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Explore the Watershed

Willow Lake Farm

    Trail Head

    7000 Butler Pike, Ambler, PA 19002 (behind CVS)

    Length

    2.4 Miles

    Difficulty

    Easy

    Amenities

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

Trail Overview

Explore miles of trail all year round at the 108-acre Willow Lake Farm. 

 

Start your journey at the trailhead behind the CVS, near the instersection of Butler Pike and Skippack Pike in Broad Axe. As you walk, pastures turn into forest and woodland habitats. This trail lies adjacent to an active farm, so you might have a chance to see horses during your hike! Please remember to stay on the trail during your visit and be mindful of private property.

 

As you continue, you may spot the wide range of breeding birds that reside at Willow Lake Farm. The fields and meadows here have nesting common yellowthroats, yellow warblers, field sparrows and willow flycatchers. The young woods are home to wood thrushes, eastern towhees and red-eyed vireos. All year round, migratory songbirds stop in the preserve. eBird users can use the app to track their sightings at Willow Lake Farm. 

 

Butterflies and moths, including the pipevine swallowtail and monarch butterfly, also call this preserve their home. You may see larger animals in the pastures and woodland here including fox, deer, and woodchucks. 

 

With long, winding trails and an incredible diversity of wildlife, a trip to the Wissahickon isn’t complete without a visit to Willow Lake Farm. 

 

Download Trail Map
Trail Details
Detailed Accessibility Information about the Trails at Willow Lake Farm Below

Download a printer-friendly PDF with trail descriptions. 

Goldenrod Trail

  • Surface: Mowed grass/some hard-packed dirt.

  • Distance:  0.5 mile figure-8

  • Gradient: 5% or less throughout.

  • Width: 40”

  • Cross slope: Minimal

  • Benches: Zero

  • Shade: Partly shaded in the warmer months.

  • Obstacles: None

  • Drainage Issues: None

Freya McGregori

Old Farm Trail

  • Surface: Hard-packed dirt; mown grass.

  • Distance:  1.3 mile lollipop

  • Gradient: 5% or less throughout, with one short 7% section along the edge of a pasture. 

  • Width: Average: 40”

  • Cross slope: Minimal

  • Benches: None

  • Shade: Mostly shaded in the warmer months.

  • Obstacles: A 20” wide rut that is 5” deep crosses the trail on the southeast side of the preserve. Very muddy patch downslope of this. A steep, 30” deep stream ditch on the northwest edge of the preserve.

  • Drainage Issues: Significant muddy places in three places after rain. One long channel that runs next to the trail, crosses the trail, and then runs parallel on the other side of the trail is up to 5” deep. 

Freya McGregori

Maple Trail

  • Surface: Hard-packed dirt; mown grass; some bumps and occasional exposed roots and rocks/areas of erosion.

  • Distance:  0.5 mile lollipop

  • Gradient: Less than 5%

  • Width: 10”-64”; the loop section of the trail is made for a farm vehicle to use.

  • Cross slope: Minimal to moderate

  • Benches: None

  • Shade: Complete in warmer months.

  • Obstacles: Moderate cross slope in places. One section with erosion makes the trail more narrow.

  • Drainage Issues: One potentially muddy section.

Freya McGregori

Pasture Trail

  • Surface: Farm lanes: mown grass, hard-packed dirt with some loose gravel and wood chips.

  • Distance:  0.6 mile figure-8

  • Gradient: Up to 5%

  • Width: 64”

  • Cross slope: Minimal

  • Benches: One

  • Shade: Complete in warmer months.

  • Obstacles: Canada Geese enjoy spending time in these pastures. Watch your step to avoid standing in their poop!

  • Drainage Issues: Some channeling in the wheel tracks in the segment furthest from the preserve parking lot.

Freya McGregori

Access Notes

  • The trails of this preserve travel around a private farm. The landowner is happy for trail users to do this, but please remain respectful of the private property signs and stay on the marked trails. 

  • Trail users who take the Old Farm Trail or the Pasture Trail will travel past horses in pastures. These horses are used to seeing trail users and will probably ignore you. Please do not feed or harass them. 

  • Horses use many of these trails too – watch out for poop! 

  • Gunshots can occasionally be heard from a nearby gun range. 

Freya McGegori

Trail History

Peaceful Pastures to Preserved Lands

The preservation of Willow Lake Farm is a great example of sharing private land for public conservation. In 1993, Jane O’Neill donated conservation easements on her landmark farm to Wissahickon Trails. Conservation easements are partnerships between a landowner and a land conservation organization to preserve private land. Through Ms. O’Neill’s generosity and that of her children, Jake Lea, Ellen Lea, Sydney Lea, and Jane Lea, the entire piece of land was preserved in 2002, with the exception of the horse farm and residence which are still in use today.

Margaret Rohdei