White Clay Creek Preserve

Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Environmental Education  - Accessibility  - History  - Calendar of Events  - Nearby Attractions  - Delaware's State Park  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Bi-State Council  - Contact Us  - Maps and Downloadables

The 2,072-acre White Clay Creek Preserve is in southern Chester County, three miles north of Newark, Delaware. The White Clay Creek Valley, which forms the core of the Preserve, varies from steep to gradually falling terrain with some flat bottomlands, all drained by the creek. White Clay Creek Preserve shares boundary with White Clay Creek State Park of Delaware.

Because White Clay Creek posses outstanding scenic, wildlife, recreational and cultural value, it has been designated by Congress as a National Wild and Scenic River, and shall be preserved in free-flowing condition for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Park Advisories

Directions

The park is reached via PA 896, 11 miles south of the Forrestville exit of US 1.

Recreational Opportunities

Hiking  - Biking  - Horseback Riding  - Fishing  - Hunting  - Cross-country Skiing 

White Clay Creek Preserve is managed for low intensity recreational day use activities throughout the year. Day use areas are open daily from dawn to sunset.

Fishing: White Clay Creek is stocked several times a season and is considered one of the best trout streams in the area. Special delayed harvest and artificial lures only regulations apply to the Middle Branch of White Clay Creek from Good Hope Road south to its confluence with the East Branch. Any bait may be used on the East Branch. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission laws 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 the White Clay Creek Near Strickersville. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv/?site_no=01478245&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010

Horseback Riding: An 8-mile equestrian trail traverses the entire length of the northern portion of the Preserve.

Hiking: Hiking trails explore the habitats of the park and tie in with trails in the White Clay Creek Preserve in Delaware.

Biking: Bicyclists may use portions of Edwin Leid Trail. Bicyclists also use the roads in and along the borders of the Preserve.

Cross-country Skiing: Cross-country skiers may use the hiking and bridle trails when snow cover permits.

Hunting and Firearms: About 1,800 acres are open to deer hunting only.

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.

Environmental Education and Interpretation

White Clay Creek Preserve no longer offers environmental education and interpretive programming due to significant reductions in the State Parks budget.

Explore environmental education and interpretation for parks that continue to offer programming.

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.

History

White Clay Creek Preserve is part of a larger tract of land sold to William Penn in 1683 by Lenni Lenape Chief Kekelappen. It is thought that Kekelappen lived in Opasiskunk, an “Indian Town” which appears on a survey map of 1699 at the confluence of the Middle and East branches of White Clay Creek. This area is now part of the Preserve.

Opasiskunk was a large settlement, covering several acres. Archeological evidence points to habitation in the area from the early Archaic Period up through the early 18th Century. Frequent flooding over the past two centuries obliterated all surface evidence of this once important settlement.

There are several points of historical interest in the Preserve. The Yeatman Mill House is probably the oldest dwelling in the area. It was the hub of a very prosperous milling and agricultural complex in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Built in 1729, the London Tract Baptist Meetinghouse is at the intersection of Sharpless and London Tract roads. In its stone-walled cemetery rest many of the area’s earliest settlers including Dr. David Eaton, whose home across the street in the Preserve, is a classic example of a double door Pennsylvania stone farmhouse. Two further points of interest are the tri-state Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Arc Corner monuments marking historical points along the Mason-Dixon Line.

In 1984, the DuPont Company donated land to Pennsylvania and Delaware for the purpose of preserving the diverse and unique plant and animal species, and the rich cultural heritage of the area. Today, these lands form the bi-state White Clay Creek Preserve, the only land designated as a preserve in the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks.

Because White Clay Creek posses outstanding scenic, wildlife, recreational and cultural value, it has been designated by Congress as a National Wild and Scenic River, and shall be preserved in free-flowing condition for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. www.whiteclay.org

The White Clay Creek Preserve Sexton's House Needs Your Help

Delaware's White Clay Creek State Park

The 4,000-acre Delaware state park includes 486 acres of the original land grant of White Clay Creek Preserve. The park and preserve have activities year-round. The park is ideal for a quiet walk or a family picnic, and has exceptional opportunities for bird watching and photography. A disc golf course and over 30 miles of nature and fitness trails offer a pleasant way to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Nature education and interpretative programs are offered at the Chambers House Nature Center on Hopkins Road. The park office is near the intersection of Chambers Rock and Thompson Station roads.

Delaware's White Clay Creek State Park

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions, contact the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau. www.brandywinevalley.com

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:
Jennersville Regional Hospital
1015 West Baltimore Pike
West Grove, PA 19390
610-869-1000

For More Information Contact:

White Clay Creek Preserve
PO Box 172
Landenberg, PA 19350-0172
610-274-2900
Manager: William Morton

E-mail: whiteclaysp@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.