Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve, Coatesville

About Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve

Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve in Coatesville protects Chester County's largest privately owned nature preserve open to the public, with miles of marked hiking trails winding through shady woodlands, flower-filled meadows, farm fields, and stream valleys. The preserve encompasses part of the rare Unionville Serpentine Barrens ecosystem, where specialized plants and animals thrive in inhospitable serpentinite soil. Natural Lands staff actively restore these barrens by removing encroaching vegetation and replanting native grasses and wildflowers. Visitors can paddle kayaks and canoes on the West Branch Brandywine Creek, which flows through the property. Children explore Ollie Owl's NaturePlayGround, where they climb logs, build stick structures, hunt for bugs, and wade through small streams. General admission is free. The preserve spans more than 1,200 acres assembled through philanthropic donation and strategic land purchases over the past two decades.