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Ridley Creek State Park

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Coordinates: 39°57′02″N 75°27′06″W / 39.95065°N 75.45175°W / 39.95065; -75.45175
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Ridley Creek State Park
Creek
Ridley Creek
Map
Interactive map of Ridley Creek State Park
LocationDelaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates39°57′02″N 75°27′06″W / 39.95065°N 75.45175°W / 39.95065; -75.45175[1]
Area2,606 acres (1,055 ha)[1]
Elevation315 feet (96 m)
Established1972
Administered byPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
Ridley Creek State Park
Map showing the location of
Map showing the location of
Ridley Creek State Park
Location in Pennsylvania
Map showing the location of
Map showing the location of
Ridley Creek State Park
Ridley Creek State Park (the United States)
Pennsylvania State Parks

Ridley Creek State Park is a 2,606-acre (1,055 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Edgmont, Middletown,[2] and Upper Providence Townships, Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park, about 5 miles (8 km) north of the county seat of Media, offers many recreational activities, such as hiking, biking, fishing, and picnicking within preserved old-growth forest.[3] Ridley Creek passes through the park. Highlights include a 5-mile (8 km) paved multi-use trail, a formal garden designed by the Olmsted Brothers, and Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead, which recreates daily life on a pre-Revolutionary farm. The park is adjacent to the John J. Tyler Arboretum. Ridley Creek State Park is just over 16 miles (26 km) from downtown, Philadelphia between Pennsylvania Route 352 and Pennsylvania Route 252 on Gradyville Road.

History

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Prior to European settlement, the Ridley Creek State Park area was home to the Lenni Lenape.[4][3] The area was originally settled by English Quakers and remained agrarian into the twentieth century. The oldest property is the 1683 Worrel House.[5] In 1718 a water mill, then known as Providence Mill, began to grind corn. In the late 18th century a plaster mill was established next to the grist mill. A rolling and slitting mill replaced the plaster mill by 1812, and became known as Bishop's Mills. Workers cottages, a dam, and several outbuildings complete the mill complex, now known as Sycamore Mills.[6] The mills operated until 1901, when they were damaged by fire.[7]

The bulk of the property was acquired into the state park system in the 1960s from the estate of well known horse breeder Walter M. Jeffords Sr. and his wife Sarah, a niece of Samuel D. Riddle. The Jeffords had originally acquired the land starting about 1912 in small parcels, until they had over 2,000 acres (8.1 km2), which was the largest private undeveloped property in the Philadelphia area by the 1960s. By 1918 they had built a large mansion, now the park office, around a stone colonial farmhouse. Twenty-four other historic properties were located on the grounds, many farmsteads that had retained family ownership since the seventeenth century. These properties were acquired by the Pennsylvania State Parks system in the 1960s using "Project 70" funds, with facilities dedicated to public use during August of 1972.[8] In 1976 these properties were registered on the National Register of Historic Places as a national historic district.[9]

In 2024, Ridley Creek State Park was added to the National Old-Growth Forest Network, Pennsylvania's 32nd such woodland added to the registry.[3]

Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead

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Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead in the park

The Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead is a living museum on the 112-acre (0.45 km2) farm where the Pratt family lived from 1720 to 1820. Admission is charged, and it is open to the general public on weekends from April through November.[10][11]

Recreation

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The creek in November 2013
Dam on Ridley Creek at Sycamore Mills

The location of Ridley Creek State Park, just 16 miles (26 km) from downtown Philadelphia, has led to its popularity. Ridley Creek is very popular with fishermen. It is stocked with trout by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. A portion of the creek is a designated catch and release area for fly fishing only. There is a wheelchair accessible fishing platform on a multi-use trail. The 12 miles (19 km) of hiking trails at Ridley Creek State Park are popular with dog owners.[12] These trails pass through a variety of habitats. A 5-mile (8 km) paved, multi use trail is open to jogging, bicycling and walking. The park also features a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) equestrian trail.[1][13]

Park office, located in the Jeffords Mansion

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ridley Creek State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  2. ^ "Zoning Map" (PDF). Middletown Township. Retrieved April 23, 2020. - The map indicates portions of the park.
  3. ^ a b c Bresswein, Kurt (October 26, 2024). "Here's Pennsylvania's newest old-growth forest, and what the designation means". Lehigh Valley Live. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  4. ^ "Ridley Creek State Park in Delaware County Inducted into National Old-Growth". www.pa.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  5. ^ "Connect Edgmont History Walk: Ridley Creek State Park". Connect Edgmont. September 23, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  6. ^ 39°56′46″N 75°25′19″W / 39.946°N 75.422°W / 39.946; -75.422 (Sycamore Mills)
  7. ^ Ernest Palmer Jr. and William K. Watson (July 1976). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Ridley Creek State Park. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved December 17, 2025. (Downloading may be slow.)
  8. ^ "History of Ridley Creek State Park". www.pa.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  9. ^ Barr 1993
  10. ^ "About Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation". Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
  11. ^ 39°57′54″N 75°27′04″W / 39.965°N 75.451°W / 39.965; -75.451 (Colonial Plantation)
  12. ^ Gelbert, Doug (2001). A Bark in the Park: A Guide for Walking Your Dog in Delaware County. Cruden Bay Books. p. 26. ISBN 096444271X. 9780964442719.
  13. ^ "Friends of Ridley Creek State Park". Friends of Ridley Creek State Park Organization, Pa. Parks & Forests Foundation. Retrieved March 12, 2007.

Sources

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