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Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve, Coatesville

Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve, from its own website

Photo from the venue's own site

Park & beach · Free admission

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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.

Tickets, prices & hours

Admission is free. The venue says: “Admission is always free to ChesLen Preserve, which is the largest privately owned nature preserve open to the public in Chester County.”

Hours: Friday - Wednesday: dawn to dusk, Closed Thursdays

Prices and hours quoted from natlands.org · read on . Prices can change — the link above goes to the page they came from.

Deals at Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve

No live deal currently

Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve publishes its own offers, and when natlands.org was last read, on , there was none.

The page stays here because the attraction is still worth knowing about, and because we keep checking. If a deal appears on their site, it appears here.

See natlands.org for yourself →

Before you go

Parking
ChesLen Preserve has five parking lots. The main parking lot at 1199 Cannery Road next to the Lenfest Center is paved with 30 spaces. Four additional gravel parking lots are located nearby: two more lots along Cannery Road, one on Route 162, and one at the Newlin Township building further north on Route 162. Parking is free.
Outside food
Picnicking allowed at Lenfest Center pavilion only. Please take all your trash.

From natlands.org · checked on

What’s there

Rides and attractions
Ollie Owl's NaturePlayGround: young explorers can climb logs, build stick tee-pees, hunt for bugs, explore small streams, and get a little dirty, tired, and inspired.
Star Gazers' Stone and a small plot of surrounding land are part of ChesLen Preserve and are accessible from a parking area at the northern end of the property.
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Paddlers can put in kayaks and canoes and enjoy West Branch Brandywine Creek, which winds through the preserve.
Size
ChesLen Preserve is 1,282 acres, with miles of marked hiking trails.
Facilities
Benches and rest areas: There are benches throughout the preserve with significant distance in between. Accessible restrooms are located at the Lenfest Center pavilion and are open during preserve hours. Sorry, there are no drinking fountains.

From natlands.org · checked on

Who it suits

Wheelchairs and strollers
Trails are unpaved with rocks (sometimes loose) and tree roots. The varied grade includes flat, rolling, and steep areas. They may be seasonally wet. The Lenfest Center pavilion is accessible and has an paved path from the upper parking lot. The west section of the Purple Trail and adjacent Red section is relatively flat. The trail surface is grass and dirt.

From natlands.org · checked on

Accessibility

Accessible parking and drop-off
The main parking lot at 1199 Cannery Road has two accessible parking spaces.

From natlands.org · checked on

Rules and safety

House rules
No motorized vehicles or mountain bikes. Motorized wheelchairs and other power-driven mobility devices are welcome for visitors with disabilities. No hunting or trapping. No drones or professional photography. No alcohol. Stick to trails.
Pets and service animals
Pets are permitted but must be leashed at all times, no exceptions; violators may be asked to leave. Service animals providing assistance for visitors with disabilities are welcome.

From natlands.org · checked on

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