Ridley Creek SP: Yellow-White-Yellow Loop

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Wildlife

There aren't a lot of good running options in southeast PA. Ridley Creek State Park is the oasis that allows for a trail fix. This loop is a typical (mostly) singletrack trail that can be connected with the other trails in the park if the desire exists for more mileage. The trails are well-blazed and, on its own, this is a fun, rolling frolic of a trail. This is about as good as you're going to get in the area.

No fees to get into the park.

Can be pretty muddy in spots after heavy rains.

Starting in the parking lot adjacent to the "Mansion", a marker will guide you to the beginning of the Yellow Trail.

The trail will induce some serious skepticism over the first 1/8 of a mile, but then the trail settles into the singletrack. It is easy enough to follow. The trail is well-blazed, and all you need to do is continue to follow the blazes and the "yellow trail" signs. This will take you onto and across a couple of roads during the first mile or so. Bear with it. Setting a low bar allows for things to get better.

The trail will continue to loop around until about 3.5 miles, where you'll reach a parking area. From here there is guidance that says "yellow trail to white trail" (see the pics). Follow this to the white trail and hang a left. The White Trail will take you another 1.5 miles. I do advise using the Trail Run Project mobile app, as there is a part around the hairpin turn you see before the trail reconnect where somehow the White Trail is a three-way turn. I turned left at this point to go around the hairpin. Going left likely just cuts that out. But I am not positive. If you are tracking to see which way you should be going, you'll be alright. Also, this is not a national forest in the mountains. Getting off track won't lead you too astray here.

After the hairpin turn, you are taken back down to an old road that is being used as a multi-purpose trail. This is where you'll reconnect with the Yellow Trail and can run it back to the north and west to your car.