Donate Now
Explore the Watershed

Dodsworth Run Preserve

    Trail Head

    512 Dickerson Dr, North Wales, PA 19454

    Length

    0.43 Miles

    Difficulty

    Easy

    Amenities

    Stroller Friendly, Birding Hotspot, Picnic Area or Benches, Bicycles Allowed, Hard Trail Surface, Leashed dogs, Public Transportation (within 1 mile), Wildlife Observation Platform, Parking, Along Water

Trail Overview

Looking for a paved trail that is family-friendly? Dodsworth Run Preserve in Upper Gwynedd is a brief (.43 mile) trail with exciting natural features that is worth a visit. 

 

Visitors to the 9.2-acre preserve experience the beauty of the Dodsworth Run watershed, which flows into the Wissahickon Creek. Follow the winding (paved) Monarch Trail around the preserve's edge and you’ll pass through meadow and shrub habitat, where grasses and wildflowers mingle with eastern red cedars, viburnums, and dogwood. Take the Hawk's Nest Trail (a boardwalk trail) that cuts through the meadow to be surrounded by indian hemp, milkweed, goldenrod, and asters buzzing with pollinators. 

 

In the spring and fall, Dodsworth serves as an important stopover site for migrating songbirds - an impressive 123 species have been observed, from sparrows and thrushes, to orioles and falcons. In the middle of the preserve, step up into the Hawk’s Nest, an observation deck where you can watch for migrating birds and hawks soaring overhead. Interpretive signs will help you learn more about how to identify raptor species in flight. The Hawk’s Nest can accommodate six visitors at a time. 

Download Trail Map
Trail Details

  • Parking

    512 Dickerson Dr, North Wales, PA 19454 - Parking lot located off of Dickerson Road

  • Public Transit

    SEPTA Regional Rail Lansdale-Doylestown Line - North Wales Station. Walk north on Wissahickon Ave, then left on Dickerson Road. Preserve is in .2 mi on the right.

  • Google Maps

    Directions

  • Before You Go

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

Download a printer-friendly PDF with trail descriptions. 

Monarch Trail

  • Surface: Asphalt 

  • Distance: 0.3 mile loop 

  • Gradient: Generally less than 2%, with a short section of 5%. 

  • Width: 64” 

  • Cross slope: Minimal 

  • Benches: Two 

  • Shade: Some in the warmer months. 

  • Drainage issues: None 

  • Obstacles: None  

Freya McGregori

Hawk's Nest Trail

  • Surface: Composite boardwalk 

  • Distance: 0.1 miles each way 

  • Gradient: Flat 

  • Width: 59”, with a 1 ½” high edge on both sides. 

  • Cross slope: None 

  • Benches: None 

  • Shade: None 

  • Drainage issues: None 

  • Obstacles: Potential for overgrown vegetation to encroach on the width of the trail. 

  • Observation Deck: The Hawk’s Nest Observation Deck is an elevated deck with 9 steps to the top. The safety barrier that surrounds this eight-sided deck is 38 ½” high with a 1 ½” deep capping rail, and three 3 ½” horizontal planks below separating 7” of space. 

Freya McGregori

Trail History

A Company that Cares

Dodsworth Run is a forever-protected parcel of land, meaning it will never be developed. Wissahickon Trails is grateful to Merck & Company for donating this land to the community in 2016.

Todd Hanselli