Author: Rosemary Keane

New Hanover: Getting back to nature

On their website New Hanover Township describes itself fittingly as “semi-rural.” With so much residential development in the area over the last 5-10 years it is easy to forget that a huge portion of the township is still undeveloped or farmland. A quick turn off Layfield Road (Route 663 as it changes from N. Charlotte St. once it leaves Pottstown) will remind you of New Hanover’s rural and farming roots. It is here that the three township parks dedicated to natural, open space cover a total of over 50 acres, preserved for public use. They each offer something a little different, but all contribute to both providing people with access to nature and to preserving the quality of life in New Hanover Township.

If you make a right off of 663 onto Little Road (not to be confused with Big Road or route 73) and follow the signs around a few bends, you will find yourself at a little gem of a park known as Pleasant Run Park. The setting is idyllic, with a farm nicely framed between the trees in the distance and a pond that occupies the center of the park. There is a nice, uncovered picnic table and a few benches for just sitting and soaking in the natural scenery. The open area would be a great place to bring the kids and a soccer ball or baseball.

Not too far away, just north of Pleasant Run Park sits another open space park, Deep Creek Park. The township has decided to leave this park in its natural state and only mows it a few times a year. Deep Creek Park would be a great place for an adventurous hiker who likes to really get out and explore nature. There is a picnic table near the entrance so you can grab a bite to eat before or after your walk. The park was recently mowed, so the fall should be a great time to visit.

Situated nearly at the corner of Layfield Road and Swamp Pike is the final open space park in the Township – Layfield Park. After going down a gravel drive, there is room to park at the entrance, which is on Dotterer Road as it comes north from Swamp Pike. Layfield Park has trails lining its 28 acres, so don’t be deterred by the actual trailhead. Look for an opening in the brush, go a few yards up a steep embankment, and when you come down on the other side, the park opens up onto its internal trails.

Layfield Park Trail

A trip to New Hanover Township really wouldn’t be complete without a stop at its newest acquisition, Hickory Park. The township bought the property in September of 2009 and has been making improvements ever since, with even more in the works. As the former site of the Hickory Park Campground, this park sits right at the intersection of 663 and 73 as it twists and turns at the Hickory Restaurant. The park boasts several pavilions with electrical hook-up, which can be a great benefit for parties and groups. There is also an entirely new playground to keep the kids busy and entertained. Hickory Park also has a pool with a handicapped accessible wheelchair lift. Seasonal and day passes will be available for the 2011 summer season from the township office.

PLEASANT RUN PARK
Location: 600 Schultz Road, Perkiomenville, PA 18074
Size: 11.5 acres
Suitability: Commune with nature at this simple yet beautiful outdoor space. All ages can enjoy the scenery and open space at Pleasant Run.
Facilities: Picnic table, pond, large open space
Activities and Tips: While Pleasant Run doesn’t have play equipment for the kids, they could enjoy skipping rocks into the pond or exploring the wooded area nearby.
Hours: Dawn until dusk

DEEP CREEK PARK
Location: Deep Creek Rd./Pleasant Run Road, just north of Pleasant Run Park. From the intersection of Route 663 and Deep Creek Road, facing north, turn right onto Deep Creek, then left onto Pleasant Run Road. The park will be on your right, just around the bend.
Size: 12 acres
Suitability: This park is in its natural state and is a great place to hike or just explore.
Facilities: Picnic table near entrance
Activities and Tips: This park is being kept in its natural state, so be ready for adventure when you head for Deep Creek.
Hours: Dawn until dusk

LAYFIELD PARK
Location: Dotterer Road, east of Layfield Road and south of Swamp Pike
Size: 28 acres
Suitability: This natural park has unpaved trails that run over relatively flat ground
Facilities: unpaved trails
Activities and Tips: Another natural park, Layfield Park is a great place to get back to nature, if you bring your hiking boots
Hours: Dawn till dusk

HICKORY PARK
Location: 2140 Big Road, Gilbertsville, PA 19525, near the intersection of 663
Size: 21 acres
Suitability: This newly acquired park has enough to keep the whole family busy for hours and makes a great place for parties.
Facilities: Covered pavilions with electricity, playground, swimming pool (in season), basketball court, volleyball court, grills and more
Activities and Tips: This park, acquired by the township in late 2009, has a great array of facilities with more in the works. Visit over the winter and check it out and then come back in the summer when the pool is open. Day and season passes will be available from the township offices.
Hours: Dawn until dusk

Contact:

New Hanover Township
2943 North Charlotte Street
Gilbertsville, PA 19525-9718
Phone: (610) 323-1008
Fax: (610) 323-5173
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm
Website:  www.newhanover-pa.org

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY

Pleasant Run Park Sign
Deep Creek Park path
Layfield Park Sign
Hickory Park Pavilions
Hickory Park Pool
Hickory Park playground
Hickory Park fun

Middle Creek and Optimist Club Fields: Central location for organized sports

Middle Creek field
Still in New Hanover Township, if you head north on Route 663, in the vicinity of Swamp Pike, you get a pretty good reminder that the area surrounding the borough of Pottstown is still very rural.

Take a left onto Dotterer Road (west) to get to the Middle Creek and Optimist Club Athletic Fields. Just behind the Boyertown Area YMCA building, turn right down the gravel road, and you will first encounter the Middle Creek Athletic Fields. The soccer field there is used by the Boyertown Soccer Club, and the baseball field by Pine Forge’s Athletic Association. These fields are conveniently located and well maintained with ample room for parking and spectators.

Just a bit further down the road and adjacent to the new housing developments, which are also a common sight in this popular township, are the Optimist Club Fields and the recently re-named Anthony “Tony” Gambone Athletic Complex in the Windlestrae development. Big plans are in the works with a fundraising campaign by the Optimist Club Wrestling and Youth Associations to expand offerings at this site.

MIDDLE CREEK ATHLETIC FIELDS
Location: Dotterer Road, just behind the Boyertown YMCA. Use the Y’s address for a GPS or mapping program: 3065 N Charlotte St, Gilbertsville, PA 19525
Size: 10 acres
Suitability: Soccer fields and baseball field are open to the public
Facilities: Full size soccer and baseball/softball field
Hours: Dawn till dusk

OPTIMIST CLUB FIELDS
Location: Dotterer Road, just behind the Boyertown YMCA. Use the Y’s address for a GPS or mapping program: 3065 N Charlotte St, Gilbertsville, PA 19525
Size: 10 acres
Suitability: All fields are open to the public
Facilities: Full size soccer, football and baseball/softball field, picnic tables and sports seating
Hours: Dawn till dusk

Contact:
New Hanover Township
2943 North Charlotte Street
Gilbertsville, PA 19525-9718
Phone: (610) 323-1008
Fax: (610) 323-5173
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm
Website: http://www.newhanover-pa.org/

OTHER AREA ATHLETIC & WELLNESS ORGANIZATIONS
Boyertown Soccer Club
Optimist Club International
Pine Forge Athletic Association
Boyertown Area YMCA

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

New Hanover Community Park: Like an old friend

While Swamp Creek Park was new to me, New Hanover Community Park is like an old friend. The brown park sign at the corner of Kleman Road and North Charlotte Street directs you to New Hanover Community Park, which is nestled into a residential neighborhood in Gilbertsville, New Hanover Township. Make a right onto Gail Drive, follow it to the end and you will find the entrance to this 20-acre property that boasts a paved trail, a playground and more – something for everyone in the family.

When my kids were in preschool, this was the favorite gathering place for lunch and playtime after pick-up for moms and kids alike. With a completely fenced-in playground, it’s a perfect place to let the kids have a little bit of freedom while you hang out with friends and enjoy a packed lunch at the covered pavilion. The proximity of the picnic area to the playground is just right for moms with multiple kids; you can keep the baby in the stroller while the older kids play and run on the playground. I have spent probably more than my share of time at this park with my kids, often staying the whole afternoon until my oldest was due home from elementary school.

Again, in the category of things that make adults feel nauseous, the tire swing is a huge hit with my kids, even as they get older. My normally reluctant 8th grader couldn’t resist the temptation of spinning around at high speeds with her younger siblings, even if the result was a bit of a headache and some residual dizziness.

We walked off the motion sickness by following the ½ mile track that circles the park. The fall colors were beautiful and the gently sloped path was full of people on the Sunday afternoon that we visited. The secluded location of New Hanover Community Park doesn’t mean it’s deserted; in fact, in all the times we’ve been there, I don’t think it’s ever been empty. It fits comfortably into the surrounding neighborhood and adjacent wooded area and really gives the feeling of being immersed in nature – even as your kids can climb dinosaurs, a huge car structure, or maybe take a turn on the swings.

One of the features I had never seen before is the disc golf course that sits just below the walking path of the park. My memories of Frisbee golf from college involve regular Frisbees with trash cans for targets, but the concept has since evolved into a real sport. If you want to try it for yourself, the appropriate discs are available locally at sporting goods stores.

The park also boasts a deck hockey rink that can be fun for more than just hockey players. Bring a scooter or some roller blades and enjoy the smooth surface of the rink (and the enclosed structure will appeal to moms and kids alike).

NEW HANOVER COMMUNITY PARK
Location: 2766 Gail Drive, Gilbertsville, PA 19525
Size: 20.4 acres
Suitability: There is something for every age. The playground is suitable for toddlers and up.
Facilities: picnic tables, covered pavilion, playground, hockey rink, ½ mile walking trail, basketball court, baseball field, disc golf course.
Activities and Tips: Pack a lunch and bring the kids to the park for the afternoon.
Hours: Dawn till dusk

Contact:
New Hanover Township
2943 North Charlotte Street
Gilbertsville, PA 19525-9718
Phone: (610) 323-1008
Fax: (610) 323-5173
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm
Website: http://www.newhanover-pa.org/

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY






Swamp Creek Park, where dreams soar

When Sue first approached me about this parks project, I have to admit I felt a little smug. After all, I have been raising my kids in Pottstown for the last ten years and have seen my fair share of the area’s parks. I really thought I was a bit of an expert on the subject, or at least had something of an advantage when it came to the parks. Many of those in the study have been familiar to me, but this one took me completely by surprise.

My family and I had made a pit stop at the Wawa at the corner of North Charlotte Street and Swamp Pike for supplies (coffee for my husband and me, water bottles for the kids), and I asked a New Hanover Township Police Officer for directions to Swamp Creek Park.  I had seen the signs for the park over the years, on my way up and down 663 or Swamp Pike but had never actually been to the park.

The officer said, “Oh, the airplane park, right?” And then nicely gave us quick and easy directions to this unique spot that sits behind the New Hanover Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Still, I wasn’t quite sure what the officer meant until we got to the park and realized that it has a huge open space, dedicated to model airplane flying-not something you see every day. We parked the car and got out to take a look around. Although Swamp Creek doesn’t have a playground, my kids were enthralled with the whole place.  There is something so peaceful about the setting. They especially loved the bank of white birches at one end of the one-mile trail that circles the park. The airfield sits in the center, with its manicured grass and the equipment for flying the planes. I knew that day that I wanted to come back to catch the airplanes in action, so this past Sunday we went back to see what it was all about.

I have to say, we were not disappointed. The model planes are truly amazing and the members of the Swamp Creek Radio Control Modelers were friendly and helpful and more than willing to explain the different aircraft they were using. We were fascinated watching two members with their gliders, deftly flinging them skyward and then using remotes to control their movements. If you want to see the airplanes for yourself, just make plans to visit the park in the morning, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon on a day that’s not too windy; you are sure to find at least a few members using the park.

The Swamp Creek Radio Control Modelers meet monthly and fly their planes as often as weather permits. You don’t have to be a member to use the park airfield, but you will have to obtain a permit at the New Hanover Township Building and have a current membership with the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

After spending some time looking for white birch bark that my kids could take to school for show and tell, we started walking the path around the park. My youngest two took off running and made use of the benches that dot the trail to wait up for the rest of us as we were moving at a more leisurely pace. 

The park is also home to two sites being restored by the New Hanover Historical Society– the Swamp Creek Schoolhouse and the Dengler Summer Kitchen.

According to their website: “Built in 1853, the Swamp Creek School on Reifsnyder Road has been carefully restored by society volunteers and today serves as the society’s home and meeting place. Housed there is a collection of township school memorabilia and an extensive school book collection. Additionally, the school serves as a field trip destination for school groups where Nineteenth Century school life can be experienced.”

I’m looking forward to taking my kids back to Swamp Creek Park when the schoolhouse is open so we can fully enjoy the historical aspect of this beautiful park, and walking the trail again and again as the leaves fall this autumn.

SWAMP CREEK PARK (New Hanover Twp., Montgomery County)
Location: 3179 Reifsnyder Road, Gilbertsville, PA 19525
Size: 27 acres
Suitability: This beautiful park is great for all ages.  The level walking/jogging path appeals to all ages and abilities.
Facilities:Picnic pavilion, paved trail, model airfield, historical features, exercise equipment
Activities and Tips: Weekend mornings are a great time to catch the model airplanes in action-as long as it’s not too windy. Drop by the park on a Sunday afternoon to get a glimpse of New Hanover’s past in its historical schoolhouse. Get your exercise by walking or running the one-mile path around this beautiful park.
Hours: Dawn to Dusk. Schoolhouse open Sundays, March through November from 2-4pm

Contact:
New Hanover Township
2943 North Charlotte Street
Gilbertsville, PA 19525-9718
Phone: (610) 323-1008
Fax: (610) 323-5173
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm
Website: www.newhanover-pa.org

New Hanover Township Historical Society
c/o New Hanover Township Building
2943 North Charlotte Street
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
610-323-1008
Website: www.newhanoverhistorical.org
Meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Swamp Creek Schoolhouse at 7pm for a program, followed by a business meeting.  New members and visitors are welcome.

Swamp Creek R/C Modelers
www.scrcm.com
Meets every third Sunday at Swamp Creek Park, April through September, at 12:30

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY




Heather Place Park: Enjoy a family time-out in Upper Pottsgrove

Heather Place Park is one of the first parks I remember visiting when we moved to the area nearly 10 years ago. With a toddler, a new baby and not a friend in Pottstown, I attended a MOMS Club of Pottstown picnic at the park thanks to seeing a flyer at a local grocery store. At that time, the area around Heather Place, State Street and Levengood Road was pretty empty, a far cry from the Upland Square Shopping Center that is now just a stone’s throw from the park. If only that Starbucks had been open when I still had preschoolers, all my dreams of sipping coffee while my kids played on the playground could have come true at Heather Place Park.

With my youngest son in tow, we (re)visited Heather Place Park last weekend, during Upper Pottsgrove’s Community Day celebration to find the park full of activity, people and plenty of activity for my first grader. The playground equipment looks brand new and includes what my son proclaimed to be “the best spinny ride ever.”  I spent a good portion of the visit spinning that particular piece of equipment and then watching as my son dropped to the ground still dizzy. The play equipment is labeled for ages 5-12, but there are swings and a row of cars and planes to keep toddlers happy as well.

We also had a chance to check out all the vendors and get a snack to help support Upper Pottsgrove Township Fire Company #1. The fire company was on hand with demonstrations and even let the kids get onto the fire trucks and check them out. Local musician, Michael Kropp kept the kids entertained with songs from his popular Makin’ Music classes.

Michael Kropp, makin’ music

The park is compact, covering only a couple of acres, but there is plenty to do even if you visit on an ordinary day. With a basketball court, a great playground (especially that dizziness-inducing part) and a covered pavilion, the park offers something for every age group.  Even though it’s situated right along Route 100, it’s easy to forget that the highway is there because the park feels tucked into the neighborhood. It is easy to get to Heather Place Park-simply head west on State Street from the light at Route 100 and then make a quick right onto Heather Place. The park is just beyond the Upper Pottgrove Police Station.

With shopping and restaurants so close to the park, it would be a great spot to visit after dragging the kids through the grocery store or Target. Even better, get some take-out and enjoy a meal at the pavilion and let the kids run around the playground. The play equipment is situated close to the picnic area so moms and dads of young kids can relax (and maybe eat a meal) while the kids play.  The pavilion is also available for individual or group rentals and would be a great place for birthday parties or group gatherings-like that MOMS Club picnic I attended all those years ago.

HEATHER PLACE PARK
Location: 1420 Heather Place, Pottstown, PA 19464. adjacent to the Upper Pottsgrove Police Station
Size: 2.5 acres
Facilities: Covered picnic pavilion, basketball court, playground
Suitability: All ages can enjoy this park
Activities and Tips: Get your coffee and your friends and take the kids over to this great playground for a fun morning. Or, pack your lunch or even dinner and enjoy a meal with the family while the weather is still warm.
Hours: Dawn until dusk

Contact for rentals:
Upper Pottsgrove Township
1409 Farmington Ave.
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-323-8675

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

Upper Pottsgrove Township has all the information you need about Heather Place and other township parks on their website’s open space and recreation page

PHOTO GALLERY

Play equipment for 5-12 year olds
Community Day

Civilization or Mother Nature: You decide.

Drive down Buchert Road in Lower Pottsgrove Township on a weekday morning and you might not even notice Gerald G. Richards Park, but come Saturday and Sunday mornings, the scene is very different. The Park, which spans over 30 acres, is home to the Pottsgrove Soccer Club and bustles with activity all weekend.  Pop-up chairs line the fields; kids line up at the snack bar after their games; and you might have to circle the parking lot a few times before you find a spot.

The park itself is simple, with a nice walking path and stops for strength training. If you find yourself at soccer practice or a game at Gerald Richards, you could certainly get your walking or running time in by using the path that winds around the field. While the park isn’t full of interaction with nature, there are enough trees that you can find some shade when you need to take a break from sitting in the sun on the sidelines of one of the fields.

With six playing fields, several practice fields and even a baseball field tucked away in the back, the park accommodates young soccer players, ranging from the under-4 set just learning the game to the more competitive travel teams that include high school kids.  Pottsgrove Soccer Club serves Upper, Lower and West Pottsgrove, as well as the borough of Pottstown, with over 600 kids playing this fall.  Their mission is to “promote, foster and perpetuate non-profit, public, developmental soccer on the youth level and to provide competition for its teams to play the game in accordance with the high standards of good sportsmanship and fair play.”

One of the best features of the fields at Gerald Richards is their accessibility. With a paved walkway winding around all the fields, anyone can come and watch the games; something we haven’t found with other parks where our kids have played sports.  The landscape is also relatively flat, which is unusual in this area and makes for greater accessibility if you’ve got family members with limited mobility or just want to keep your younger ones in the stroller to watch games.

Another spot you might drive right past is Schuylkill River Park.  Marked only by a Township sign, this unpaved, natural landscape runs 12 acres along the Schuylkill River, the train tracks and close to the Limerick Generating Station.  If you are feeling adventurous and are interested in a hike that will take you down along the riverbank, put on your hiking boots, grab some friends and check out this park.

You can find this undeveloped hiking area by turning onto Porter Road, which intersects High Street just east of Pottstown Hospital.  As you drive along Porter Road you will pass the medical and office buildings and the road changes to Sanatoga Station Road as it rounds a corner.  The park entrance is right at that turn, with just enough room to park a few cars. You will see a white concrete barrier that is probably there to keep out cars; hikers will have to climb over it.

Entrance, Schuylkill River Park

GERALD G. RICHARDS PARK
Location: 2130 Buchert Road, Sanatoga, PA 19464, across from the Lower Pottsgrove Township Administration Building and close the the intersection with Pleasantview Rd.
Size: Gerald Richards is a large park, covering just over 30 acres.
Suitability: Soccer-oriented facility for any age.
Facilities: Soccer fields, walking path
Activities and Tips: Don’t discount this park because it’s soccer-oriented. Its convenient location makes it a great spot for a lunchtime walk or a quick game of soccer with the kids when the fields aren’t in use.
Hours: Dawn until dusk

SCHUYLKILL RIVER PARK
Location: 2116 Sanatoga Station Road, Sanatoga, PA 19464
Size: 12.3 acres
Suitability: Adults who like to hike might enjoy exploring this natural area with friends.
Facilities: Unpaved trails
Activities and tips: Get a group together and explore the northern bank of the Schuylkill River as it winds its way through Lower Pottsgrove.

Lower Pottsgrove Township has lots of information and photos on their website, which is http://www.lowerpottsgrove.org. Just click on the Parks & Recreation tab on the left side of the home page.

Contact:
Lower Pottsgrove Township
2199 Buchert Road
Pottstown, PA 19464
Ph: (610) 323-0436
Fax: (610) 323-3824
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-F

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY (Photos by Rosemary Keane)

Soccer ball takes a break

Bag 'o Balls

Schuylkill River Park Sign

The wilds of Schuylkill River Park

Beaufort’s Run: Wooded sanctuary close to home

Positively!Pottstown is proud to publish our first guest post and photos by Pottstown resident and freelance writer Rosemary Keane. Welcome, Rosemary!

On a recent weekend in June, a good friend and I left husbands and kids at home to go on the Pottstown Area Garden Club’s annual garden tour. We were both looking for some inspiration for our own home gardens and we found plenty.

All of the homes on the tour offered picturesque gardens, each with their own individual style and aesthetic. From the beautifully landscaped pool at the first home, to the Zen Japanese garden tucked away at a home in Trappe, we were amazed at the creativity and hard work that had gone into each one.

What we hadn’t expected to find was a 10-acre nature preserve – Beaufort’s Run – in Upper Pottsgrove Township. Tucked away on Detweiler Road, Beaufort’s Run is a privately-owned sanctuary that is open to the public and has been named a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

It was a hot and sticky Saturday morning, but as we made our way onto the wood chip path, we felt the temperature drop significantly under the shade of the trees. We followed the path all the way through the garden, which is dotted with little statues and signs and has several benches if you want to sit and just enjoy the beauty of the woods. Before we even finished walking the trail, we were talking about returning to Beaufort’s Run, but next time, we decided, we would bring our kids.

There is also a geocache stashed away in the preserve, for which you will need your handheld GPS and the secret location to find it. If you’ve never heard of geocaching, it’s basically a 21st century, high-tech scavenger hunt which begins at www.geocaching.com and sends you on the hunt for hidden treasures.

You can find more information about Beaufort’s Run and their mission to create a public resource with healing gardens, memorial gardens and a place for everyone to enjoy nature at their website: http://www.beaufortsrun.com.

The Pottstown Garden Club, which consists of about 70 gardening enthusiasts, sponsors the annual garden tour. They meet the second Friday of each month at Emmanuel Lutheran Church on Hanover Street in Pottstown. During the summer months, they meet at members’ homes. For more information, you can contact club president, Jo Ann Waddell at 610-948-6415.

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