Evansburg State Park

Evansburg State Park is in southcentral Montgomery County between Norristown and Collegeville. Evansburg offers a significant area of green space and relative solitude in an urbanized area. Its main natural feature, the Skippack Creek, has dissected the land into ridges and valleys that create feelings of enclosures and provide scenic views. The narrow valley was first settled and farmed by Mennonites who also powered their industries with the water of the Skippack. Even now, mill remnants, mill buildings and houses from the eighteenth and nineteenth century dot the park landscape and serve as reminders of early American life. Today, the park is a quiltwork of cropland, meadows, old fields and mature woodlands that attracts day use visitors from the Montgomery County and Philadelphia areas. People come to the open play fields, picnic areas, trails, golf course and the relatively tranquil, natural environs.

Explore

Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Winter Report  - Environmental Education  - Calendar of Events  - Accessibility  - History  - Wildlife Watching  - Nearby Attractions  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Contact Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

From Collegeville, take the Germantown Pike. From PA 73, take PA 363 to the Germantown Pike. From the Germantown Pike, take Skippack Creek Road to May Hall Road.

Recreational Opportunities

Hiking  - Biking  - Horseback Riding  - Picnicking  - Ballfields  - Fishing  - Hunting  - Golf  - Wildlife Watching  - Cross-country Skiing  - Organized Group Tenting 

Park visitors may enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities throughout the year. Public use areas are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Park only in designated areas.

Fishing: Skippack Creek has spring trout fishing and warm water fishing throughout the year. The creek is stocked with brown and rainbow trout from preseason to Memorial Day. Warm-water fish are smallmouth bass, catfish, sucker, carp, panfish and eel. An accessible fishing dock is in the picnic area on Lewis Road. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission laws and regulations apply.

For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Hiking: 6 miles of trails
Most portions of the trails are easy walking with some sections of moderate difficulty.

Biking: A five-mile mountain bike trail at the southern end of the park can be accessed at the trailhead on Fern Avenue. Bicycles are prohibited on all hiking and equestrian trails within the park. Bicycles are permitted on paved roads that are open to vehicle traffic. Remember that the rules of the road also apply to bicycles.

Organized Group Tenting: A clearing in the forested Pines Picnic Area, the group tenting area is open from April to mid-October. Up to five people may occupy each of the 18 sites. There are flush toilets, but no showers, and picnic tables and fire rings. Qualified adult and youth groups may use this area. Reservations are required. Call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS for reservations.

Picnicking: Over 150 picnic tables, many charcoal grills and modern restrooms are located throughout the park. The main picnic area is on May Hall Road. An additional picnic area is on Lewis Road in the southern portion of the park. Visitors can enjoy a quiet setting along the Skippack Creek, or engage in non-organized family games such as badminton, horseshoes and Frisbee.

Picnic Pavilion: It holds 60 people and may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. If not reserved, the picnic pavilion is free on a first-come, first-served basis. Call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS for reservations.

Make a reservation

Ballfields: Four regulation softball fields are available on Skippack Creek Road.

Horseback Riding: There are 15 miles of designated trails. Riders can also use the right side berm of public roads. A trailhead parking lot for horse trailers is on Skippack Creek Road.

Cross-country Skiing: Most of the trails are open to cross-country skiing. Explore the Winter Report for current snow and ice depths.

Hunting and Firearms: Over 1,000 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, pheasant, rabbit and squirrel.

Evansburg lies within a special regulation area for deer hunting. For information on the rules and regulations that apply to this area, refer to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations.

Be alert for the 150-yard safety zone surrounding each of the many occupied buildings and for other signs posting areas closed to hunting.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for ADA accessible hunting information.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. Other visitors use the park during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment used for hunting may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner's car, trailer or leased campsite. The only exception is that law enforcement officers and individuals with a valid Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms may carry said firearm concealed on their person while they are within the park.

For complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

Golf: The picturesque, eighteen-hole, par 71, Skippack Golf Course includes a clubhouse and is open to the public. 610-584-4226 www.skippackgolfclub.com/

Environmental Education and Interpretation

Environmental education and interpretive programs explore a wide variety of ecological and environmental topics. Through activity-oriented programs utilizing the park’s resources, participants gain a better understanding of our fragile natural ecosystems.

School group programming for all grade levels and teacher workshops are available. Scout, church, civic and private groups can also arrange for special programs. Advanced scheduling for group programming is required.

All programs are available March through November. For more information, contact the environmental education specialist at 610-409-1150.

Explore the Calendar of Events for a listing of events from today forward.

Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information.

Friedt Visitor Center: TThis farmhouse was built in the early 1700s. This historic building interprets the lifestyles of the German Mennonite families who owned the home for 190 years. Outside, the root cellar, well, and herb and sensory gardens add to the eighteenth century atmosphere.

An exhibit room in the house is devoted to the natural history of the area, and the house also provides an area for visitors to watch songbirds and other animals.

Access for People with Disabilities

Accessible picnic tables, parking spaces, and sanitary facilities have been designated in the main day use area at May Hall Road.

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.

Wildlife Watching

Evansburg State Park is forested by a combination of northern and southern hardwood types in various stages of growth. The blending of these types results in a remarkably wide variety of trees, wildflowers, habitats and wildlife.

Early morning and evening hours are the best time to see deer, rabbits and other wildlife. Please obey park regulations to protect park resources.

Poison Ivy Poison ivy is common at Evansburg State Park. Every part of poison ivy can irritate your skin. The best prevention for getting poison ivy is to know what it looks like and to avoid it. Poison ivy occurs in three forms: vine, shrub and creeping groundcover. The best way to identify poison ivy is that each leaf stem has three leaflets. “Leaves of three, let it be.” The leaf can have a smooth or a ragged edge and may be light green or dark green and usually is shiny. Poison ivy has flower clusters and berry clusters that start out green then turn white when ripe. Poison ivy vine is difficult to identify when it is small, but when it is old it is covered in brown rootlets that look like hair. If you think you have encountered poison ivy, immediately wash with soapy water.

History

In 1684, when William Penn purchased the portion of his American Province that is now Evansburg State Park, the inhabitants were the Unami of the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Nation. Shortly thereafter, the area was settled according to the plan of Penn’s “Holy Experiment.”

The area developed rapidly. By 1714, the Skippack Pike was constructed to provide access to the Philadelphia market. An eight-arch, stone bridge spanning the Skippack Creek on the Germantown Pike was constructed in 1792. It is the oldest bridge in continuous, heavy use in the nation.

The Skippack Valley remained an agrarian economy through the early part of the twentieth century. Following World War II, the pace of change quickened. Prior to acquisition of park lands, the rural charm of the area was in danger because much of the countryside was being threatened by urbanization.

Background studies were critical to planning for Evansburg State Park. The earliest of these was the Tri-State Commission Regional Open Space Plan which identified the site in 1933. In 1962, the State Planning Board identified Evansburg as an area to be acquired under the “Project 70” plan. In the late 1960s, the “Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act” provided the funding for acquisition of the 3,349 acres which is Evansburg State Park. In 1975, plans for the first phase of development were approved. Project 500 (Land and Water Conservation Fund) provided the moneys necessary to develop the park’s major recreation area that was officially opened for public use on June 28, 1979.

Today, Evansburg State Park preserves a significant area of unspoiled, natural beauty in Montgomery County and serves as a buffer between highly developed areas. As the communities surrounding the park continue to grow and expand, it will continue to provide a place for outdoor recreation, education and solitude.

Nearby Attractions

The area surrounding Evansburg State Park is rich in tourist attractions. A lucky traveler may happen upon a country auction or visit one of the many antique shops located in this rich, historic belt.

Nearby attractions include: downhill skiing at Spring Mount, the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Valley Forge National Historic Park and the quaint Skippack Village.

For information on nearby attractions and accommodations, please contact the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, 888-VISIT-VF, www.valleyforge.org.

In an Emergency

Contact a park employee or dial 911.
For directions to the nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park office.

Nearest Hospital:
Mercy Suburban Hospital
2701 DeKalb Pike
East Norriton, PA 19401
610-278-2000

For More Information Contact

Evansburg State Park
851 May Hall Rd.
Collegeville, PA 19426-1202
610-409-1150
Manager: John Gribosh

E-mail: evansburgsp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer

Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations.