Park is super clean and tranquil in the morning!

Great place for medium hikes. Trails are really clean and the scenery is really worth the effort.

A tranquil place to walk your dog, do some light hiking, fish for trout, or jog up to 5 miles on trails in fields and woods.

Great trails

The Stroud preserve is a great place to go for a hike in the woods. There are a number of different Trails throughout the Preserve. The area is preserved as a natural park. I would highly recommend to go there for a a walk or hike. Dogs are allowed as long as you keep them on the leash.

Love it so much here. A little slice of Heaven only 10 minutes from the center of West Chester

Great spot to get out in the woods close to West Chester

Great place for hike or picnic. Lots of trails along the river. Horses are ok, dogs are ok, but no bikes. Great place for pictures. Lots of wildlife if you know where to look.

Great natural place for walking.

Easy to moderate trails and good views of Chester County. My favorite is the red trail which is about 4 miles in length.

This is my favorite preserve of the Natural Lands Trust. Lots of variety in the trails, woodlands, meadows, streams, wetlands. Nice vistas at the hilltops. I wish there was another lot to park over off of Lucky Hill road.Beautiful area overall. Plenty of spots to sit and relax.

Clean, very green, great place for a hike or picnic, ok to bring dogs

Always a pleasure although it was a steamy day for a 4 mile walk.

Beautiful scenery

Beautiful spacious area to take your dog for a walk, run or hike. Very scenic and filled with open spaces as well as trails. Good place to smash an outside workout as well! iCorefitness has frequent summer training sessions here!

My favorite place to hike in the area. Last time I saw many bluebirds and a couple of hawks. There is a crushed gravel Orrin of trail that is about 2 miles long and its great to use when its too muddy to hike elsewhere.

Good trails, nice scenery, friendly people and dog friendly. Dogs must be kept on a leash and they have trash cans along the trails to dispose of thier poop. Great place to take the family for a walk or just to get out for a nice run.

Nice views and close to west chester. Its easy to get there and well worth the time.

Great spot for a walk or run.

One of the best trails in the West Chester area.

Our group had a great time volunteering to help the preserve in their work. Thanks for hosting us.

Great view, history and beautiful trails that make the walk seem so short because of the farms and forest that surrounds you.

Great easy and moderate trails.

Nice walk in the sunshine. The views are beautiful, and plenty of friendly dogs

Beautiful preserve with many trails to pick from, varying in difficulty. Wildlife is everywhere you look.

Perfect place for on and off trail hiking. Nestled by the beautiful Brandywine Creek. Perfect place for kayakers, canoers and tubers to put in or take out!

Molly does an outstanding job. Manager Jarrod Shull runs the preserve efficiently. His calm demeanor allows everything to run smoothly. More people should join NLT to take advantage of the many programs that are offered

A great day and a perfect view from anywhere within the park

Very peaceful, even in not so great weather. Many different trails, both rocky and wooded. Amazing wetland area with the most vocal inhabitants around!While there are only a few trash cans at the beginning of the trail, its remarkably clean all around. Keep it that way. Take with you what you brought in.

Beautiful nature preserve!

Wow now thats what I call nature, great foot trails even cool old guys a great way to spend a afternoon

Beautiful!

I visit Natural Lands Trust Stroud Preserve when I visit my in-laws in West Chester (I am from Indiana). I love to run there because of the beautiful trees and hills. Its also a great place to walk and just enjoy nature. Enjoy!

A local gem for nature walks and views.

Great place to take the dogs. I prefer to go when its not busy which has been getting tough lately because its pretty popular these days. Their is only 1 con I can think of.... Its great they have dog baggy dispensers but there is a park of the preserve where some have just tossed it in this large bush. Its become decorated in them. Its upsetting when people cant throw the waste away especially when they have bins near the entrance.