Hikes for Kids – Glenroy Preserve
If you are searching for a new location to get out in nature in Southern Chester County, look no further than Glenroy Preserve.
Owned by The Oxford Area Foundation, the preserve is located on Rt 272 in West Nottingham Township, along the Octoraro Creek. It’s only minutes from my house and once I discovered that, I couldn’t believe we hadn’t been there before. To my credit though, it’s only been open for less than a year!
TL;DR – Hikes For Kids – Glenroy Preserve gets 5 stars from me. But read on to discover more about this local gem!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GLENROY PRESERVE
So far I’ve enjoyed my visits here (with and without the kids) in the winter. Both were great experiences & I’m really looking forward to coming back in the spring to look for native wildflowers, then again in summer & fall.
I first visited the preserve by myself. New Year’s Day was a gorgeous day to get outside for some fresh air and exploration. I decided to try the Lower Octoraro Trail for the 2 mile hike. New Year’s Day hikes are becoming increasingly popular (such a good thing) & the parking lot was packed when I got there. I got the last spot! Surprisingly, almost everyone must have been on the yellow loop side, because I only saw one other person on my trek.
Note: I like to call the trails by their colors. That is the way my brain remembers the map. The trail names are in the titles, but I’ll use the colors the rest of the time. I apologize if this confuses anyone!
Lower Octoraro Loop (orange)
The orange loop starts out by going under the overpass. At the split, I took the path to the right, along the creek. It was quite a lovely walk with great scenery. There were several creek crossings that weren’t too hard to navigate without getting my feet wet. It had rained the day before, so the water was probably higher than usual. Speaking of rain, it was definitely muddy & I was pleasantly surprised to find straw laid down on the hill.
That hill though.. Haha, oh boy… once the trail turns away from the creek, it goes under electrical lines (that was a bit creepy – anyone want some EMFs with their dose of nature?), then there’s one heck of a hill going up, up, around a curve, then up for some more! I won’t lie.. the second half of the hill was brutal. Just call it leg day and skip your squats the day after. The nice part about going uphill? The rest was either flat or downhill. At the bottom of the hill was a scenic pond, then the trail then meets back up at the split and it’s time to head back under the overpass.
I’m glad I did this one alone to start. Not that my kids can’t hack 2 miles, but I think that hill would have been full of moans and groans. Of course tough situations build character too!
Parking Lot & Lower Octoraro Loop (Orange)
Upper Octoraro Loop (yellow) & Bamboo Hollow (Green)
I have been eager to explore the other side of the preserve with my kids ever since my first visit. After reading the reviews on All Trails, I discovered there’s a bamboo forest trail. Kids love bamboo!
This time we met up with our local Wild + Free group. The group headed up the yellow loop until we came to a bamboo forest along the side of the trail. The kids had a blast exploring the forest, climbing a fallen tree, & navigating the streams that flow through it. Once you emerge from the other side of the bamboo, there’s a nice sized pond to investigate.
The group was having a great time playing in the bamboo forest. After a while, it was getting closer to lunchtime and I knew my window of opportunity (before the hanger sets in) was limited since we didn’t pack a full lunch in my backpack. I really wanted to see the Bamboo Hollow Trail, so we headed on by ourselves.
After a little jaunt up the yellow trail, we split off onto the green trail. I was starting to second guess myself, because… there were plenty of evergreens, but no bamboo.
We hiked on & just when I resigned myself to being incorrect, we finally saw the bamboo in the distance across a corn field – it was around a bend. I have to say.. it’s pretty cool! The green arrow trail marker makes it seem like you’re entering a magical forest.
The green trail hooks back up to the yellow loop & we headed back along the Octoraro to get to the parking lot.
We saw a bald eagle flying over the creek! I wasn’t fast enough to get my camera out for it, but it’s always a delight to see one.
This beachy spot just down the hill from the parking lot is really nice. I can see us coming here in nicer weather and wading in the water. It would be a great spot to spread out a blanket & chill out with a picnic lunch.
Fun fact: There is direct access to the Octoraro Creek for tubing, kayaking and canoeing from the parking lot.
My Impressions
Trail Markers: Clearly marked!
Parking: Nice parking lot – I guesstimate about 20 cars could fit in the 2 lots if all of the cars are lined up nicely.
Facilities: A large port-a-potty is located next to the parking lot. I was happy to see it there in the winter!
Park Rules are clearly displayed in several locations, both at the parking lot and at the beginning of the trail as well as a doggy bag station. The QR code is a really nice touch! P.S. I had cell service throughout both sides of the preserve.
Trail Map: located on the driveway, across from the wooden building. I missed this on my way in, but I had the trail map on my phone, so it wasn’t a big deal. If you drive in and park, you need to walk back up the lane to see the map, but you can also access it on your phone with the QR code.
All Trails does not separate out the trails if you just search for Glenroy Preserve. However, you can find them by trail name: Octoraro Trail Loop, Lower Octoraro Trail, Tiger, Blackburn, Bamboo Hollow, and Octoraro Trail Loop.
Address:
10 W Christine Rd, Nottingham PA 19362
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