Wawa Preserve
98 acres
Hildacy Preserve
(5 miles away)
Hildacy Preserve is virtually all that remains of a 300-acre land grant from William Penn to a local tanner and his family.
Wawa Preserve is owned by Natural Lands Trust and operated in partnership with Middletown Township. Parts of the property were once used to graze cattle for the Wawa Dairy. Visitors can enjoy trails that traverse a variety of habitats, including dense woodlands along Rocky Run Creek and sunny meadows filled with milkweed, goldenrod, and little bluestem.
parking
2/10 mile northwest of Route 1 (Baltimore Pike) on Valley Road
history
More than a century ago, George Wood purchased 1,000 acres of land in the sleepy town of Wawa, Delaware County. The fertile pastures were an ideal place to graze his herd of Guernsey cows, and the location allowed for delivery of fresh, raw milk to homes throughout the Philadelphia region. Thus, Wawa Dairy was founded.
In 1973, George Wood’s youngest daughter gifted a portion of the family lands to Natural Lands, establishing Wawa Preserve. In 2012, the Wood family donated an additional 22 acres to expand the preserve to its present size.
