Tyler Arboretum Loop

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Tyler Arboretum has become a popular destination for botanists, naturalists, and now hikers. With a maintained trail system that accesses its 500+ acres, it provides visitors of all ages and abilities a great location to get outside.

This complete loop hike starts and ends from the main parking area and provides a recommended route through the maze of trails with some moderate elevation gain. The southernmost loop on Pink Hill Trail can be bypassed to shorten the total mileage by around 1.75 miles, though it's one of the more scenic and secluded areas of the arboretum, looping around Dismal Run with a few bridge crossings.

Free to Tyler members; Adults (ages 18-64): $15, Seniors (65+): $13, Children and young adults (ages 3-17): $9, Military and students with valid ID: $9, Children age 2 and under are admitted free.

Though many Philly residents may know about nearby Ridley Creek State Park, the Tyler Arboretum has an extensive trail network that has been maintained with numerous curated plant and tree species to explore. They also provide a helpful overview of which plants are in bloom over the calendar year, so that you can keep an eye out for their "must-see" recommendations.

For this clockwise loop hike, follow signage from the main parking lot for the Scenic Loop and Thoreau's "Walden" Cabin Replica. Continue east/northeast onto the Rocky Run Trail which shares a section of trail with the Minshall Trail (White). Keep an eye on the Hiking Project mobile app or look for white blazes as there are many trails that intersect each other which can be confusing.

Stay on the Minshall Trail (White) as it loops around the northern end of the arboretum property, crossing Rocky Run, and overlapping with the Painter Trail. Just before the two-mile mark, the Minshall Trail (White) and Painter Trail split. Stay right on the Painter Trail for a shorter section (as shown here) or head left on the Minshall Trail (White) as it rejoins the Painter Trail just past Indian Rock only adding a few hundred feet more.

Continue south on the Painter Trail/Minshall Trail (White) and look for a left onto the Dismal Run Trail with orange blazes. This trail follows a beautiful stream. At its southern end, look for a left turn onto the Pink Hill Trail. This loop adds around 1.75 miles, some elevation, and visits some historic ruins. If you have time and energy, it's a must-see.

After completing the loop, cross the bridge again, this time heading north, following the Pink Hill Trail to the Scenic Loop. Head left (east) to return back to the Visitor Center and parking area with access to the Giant Sequoia and Maze along the way.

The Painter trees are:

The "Painter Trees" that remain at the arboretum are: American Linden (Tilia americana), Bald-cypress (Taxodium distichum), Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), Common Pear (Pyrus communis), Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra spp. laricio), Cucumbertree Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata), Fraser Magnolia (Magnolia fraseri), Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei), Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis), Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera), River Birch (Betula nigra), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Switchcane Bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea ssp. tecta), White Oaks (Quercus alba), Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava), and Yulan Magnolia (Magnolia denudata).

This land was owned and cared for by the Minshall/Painter family dating back to 1681. The Painter brothers began planting in earnest in 1831 and 12 of their trees still remain today. See the Tyler Arboretum website for more information on the history of this property.