
The afternoon managed deer hunt scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 16, at Brandywine Creek State Park has been canceled. The park office will open at noon Wednesday. The Dec. 16 morning managed shotgun hunt will proceed as scheduled with an on-site lottery for pin and stand sites at the Hawk Watch pavilion at 5 a.m. Those interested in entering the lottery must arrive by 4:30 a.m. to register.
Known for its meadowland views and blue gneiss stone walls built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Brandywine Creek State Park sits within northern Delaware’s piedmont region with more than 14 miles of trail and a remnant old-growth forest. Brandywine Creek State Park oversees four Nature Preserves including Flint Woods, the Carney Tract, Tulip Tree Woods and FreshWater Marsh.Chipmunks can often be seen around the park’s stone walls, which were used to mark property lines when the land supported a rich agricultural industry. Another popular industry that once took place on the park lands was milling along the park’s namesake creek. The rolling meadows provide habitat to native pollinators, ground nesting birds and rare native plants, some of which can be seen by taking a stroll through the pollinator garden. American Kestrels, Blue Birds and Eastern Meadowlark are common sights for birders. Wilson’s Run is stocked annually for anglers and the sweeping meadows are perfect for disc golf.
Anglers can fish for small mouth bass, bluegill, and crappie in Brandywine Creek, and for trout in Wilson’s Run (fishing license and trout stamp required). Canoeing, kayaking and tubing are also popular ways to experience the Brandywine. Canoeing is offered through the park's interpretive programs, and local outfitters rent canoes, kayaks and tubes.
The park maintains trails for fitness, wildlife observation, and photography; try the Rocky Run Trail or the Brandywine Trail that winds along the creek.
The open meadows are excellent for picnics, kite flying, and disc golf, and in the winter, for sledding and cross-country skiing.
An extensive meadow management program, active bluebird population program, and variety of habitats make Brandywine Creek State Park an outstanding place to see wildflowers, songbirds, deer, and other flora and fauna. Many species of hawks can be seen migrating over the valley from mid-September to mid-November.
Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve – surrounded by a three-foot stone wall this nature preserve contains old growth Tulip Poplar. This forest canopy also includes American Beech, Red Oak, Black Oak, and White Oak. The forest floor is carpeted with spring ephemeral wildflowers including Nodding Trillium, and Blood Root.
Amenities: Loop Trail (pedestrian only), parking at Nature Center parking lot, bathrooms in Nature Center
Acreage: 24 acres
Flint Woods Nature Preserve – The Flint Woods Nature Preserve protects over 40 acres of mature Piedmont hardwood forest. The Preserve contains a Golden Saxifrage Forested Seep Community, of which there are fewer than six known to occur in the state. It serves as an anchor, along with Brandywine Creek State Park to the south, for more than 2,000 acres of protected lands (including 1100 acres of Conservation Easements and private Nature Preserves) creating a corridor between Brandywine Creek State Park and open space in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Brandywine Creek watershed. Six first order streams that ultimately flow to Brandywine Creek originate on the Flint Woods Nature Preserve. Two of these flow northward into Pennsylvania.
Amenities: Loop Trail (pedestrian only), parking along Rt. 52 in Centreville, DE
Acreage: 138 acres
Thursday, December 7, 2023
4:00 PM
Take a walk through history and discover the somewhat mysterious, and very impressive history of the stone walls that line the park landscape. Who built these walls? When? Why? How? Enjoy the beautiful panoramic views of the rolling hills as we unravel the story behind the walls. $6 per person, register online.
Friday, December 8, 2023
6:00 PM
Santa is coming to Brandywine Creek State Park! Join us from 6-8pm for some sweet treats with Santa. Bring your camera to take photos with Father Christmas himself, then make a fun holiday craft. $10 per person, register online.
Friday, December 8, 2023
6:30 PM
Santa is coming to Brandywine Creek State Park! Join us from 6-8pm for some sweet treats with Santa. Bring your camera to take photos with Father Christmas himself, then make a fun holiday craft. $10 per person, register online.
Friday, December 8, 2023
7:00 PM
Santa is coming to Brandywine Creek State Park! Join us from 6-8pm for some sweet treats with Santa. Bring your camera to take photos with Father Christmas himself, then make a fun holiday craft. $10 per person, register online.
Friday, December 8, 2023
7:30 PM
Santa is coming to Brandywine Creek State Park! Join us from 6-8pm for some sweet treats with Santa. Bring your camera to take photos with Father Christmas himself, then make a fun holiday craft. $10 per person, register online.
Saturday, December 9, 2023
1:00 PM
Join the naturalists for a hike on our Rocky Run Trail to learn all about the unique geology that makes Brandywine Creek State Park so special. This trail is quite steep, rocky, and involves a stream crossing, so be ready for an adventure! The program will meet at the Thompson's Bridge Parking Lot. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
9:30 AM
Calling all park loving 3-6 year olds! Join the naturalists for a fun new weekday morning program series. Each month we will explore a different topic with a story, craft, and (if the weather is good) an outdoor adventure! Register online, spaces limited, $5 per child. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Thursday, December 14, 2023
11:30 AM
Birding is a rewarding activity, but if you’re new it can be very overwhelming! Bring your lunch and join the naturalists on the back porch of the nature center to watch for birds coming to the feeders and learn some tips about birding. We’ll also discuss the ins and outs of bird feeders and their upkeep. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Saturday, December 16, 2023
11:00 AM
Ever wonder who lived on the land that is now Brandywine Creek State Park? Come learn about some of the children who used to call this place home and what their life on a working farm would have been like. See artifacts and hear first hand accounts from the time! Historically inspired refreshments will be provided. Pre-registration required, $6 per person.
Thursday, December 21, 2023
4:00 PM
The calm of winter is settling in. Take a celebratory hike around the Hidden Pond Trail, and learn about the winter solstice along the way. Take in the sights and sounds of the forest and creek in winter on the shortest day of the year. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Saturday, January 6, 2024
10:00 AM
How do you identify a tree without its leaves? Explore some of the trees of the park with the naturalists and learn what to look for to identify them. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
9:30 AM
Calling all park loving 3-6 year olds! Join the naturalists for a fun new weekday morning program series. Each month we will explore a different topic with a story, craft, and (if the weather is good) an outdoor adventure! Register online, spaces limited, $5 per child. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Thursday, January 11, 2024
11:30 AM
Birding is a rewarding activity, but if you’re new it can be very overwhelming! Bring your lunch and join the naturalists on the back porch of the nature center to watch for birds coming to the feeders and learn some tips about birding. We’ll also discuss the ins and outs of bird feeders and their upkeep. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Saturday, January 13, 2024
10:00 AM
Come enjoy a morning on the Nature Center back porch where we will look for birds and build natural bird feeders to feed our feathered friends! The program will meet in the Nature Center. Pre-registration required,spaces are limited. $10 per person.
Saturday, January 13, 2024
2:00 PM
Gather around the fireside to take a deep dive into one of the inhabitants of the land that became Brandywine Creek State Park! Before our days as a state park, this land was home to farmers, millers, and thinkers alike who helped shape the landscape we see around us today. This month we’ll be learning about Amos H. Wickersham, teacher, thinker, and 'wielder of a sarcastic pen' who used to live along the banks of the Brandywine. Pre-registration required, $6 per person.
Saturday, January 20, 2024
10:00 AM
Come see one of the park’s more remote nature preserves! We’ll take you over to Flint Woods to see the sites of this beautiful forest. Pre-registration required and closes 24 hours prior, space is very limited. $6 per person.
Thursday, January 25, 2024
5:30 PM
Join the naturalists for a hike under the wide open skies and look for the beautiful full moon. Learn about the moon and some of the folklore that it stars in. $6 per person, register online.
Saturday, January 27, 2024
8:00 AM
The monthly bird walk is back on the last Saturday of every month! Bring your eyes, ears, and a comfortable pair of hiking boots. Our expert volunteer birder from the Delaware Ornithological Society will lead the group, provide tips and advice to all interested bird watchers. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Friday, February 2, 2024
2:00 PM
Get ready for Groundhog Day with a fun walk through the meadows to learn about groundhogs. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
10:00 AM
Learn about volunteering on our Bluebird Trail Team. We will walk the trail, clean out the boxes for spring nesting season and learn about the eastern bluebird along the way. If interested, you can learn how to sign up for nest box monitoring for the season. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
2:00 PM
Walk along the Brandywine Creek and learn about what causes flooding. Discover the impacts flooding has on the ecosystem including how floods have worsened in recent years. Meet at the Thompson’s Bridge Parking Lot. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Friday, February 9, 2024
6:00 PM
Take a cool winter hike and get an introduction to the night sky. Enjoy the new moon with us and see what stars we can spot. Learn a little star science and enjoy the park after dark. Pre-registration required, $6 per person.
Saturday, February 10, 2024
10:00 AM
Meet at the Thompson’s Bridge Parking lot for this hike back through time. Explore the history of the river and visit the site of the old Rockland Mills. Learn how the Brandywine was influenced by the people who lived here, and discover how the creek came to be an important part of the Industrial Revolution. Pre-registration required, $6 per person.
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
9:30 AM
Calling all park loving 3-6 year olds! Join the naturalists for a fun new weekday morning program series. Each month we will explore a different topic with a story, craft, and (if the weather is good) an outdoor adventure! Register online, spaces limited, $5 per child. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Thursday, February 15, 2024
11:30 AM
Birding is a rewarding activity, but if you’re new it can be very overwhelming! Bring your lunch and join the naturalists on the back porch of the nature center to watch for birds coming to the feeders and learn some tips about birding. We’ll also discuss the ins and outs of bird feeders and their upkeep. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Saturday, February 17, 2024
10:00 AM
Come see one of the park’s more remote nature preserves! We’ll take you over to Flint Woods to see the sites of this beautiful forest. Pre-registration required and closes 24 hours prior, space is very limited. $6 per person.
Thursday, February 22, 2024
4:30 PM
Take a walk through history and discover the somewhat mysterious, and very impressive history of the stone walls that line the park landscape. Who built these walls? When? Why? How? Enjoy the beautiful panoramic views of the rolling hills as we unravel the story behind the walls. $6 per person, register online.
Saturday, February 24, 2024
8:00 AM
The monthly bird walk is back on the last Saturday of every month! Bring your eyes, ears, and a comfortable pair of hiking boots. Our expert volunteer birder from the Delaware Ornithological Society will lead the group, provide tips and advice to all interested bird watchers. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.
Saturday, February 24, 2024
6:00 PM
Join the naturalists for a hike under the wide open skies and look for the beautiful full moon. Learn about the moon and some of the folklore that it stars in. $6 per person, register online.
Saturday, March 2, 2024
1:00 PM
Even in the late winter landscape invasive plants stand out.. Join the naturalists for a hike down the Hidden Pond Trail as we discuss invasive plants and their damage to our ecosystem. The program will meet in the Nature Center. Register over the phone at (302)-655-5740 or via email at DNREC_brandywinecreekprograms@delaware.gov. Free.