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Explore the Watershed

Armentrout Preserve

    Trail Head

    End of Beale Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422

    Length

    1 Mile

    Difficulty

    Moderate

    Amenities

    Parking, Leashed dogs, Birding Hotspot, Picnic Area or Benches, Equestrian Trail

Trail Overview

Looking for a walk that’s off the beaten path? Search no further than the 58-acre Armentrout Preserve in Whitpain Township. This quiet preserve features young and old forests as well as sweeping meadows and natural, unpaved trails for walkers and equestrians. Here you’ll see several kinds of habitats and feel immersed in nature.

 

When you arrive at Armentrout, choose between two walking paths. The Milkweed loop trail is 0.6 miles long and begins on the east side of the parking lot. This loop connects with the Camp Woods trail via a trail that crosses a private driveway at 410 Morris Road. The Horseways/Whitpain trail through the woods is just over 1 mile and begins on the west side of the parking lot. Both trails offer hilly terrain.

 

After walking, take advantage of the picnic table at the intersection of the two trails for a snack or water break. Please note, bathrooms and drinking water are not available at this preserve. The parking lot is a medium-sized gravel lot and spaces are not marked.

Download Trail Map
Trail Details

  • Parking

    End of Beale Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422

  • Public Transit

    Ambler Station on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line is 2.6 miles from the preserve parking lot. Bus 94 stops at Penllyn Station, which is 3 miles from the preserve parking lot.

  • Google Maps

    Directions

  • Before You Go

    General Trail Rules & Information
Detailed Accessibility Information about the Trails at Armentrout Preserve Below

 

Download a printer-friendly PDF with trail descriptions and additional photos. 

Milkweed Trail

  • Surface: Mostly hard-packed natural dirt with some exposed roots (up to 3” high), channels and ruts; mown grass; loose crushed stone.

  • Distance: 0.6 mile loop

  • Gradient: Mostly 5%; one short 17% section, and another 12% section near the footbridge.

  • Width: 24”

  • Cross slope: Moderate in some places due to channeling

  • Benches: Two, both near picnic tables and parking lot

  • Shade: Almost entirely shaded in the warmer months, except for the short section through the open field in the Whitpain Township Property.

  • Drainage issues: Significant channeling in some places

  • Obstacles: Steep slopes; channeling; some exposed roots

  • Footbridge: 72” wide with no steps on one side, and a 5” step on the other side. Safety barriers on both sides are 42” high with a 5 ½” capping rail, and 1 ¾” horizontal metal bars separating 3” of space. 

Freya McGregori

Armentrout Preserve to Camp Woods Connector

  • Surface: Hard-packed natural dirt

  • Distance: 0.2 miles each way

  • Gradient: The first 0.1 miles from Armentrout Preserve is 12-15%, with a short 20% climb after crossing a private asphalt roadway. After this climb, the final 0.1 miles on the Camp Woods side of the private roadway is less than 5%.

  • Width: 8”

  • Cross slope: Moderate in some places due to channeling.

  • Benches: None

  • Shade: Mostly shaded in the warmer months

  • Drainage issues: Significant channeling in some places

  • Obstacles: Steep slopes; channeling; some exposed roots

Freya McGregori

WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE

Most of Armentrout is made up of shrub-scrub meadow. As you walk, you will see a diversity of native plants, such as young Eastern red cedar and white pine trees, common milkweed, and a sea of goldenrod. If you look closely, you may spot some of the insects that call Armentrout home, including the meadow fritillary butterfly, milkweed beetle, and purple-backed cabbage worm moth. A small stream, which is a tributary to the Wissahickon Creek, also flows through Armentrout and creates a wetland area. This environment is home to Northern ring-necked and Eastern garter snakes (neither of which are venomous to humans), and green and pickerel frogs.

Margaret Rohdei

Trail History

Virginia Armentrout

In 1997, Wissahickon Trails learned that local resident Virginia Armentrout planned to sell most of her 50+ acres of farm fields and forested groves. Together with neighbors and the Whitpain Township government, we worked with Ms. Armentrout to purchase the land and turn it into open space that the community can enjoy.

Margaret Rohdei