Between Philly And Allentown Is A Scenic Lake Park With A Nature Center, Fishing, Wildlife, And Trails

Calling a destination an "Eden" is a borderline cliché. Save for a dodgy apple tree with a verbose snake, there's not much required to earn the moniker. But sometimes, it fits. Pennsylvania's Peace Valley Park features a scenic lake and wildlife, making it a worthwhile stop in the Keystone State. Roughly an hour's drive away from both Philadelphia and Allentown, the park's fishing, trails, and nature center (and name) come together to create, yes, an Eden.

The 1,500-acre scenic park, crisscrossed with bikeways and walkways, offers several ways to enjoy nature while having fun. At its center lies Lake Galena, the blue beating heart of the park, surrounded by a smorgasbord of activities and diverse habitats. The utopian mix of nature, minimal yet essential creature comforts (restrooms and picnic areas included), and plenty of educational opportunities makes the scenic Peace Valley Park live up to its name.

The park was, at one point, home to a small community called Levin. The settlement sprang up around a lead-mining operation in the mid-1800s. The lake's name, Galena, comes from the mineral of the same name, a major natural ore of lead. When frequent flooding began to bog down the mining operations, the company stopped operations. Bucks County acquired much of the land, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed Lake Galena in the 1970s as a flood-control reservoir. It's the ideal side trip worth tacking onto a stay at Doylestown, one of Pennsylvania's most underrated towns, which is only 12 minutes away.

Peace Valley Park is far enough off the radar that you'll rarely hear it mentioned among the best scenic parks with views and trails in and around Philly. Yet it has plenty to offer, with around 14 miles of trails worth exploring. The Mini Loop, one of the park's more popular, shorter trails, traverses woods and small ponds to a butterfly field. If you're looking for a bigger challenge, head over to the Upper Woods Trail, which takes hikers on a 40-minute trip across a bridge to the park's woodlands and back. Chunks of those trails are within the park's nature center.

The protected habitats include meadows, ponds, lakeside shorelines, streams, and woodlands that provide a setting for a broad range of programs and opportunities to see wildlife within the preserve. Parents can let their kids loose into the Nature Play Zone, where child-centric activities and adventures let them help construct nests, stack stones, and search for shells. Birders should bring their binoculars, as the park is designated an Important Bird Area, with a bird blind letting visitors see scarlet tanagers or eastern bluebirds among the more than 250 species within the preserve.

Anglers should bring their rods and reels to the lake, where bass, bluegill, crappie, and several other species of fish live below the surface. Note that only the southwest portion of the lake, away from the nature center, is open to fishing. Those lucky enough to own a boat in the vicinity of Peace Valley can bring it down on a trailer and drop it in from one of the park's boat launches. If you don't own a boat, you can rent one, or a kayak, canoe, or pedal boat.

By itself, Peace Valley represents a day trip, which means hopping in the car if you're within driving distance. Taken in tandem with surrounding destinations, it can quickly consume a weekend or even an entire week. That portion of Pennsylvania and nearby New Jersey, with Trenton and Philadelphia equally within reach, offers a condensation of everything that makes both states great. If you want to make a true adventure of your outing, book a flight to either of the nearest major travel hubs, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). They're no more than 90 minutes away from the park, and the drive there lets you scope out several destinations with either the Keystone or Garden State.

Driving about half an hour south of the park, for example, leads to Glenside, a charming Philly suburb with a castle college, unique shops, and fun festivals. If you need a place nearby to overnight, the aforementioned Doylestown offers a few options, but it is worth it if you plan on hanging around town.

The weather is a factor in visiting any park. At Peace Valley, it's generally inoffensive all year, with most activities available whenever you visit. The Peace Valley Lavender Farm, about 10 minutes away by car, offers an escape into a sweet-smelling purple paradise. If you want a close encounter with the fragrant purple flower, plan your trip in June and July, when it blossoms. The on-site farm shop includes products that let you bring that fragrance home.