Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
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The center provides a wide variety of activity-oriented programs for students, teachers, adult groups and individuals. |
The Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center offers environmental education programs. Contact the center office for a listing of upcoming educational programs. The center covers more than 665 acres of beautiful deciduous woodlands and coniferous plantations.
The office and mansion parking lot are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. All other areas are open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.
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Picnicking - Fishing - Hiking - Dog Walking - Cross-country Skiing Picnicking: Visitors are welcome to bring picnic lunches to eat at the center, but fires are prohibited, including charcoal fires. Fishing: Angelica Creek is stocked with trout by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.
Listed below are the main trails. Numerous connectors join all of the trails into many loops. Boulevard Trail: 2.3 miles Kissinger Road: 0.8 mile Kohout Trail: 0.3 mile Middle Road: 0.6 mile Watershed Trail: 1.1 miles
Dog Walking: Pets are permitted on hiking trails. All pets must be controlled and attended at all times and on a leash or otherwise safely restrained. Be considerate when walking your dog and carry a container to clean up after your pet. Also, please be considerate of the many organized school groups that frequent the park. Winter ActivitiesExplore the Winter Report for the current snow depths. Cross-country Skiing: With adequate snow cover the trails of the center can be showshoed and cross-country skied. Access for People with Disabilities
In an EmergencyContact a park employee or dial 911. Nearest Hospital The forests of Nolde Forest are home to many deep forest birds. When hosiery baron Jacob Nolde acquired this area in the early 1900s, a single white pine grew amid meadow vegetation. Inspired by this tree, the German-born Nolde hired an Austrian forester to create a coniferous forest. As the plantations grew they formed a “luxury forest,” a source of family pleasure and pride. In 1926, Hans Nolde, a son of Jacob, initiated work on the Tudor-style mansion. When this year-round home was finished, it overlooked the sawmill pond and the lights of Reading. The Nolde Forest continues to provide outdoor opportunities for visitors. The Commonwealth purchased the property in the late 1960s with Project 70 funds. The Project 500 bond issues provided the funds necessary for the center’s development. In 1970, federal program grants and the Berks County Intermediate Unit helped establish Nolde Forest as the first environmental education center operated by the Bureau of State Parks. Since the center’s conception, the Bureau has maintained an enduring commitment to environmental education and interpretation. A Single White Pine, a book on the history of Nolde Forest, may be purchased at the center. Keep in TouchAdd yourself to the DCNR's online community to receive info on this park, or parks in general. Volunteering
Becoming a Conservation Volunteer is easy.
Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
Make a DonationTo 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 ProgramsWe love when young people ask us how to get involved!
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
Come Work with UsPennsylvania 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 ThinkContact this park with compliments, concerns and issues about the park. Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center Nearby AttractionsInformation on nearby attractions is available from the Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau. www.readingberkspa.com Maps and Downloadables
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: Recreational GuideNolde Forest Environmental Education Center Map (.pdf) (452 kb, 3/11) Interactive GIS MapThe interactive 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.  Nolde Forest is in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on PA 625, two miles south of PA 724 or three miles north of PA 568. Driving Directions: The Interactive GIS Map has turn-by-turn driving directions to the park office from the Park information Window. Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
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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.
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. 
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. 
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.