William Penn described the land around Hildacy Farm as “good, the air clean and sweet, the springs plentiful and provisions good and easy to come at; an innumerable quality of water fowl and fish.” Today, Hildacy Farm is a 55-acre preserve that contains roughly 20 acres of woodlands and hedgerows and 30 acres of meadow. It also serves as the headquarters of Natural Lands Trust’s regional conservation work.

History
Hildacy Farm is virtually all that remains of a 1683 land grant from William Penn. That initial 300-acre grant was prized because of the area’s large oaks and other useful wood. The forests were razed quickly to harvest the timber and make room for agriculture. In 1936, Hilda and Cyril Fox (hence the name Hildacy) bought the property. As the rest of the surrounding area was developed, the Foxes were determined to keep this land open for wildlife habitat. In 1981, Mrs. Fox donated Hildacy Farm to Natural Lands Trust with instructions to carry out her and her husband’s conservation plans. Since then, we have worked to restore both the forests, meadows, and wetlands to a more natural state.

Highlights

	Over 2 miles of unpaved trails ranging from easy to moderate
	Birds include Wood Duck, Belted Kingfisher, and Red-tailed Hawk
	Native grass meadows with big and little bluestem, Indian-grass, and broomsedge; wildflowers include goldenrod, black-eyed Susan, and butterfly-weed
	Woodlands with several large red and white oak specimens, and a rare willow oak
	Crum Creek and an unnamed tributary flow through the preserve; wetland created from former pond is home to a variety of native plants and animals

The Preserve is open from sunrise to sunset.

• Trails
• Parking
• Information Kiosk (by the parking lot)
• Preserve Guide (available at the kiosk)
• Restrooms (during business hours)