Evansburg State Park

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

Make a reservation.

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

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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.

Complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

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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.

Complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

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

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Biking: 5 miles of trails
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.

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Horseback Riding: 15 miles of trails
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.

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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/

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Stay the Night

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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.

Explore organized group tenting for more information.

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Winter Activities

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Explore the Winter Report for the current snow and ice depths.

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Cross-country Skiing: Most of the trails are open to cross-country skiing.

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Environmental Education and Interpretation

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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.

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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

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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.

 

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.

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.

Keep in Touch

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Volunteering

Like to spend time in the outdoors, meet friendly people and help make Pennsylvania State Parks great? Volunteering at a park might be for you.

Becoming a Conservation Volunteer is easy.

• Sign up to be a Conservation Volunteer
  OR
• Contact your local state park directly and ask for the Conservation Volunteer coordinator - you'll be hooked up with an interesting and appropriate project in Pennsylvania's natural resources.
   

Scouts and organized groups can earn free camping by completing service projects.

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Believing that each generation is responsible for leaving behind a better legacy of good conservation, the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) was created in 1999 to give supporters and users of Pennsylvania's parks and forests a positive way to contribute to the conservation of our publicly-owned properties. The Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation welcomes the support of individuals and businesses who share a commitment to conserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural, scenic, and recreational areas of this commonwealth. www.paparksandforests.org

Make a Donation

To a park - find this park's address below

To a park or the Bureau of State Parks - Pennsylvania Parks and Forestry Foundation www.paparksandforests.org

Through a purchase at a park gift shop

Thank you for your support!

Education Programs

We love when young people ask us how to get involved!

DiscoverE has programs for young people ages 4 to 17, provided by Pennsylvania State Park educators. By combining recreation and education, we hope to motivate children to learn more and return often, leading to a lifetime of outdoor enjoyment and conservation leadership. 

In Watershed Education, teachers and students assess water quality of a local stream on a quarterly basis and develop strategies to solve local water quality problems. 

ECO Camp - Exploring Careers Outdoors - is a week-long residential camp for a cross-section of high school youth from across Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Participate in action-packed, hands on activities and recreational adventures in Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests that expose youth to conservation, recreation and careers in natural resources. Learn how people make a living working in the outdoors.

Explore education for more information on these and other programs.

Explore the Calendar of Events to find a program near you.

iConservePA

Do you take conservation personally? iConservePA is a Web site managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources whose vision is to inspire citizens to value their natural resources, engage in conservation practices and experience the outdoors. Take conservation personally.

Come Work with Us

Pennsylvania State Parks and the Department of Conservation and Natrual Resources offer a wide range of civil service and non-civil service jobs, from foresters, to rangers, to engineers, to educators, to botanists and so much more. Learn what is currently available.

Tell us What You Think

Contact this park with compliments, concerns and issues about the park.

Evansburg State Park

Nearby Attractions

Information on nearby attractions is available from the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau. www.valleyforge.org

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.

Maps and Downloadables

Below are many of the maps and publications for this park. You can read them or download them and might need special software (all free) to view the publications.

You must have the free Adobe Reader to view the maps and brochures that are in pdf format (.pdf).

Alternate versions of the text of the brochures are in rich text and text formats. Click on the files to view them. To download (.rtf) files:
For Windows users, right click on the link then left click on "Save target as" to download the file to your computer. For Mac users, hold down the "Options" button and click on the link, then select "Save" to download the file to your computer.

Recreational Guide

Evansburg State Park Map (.pdf) (445 kb, 9/11)
Evansburg State Park Recreational Guide (.pdf) (393 kb, 9/11)
    large print version of the guide text (.rtf)

Interactive GIS Map

The Interactive GIS Map uses Geographic Information Systems to create a map that does not need to be downloaded and features driving directions, searchable park amenities and customizable maps. Please note that the background maps are maintained by a variety of public sources and driving directions usually go to the nearest large road.