At Warwick County Park, natural areas fan out from a central open area with playgrounds and fields that extends below a ridge. It’s easy to find your way around with kids for short but rewarding outings. Attention to detail and high quality are the hallmarks of this park. The main trails all connect from the trailhead at the main entrance and make successive loops, so you can take hikes of short, medium, or longer duration.

The trails are clearly blazed and well maintained. Iron Heritage Trail features interpretive signage designed to help kids imagine the woods when they were not the natural wildlife havens they are today, but instead sites for iron-making industry. Tree ID trail, a spur trail, teaches children how to identify common native trees by their leaves, bark, and fruit. A segment of the Horse-Shoe Trail, a long-distance trail that starts at Valley Forge, passes through the park on its way to the Appalachian Trail to the west. In addition to the main trails, an easy half-mile Nature Trail with educational signage, loops below the entrance drive, exploring meadows, vernal ponds, wetlands, and a creek.

An oddball feature of this park is the observation deck that can be reached by following the Horse-Shoe Trail uphill along the woods edge. The deck is a converted historical truss bridge that was moved from the French Creek crossing. Although the view from the bridge is less than magnificent, it’s fun for kids to climb up and look out over the park.

Almost 2 miles of French Creek runs through the park. Trout-stocked, it is popular for fishing. Some parts of the creek in the park have been enhanced to create artificial-pool and riffle fish habitat. The park features a universally accessible fishing dock; follow the boardwalk from the lower end of the parking lot.

Two brand-new playgrounds—one for kids ages 2 to 5 and one for ages 5 to 12—are next to the parking lot.

Remember: Dogs must be leashed.

Green Valleys Association at Welkinweir has extensive, pedestrian-only trails.

Follow County Park Road north to PA 23. Saint Peters Village, off of PA 23, is a quaint commercial area.