Tyler State Park

Tyler State Park consists of 1,711 acres in Bucks County. Park roads, trails, and facilities are carefully nestled within the original farm and woodland setting. Neshaminy Creek meanders through the park, dividing the land into several interesting sections.

Explore

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

Park Advisories

Directions

You can reach the park from I-95 at the Newtown/Yardley Exit 49, then drive west on the four-lane bypass around Newtown. The park entrance is on the left at the intersection of Swamp Road and the four-lane bypass.

Recreational Opportunities

Hiking  - Biking  - Horseback Riding  - Picnicking  - Picnic Groves  - Fishing  - Boating  - Disc Golf  - Wildlife Watching  - Cross-country Skiing  - Sledding  - Ice Fishing  - Ice Skating 

Fishing: Anglers may fish along the banks of Neshaminy Creek or from a canoe. Warm-water species include sunfish, black crappie, carp, smallmouth bass and other panfish. Neshaminy Creek is also the home of large snapping turtles, eels, frogs, water snakes and muskrats. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations and seasons apply. For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Go to the U. S. Geological Survey Web site for the water level of Neshaminy Creek Near Rushland. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv/?site_no=01464750&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010

Disc Golf: A 27-hole course begins by the Upper Plantation Picnic Area. Much like regular golf, but using a “Frizbee” or golf disc, the object is to complete each hole in as few strokes as possible. Course maps with rules and scorecards are available at the park office and at the Upper Plantation Picnic Area parking lot. For more information contact the Bucks County Disc Golf Alliance. www.bcdga.com

Boating: electric motors only
Neshaminy Creek offers calm, easy boating upstream from the canoe rental. The canoe rental operates daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, weather permitting.

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

Non-powered boats must have one of the following: launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks, available at most state park offices; or boat registration or launching permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Motorboats must display a current boat registration.

Canoe Rental: The Canoe Rental is open daily from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, weather permitting. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 6 p. m. The last canoe goes out at 5 pm. A deposit and driver's license is required. Special rates apply for groups of 4 or more. There are also half day and full day rates.

Winter Activities

Explore the Winter Report for current snow and ice depths.

Ice Skating: Neshaminy Creek sometimes freezes and ice-skating is permitted near the boathouse warming area. Ice thickness is not monitored.

Ice Fishing: Neshaminy Creek sometimes freezes and ice fishing is permitted on the creek outside of the ice skating area. Ice thickness is not monitored. For your safety, be sure the ice is at least four inches thick and carry safety equipment.

Sledding and Tobogganing: Slopes below the Upper Plantation Picnic Area parking lot and the slopes west of the covered bridge are great for sledding and tobogganing when conditions permit.

Cross-country Skiing: The equestrian trails, hiking trails and bicycle trails are unplowed and great for skiing.

Picnic Areas

Welcome! All picnic areas have picnic tables, restrooms and drinking water and are surrounded by mowed, grassy areas for sunbathing and relaxing.
Please Remember:

• Picnic areas are open from sunrise to sunset, on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Park only in designated areas.
• Pets must be controlled and attended at all times and on a leash or otherwise safely restrained.
• Please clean-up dog wastes.

Boardwalk Picnic Area: This area has easy access to a variety of hiking trails that connect the picnic areas.

• Children’s playground
• Adjacent to soccer field
• Abundant parking
• Hiking trails

Upper Plantation Picnic Area: This secluded, quiet area is popular for sunbathing.

• Starting point for disc golf
• Sledding in the winter

Maze Picnic Area: This area is especially popular with families with young children.

• Children’s miniature play barn and maze
• Sand box
• Large play field
• Hiking and biking trails

Boat House Picnic Area: This centrally located area is the best place to access the west side of the park and all of its biking and equestrian trails.

• Picnic pavilion and two shelters
• Play field
• Adjacent to Canoe Rental (open summer season)
• Hooded fireplace warming area
• Ice skating when ice thickness permits
• Hiking and biking trails

Mill Dam Picnic Area: This area is adjacent to a beautiful, shaded trail which overlooks Neshaminy Creek.

• Grass fields
• Bicycle and hiking trails

Reservable Picnic Groves

Call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS for information, pricing and reservations.

Make a reservation

Hickory Nut Picnic Grove: This area is gated.

• Sand volleyball court (bring your own net and ball)
• Children’s play area
• Horseshoe pit (bring your own horseshoes)
• Hiking and biking trails

Lower Plantation Picnic Grove: This easy to find area is often used by people who stop in for a quick relaxing lunch.

• Softball field
• Children’s play area
• Hiking and biking trails

Park Trails

A large portion of the park is interconnected by trails. These trails allow easy access to park resources and facilities. There are:
-Paved bicycle trails - 10.5 miles
-Gravel hiking trails - 4 miles
-Bridle trails - 9 miles

Biking: If you’re riding a bicycle, remember that nearly all of the trails on the west side of the creek are hilly. Slow down and use caution on hills and around curves. Bicycle usage is permitted only on the designated (see map) asphalt surfaces. The bicycle trails are named at each intersection. Most of the bicycle trails are over eight feet wide, paved and designed for easy two-way travel. The asphalt trails are multiple-use trails. Be a courteous and safe bicycle rider. Picnic tables are along the bicycle trails for rest stops. Please stay alert for horseback riders when hiking on the equestrian trails.

Horseback Riding: Riders enjoy many miles of dirt trails on both sides of Neshaminy Creek. Please stay on established trails that are marked with equestrian symbol marker posts. Horseback riding is not permitted in the picnic areas.

Parking for horse trailers is near Number One Lane Trail in the large parking lot across from the craft center. Limited additional parking is available in the lot on PA 332 across from Spring Garden Mill, and at the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge parking lot off of Swamp Road.

Hiking: Hikers are permitted on all trails. Gravel hiking trails to the east of Neshaminy Creek link each picnic area. If you want a longer hike, cross over Neshaminy Creek to the west side of the park via the causeway at the center of the park. There you will find most of the park’s bicycle and equestrian trails. The trails give excellent views of the park and surrounding countryside. You can take a short walk or a long hike covering many miles. Several parking lots near the outer perimeter of the park allow access to remote areas and trails.

Environmental Education and Interpretation

The park offers environmental education and interpretive programs which explore a wide variety of ecological, historical and environmental topics.

School group programming and teacher workshops can be arranged. Scout, church, civic and private groups can also arrange for special programs. Advanced scheduling for group programming is required.

Programs are available from September through May. For more information, contact the park office.

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

Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information.

Theater

The Spring Garden Mill, once a grain and feed mill, is leased to the Langhorne Players, Inc. The players have converted the mill into a small theater for recreational and cultural events. www.langhorneplayers.org

Access for People with Disabilities

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

Agricultural Leases

Farming has been a tradition here for more than 300 years. About one quarter of the park is still under cultivation using modern conservation practices. With the changing of the seasons, field crops like winter wheat, grains, corn, soybeans and hay provide a breathtaking pastoral landscape.

Several fields were planted with native grasses in 1999. These fields will provide habitat for a variety of wildlife.

Wildlife Watching

Three main habitats dominate Tyler State Park, forests, fields and wetlands. The mixed hardwood forests are composed of oaks, maples and walnuts and are great habitat for forest birds like warblers, tanagers, thrushes and vireos.

Besides the many mowed fields and agricultural fields, the park recently planted fields with native, warm-season grasses. These grasses provide habitat for many animals and hopefully will encourage the return of field birds like bobolink, grasshopper sparrow and meadowlark.

The richest and most diverse habitats of the park are the wetlands. Neshaminy Creek and the land it borders are riparian zones. The creek is home to fish and turtles. The stream north of the Spring Garden Mill Dam is a popular spot for turtles and wood ducks. The land bordering Neshaminy Creek are wetlands, which have unique plants that can survive in the perpetually moist soil.

History and Park Development

Before becoming a state park, the land was owned by Mr. and Mrs. George F. Tyler who purchased the land between 1919 and 1928. Their first purchase was the Solly Farm, currently leased to Hostelling International at the north end of the park. The Solly House served as the Tyler’s country home until the mansion was constructed. The mansion is now a part of the Bucks County Community College.

The Tylers developed one of the finest Ayrshire dairy herds in the county. In addition, they raised poultry, sheep and pigs, and had a stable of about 25 fine riding horses. The productive croplands were mainly used to supply feed for the livestock.

Old original stone dwellings in the park stand as fine examples of early farm dwellings of rural Pennsylvania. Some structures date back to the early 1700s. You may wish to look for the date stone (1775) on the house located by the bicycle trail north of the pedestrian causeway in the center of the park. Ten original farm dwellings are currently being leased as private residences.

The park land was acquired by Project 70 funding and has been developed using funds from Project 500, the Pennsylvania “Land and Water Conservation and Reclamation Act.” This act has provided for the planning and development of many public outdoor recreation lands including Tyler State Park. The park officially opened on May 25, 1974.

Schofield Ford Covered Bridge: Built in 1874, the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge in Bucks County. In 1991, this county landmark burned. Using authentic materials and methods, a group of concerned citizens from various parts of the county undertook a united effort to rebuild this historic 166-foot, two-span bridge. After five and a half years of planning and fund-raising, the Schofield Ford Bridge Committee organized a partnership of over 200 volunteers, many DCNR employees, skilled construction workers, equipment operators, and Woodhouse Inc. (timber framers) to rebuild the bridge in the summer of 1997.

On September 6, 1997, the bridge was dedicated to the volunteers and contributors who made the reconstruction possible. Thanks to their generous efforts, the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge rests on its original stone abutments and center pier, three quarters of a mile from Swamp Road.

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions, please contact: Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau, 800-836-BUCKS, www.buckscountycvb.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:
St. Mary Hospital
Langhorne-Newtown Road
Langhorne, PA 19047
215-750-2000

For More Information Contact

Tyler State Park
101 Swamp Rd.
Newtown, PA 18940-1151
215-968-2021
Manager: Michael Crowley

E-mail: tylersp@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.