Mill Creek Valley Park
Managed by Lower Merion Township
109 acres4.2 mi of trail
Mill Creek Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Ii2nmd · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Lower Merion Township
Lower Merion Township has 42 miles of mapped trails, 1.8 for every square mile of land
96% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Mill Creek Valley Park (4.2 mi), Rolling Hill Park (4.1 mi), Kenealy Nature Park (2.5 mi). 6% of Lower Merion Township’s land is conserved, about 950 acres.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #255 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
950 acres · of 23.6 sq mi of land
Trails
42 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
705 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.4 mi
1.2 mi lanes · 3.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Lower Merion Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lower Merion Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lower Merion Township is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #255 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lower Merion Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (42 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (705 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 75%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Lower Merion Township’s 6% is ahead of 42% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 91% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Mill Creek Valley Park, with 4.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kenealy Nature Park
Managed by Lower Merion Township
85 acres2.5 mi of trail
Ridge TrailWinsor Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Riverbend Environmental Education Center
Nature preserve
31 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Saunders Woods Preserve
Managed by Natural Lands
25 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Idlewild Farm Preserve
Managed by Natural Lands
17 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Ashbridge Park
Managed by Lower Merion Township
29 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Henry Lane Park
Managed by Lower Merion Township
17 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 44 parks & preserves
Mill Creek Valley Park109 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsRolling Hill Park89 acres · 4.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKenealy Nature Park85 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsRiverbend Environmental Education Center31 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSaunders Woods Preserve25 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Natural Lands
DirectionsIdlewild Farm Preserve17 acres · 1 mi of trail · Natural Lands
Ashbridge Park29 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsHenry Lane Park17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsPenn Wynne Park13 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
West Mill Creek Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsHenry Botanic Garden45 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · The Henry Foundation
DirectionsSouth Ardmore Park17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHarriton Park16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGladwyne Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsCynwyd Heritage Trail Open Space16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWynnewood Valley Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGeneral Wayne Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMerion Botanical Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Austin Memorial Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsIndian Creek Basin Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Shortridge Memorial Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
McMoran Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsLewis J. Smith Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsEco Valley Nature Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsGulley Run Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVernon V. Young Memorial Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPacker Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsSharpe Park Bird Sanctuary2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsWynnewood Station Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsAppleford Estate22 acres · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsFlat Rock Park9 acres · Lower Merion Township
DirectionsBala Cynwyd Park8 acres
DirectionsBlack Rock Road Site6 acres
Amherst Field5 acres
DirectionsWilliamson Road Site2 acres
Simpson Island2 acres
Richie Ashburn Field2 acres
DirectionsPeg Braun Memorial Hill2 acres
DirectionsPencoyd Park2 acres
Linwood Park1 acres
Bala Avenue Park1 acres
DirectionsMerion Gateway Park1 acres · Lower Merion Twp.
DirectionsWarner Avenue Park1 acres
DirectionsCynwyd Station Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
950 conserved acres
6% of Lower Merion Township’s land. Who manages Lower Merion Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,290 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government582 ac
Town or city95 ac
Joint70 ac
Not recorded139 ac
Local Park · 650 acOther Easement · 524 acConservation Easement · 308 acPrivate Conservation · 247 acRecreation or Education Easement · 235 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 214 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 190 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Merion Township Park Local Park | Town or city | 95 | Open |
| Mill Creek Valley Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 95 | Open |
| Spring Mill Road Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 90 | Open |
| Rolling Hill Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 89 | Open |
| Kenealy Nature Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 87 | Open |
| Stoneleigh Natural Garden Private Conservation | Not recorded | 80 | Open |
| Saunders Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 49 | Open |
| Idlewild Farm Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 42 | Closed |
| McMoran Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 29 | Open |
| Ashbridge Memorial Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 27 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
60 places to go in Lower Merion Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Lower Merion Township
Philadelphia Country Club Outdoor Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Lower Merion Township
Belmont Hills PlaygroundIn McMoran Park
DirectionsECC Playground
DirectionsLower School Playground
DirectionsPenn Wynne PlaygroundIn Penn Wynne Park
DirectionsRoberts Road Tot Lot
DirectionsWarner Avenue PlaygroundIn Warner Avenue Park
Directions50 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Lower Merion Township
4 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Lower Merion Township
Flat Rock Park Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Lower Merion Township
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
13 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 4.5 miUnpaved · 23.1 mi
Harry Olson Trail1.5 mi
Sid Thayer Trail0.9 mi
Lankenau Medical Center Trail0.8 mi
Creek Trail0.8 mi
Cynwyd Heritage Trail0.4 mi
Haverford College Nature Trail0.4 mi
Bridlewild Trail0.4 mi
Winsor Trail0.4 mi
Ridge Trail0.3 mi
Mill Creek Trail0.2 mi
3 more trails
Wynnewood Valley Walking path
0.1 miBill Swyer Trail
0.1 miWynnewood Valley Walking Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
311Tennis
41Basketball
31Baseball
30Soccer
17Pickleball
10Lacrosse
7Football
6Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →19 places on the National Register, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Thomas, M. Carey, Library, Bryn Mawr CollegeNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1991
About itBryn MawrBuilding · listed 1973
About itGeneral Wayne InnBuilding · listed 1976
About itBryn Mawr HotelBuilding · listed 1979
About itBryn Mawr College Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itJoseph Sinnott MansionBuilding · listed 1980
About itGladwyne Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itMill Creek Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itWhitehall ApartmentsBuilding · listed 1983
About it7 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lower Merion Township: April to June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 43 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 55 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Lower Merion Township →
Next door
Lower Merion Township and its neighbors
Lower Merion Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Philadelphia234 miLower Merion Township42 miWhitemarsh Township35 miHaverford Township21 miRadnor Township15 miPenn Wynne3.5 miBala Cynwyd2.6 miWest Conshohocken0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Merion Township | 6% | 1.8 | 11 | 96% | A− |
| Philadelphia | 15% | 1.7 | 7 | 99%+ | A |
| Haverford Township | 8% | 2.1 | 10 | 98% | A |
| Bala Cynwyd | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Radnor Township | 12% | 1.1 | 18 | 96% | A |
| West Conshohocken | 5% | under 0.1 | 17 | 99%+ | B |
| Penn Wynne | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Whitemarsh Township | 17% | 2.4 | 53 | 90% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lower Merion Township
Where can I hike in Lower Merion Township?
The longest trail networks: Mill Creek Valley Park, 4.2 miles; Rolling Hill Park, 4.1 miles; Kenealy Nature Park, 2.5 miles; Riverbend Environmental Education Center, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lower Merion Township is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 8% for a Pennsylvania town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Lower Merion Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Mill Creek Valley Park (on leash), Rolling Hill Park (on leash), Kenealy Nature Park (on leash) and Saunders Woods Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lower Merion Township?
4.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.2 of painted or protected lanes and 3.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Lower Merion Township?
33,479 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lower Merion Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 745 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lower Merion Township have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #255 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lower Merion Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →