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County parks and regional trails overview: Chester County highlights 4,000+ acres, 26 miles of trails and upcoming events
Summary
Parks and Preservation Director Dave Stauffer presented an overview of Chester County’s seven regional parks, three regional trails, visitor numbers, programming and a fall events calendar during the Sept. 10 commissioners meeting.
Dave Stauffer, director of Chester County Parks and Preservation, briefed the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 10 about the county’s regional parks, trails and public programs.
Stauffer said the park system includes seven regional park sites with more than 4,000 acres of public parkland and three regional trails totaling over 26 miles; annual visitation to county parks and trails exceeds 1.5 million visits. He described major park sites including Hibernia (more than 1,000 acres and home to Hibernia Mansion and Chambers Lake), Nottingham County Park (site of a serpentine barrens national natural landmark), Warwick County Park (adjacent to the French Creek scenic river), Springton Manor Farm (a demonstration farm), Black Rock Sanctuary (wetland habitat along the Schuylkill River), Wolfs Hollow County Park, and Exton County Park (a 2012 dedication and a joint purchase with West Whiteland Township).
Trail details and recent projects Stauffer described regional trails the county manages: Struble Trail (about 2.5 miles in length), Chester Valley Trail (13.5 miles completed in Chester County, with a construction project extending it slightly west including a new bridge over Whitford Road) and 10 miles of the Schuylkill River Trail managed by the county. He said many regional trails were funded with federal congestion mitigation or air-quality funds and are used by commuters as well as recreational visitors.
Programs, rangers and events Stauffer said the county offered roughly 175 park programs so far this year, focused on passive, low-impact recreation (hiking, bird-watching, nature programs) rather than active-sports facilities. County park rangers provide visitor services, program delivery and ordinance enforcement. He highlighted the fall event calendar and specifically encouraged attendance at the Warwick Park Fall Fest on Sept. 27.
Why it matters: Stauffer framed the parks and trails system as a county resource for health, wellness and conservation, noting grant-funded habitat and meadow restoration projects and a continued emphasis on passive recreation and regional trail connections.
