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Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania State Parks

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Pennsylvania
South-Central Region
Nolde Forest State Park
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Nolde Forest State Park Forest Trail © Bobbie Alexander
Beautiful forest trail
Nolde Forest State Park © Bobbie Alexander
Nolde Forest State Park May Apple © Bobbie Alexander
May Apple
Nolde Forest State Park © Bobbie Alexander
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NOLDE FOREST STATE PARK
NOLDE FOREST STATE PARK
2910 New Holland Road
Reading, Pennsylvania   19607

Phone: 610-796-3699
Toll Free: 888-727-2757
Reservations: 888-727-2757
Email: park email button icon
The Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center offers environmental education programs. Contact the center office for a listing of upcoming educational programs. The center covers more than 665 acres of beautiful deciduous woodlands and coniferous plantations.

The office and mansion parking lot are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. All other areas are open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.
History of the Area
When hosiery baron Jacob Nolde acquired this area in the early 1900s, a single white pine grew amid meadow vegetation. Inspired by this tree, the German-born Nolde hired an Austrian forester to create a coniferous forest. As the plantations grew they formed a ?luxury forest,? a source of family pleasure and pride.

In 1926, Hans Nolde, a son of Jacob, initiated work on the Tudor-style mansion. When this year-round home was finished, it overlooked the sawmill pond and the lights of Reading.

The Nolde Forest continues to provide outdoor opportunities for visitors. The Commonwealth purchased the property in the late 1960s with Project 70 funds. The bond issued Project 500 provided the funds necessary for the center?s development. In 1970, federal program grants and the Berks County Intermediate Unit helped establish Nolde Forest as the first environmental education center operated by the Bureau of State Parks.

Since the center?s conception, the Bureau has maintained an enduring commitment to environmental education and interpretation. Today, the Bureau operates four environmental education centers and provides many seasonal programs across the Commonwealth.
Nearby Accommodations
businesss listing main photo
BBs / Inns
Spend the night in an art gallery Romantic BB in Lancaster County with gas fireplaces in all rooms, two with Jacuzzi's. Gourmet breakfasts. Near antique center, outlets, Amish attractions.
9.4 miles from park*
businesss listing main photo
Speedwell Forge BB - Lititz, PA
BBs / Inns
In a secluded valley, on 120 acres between a lake and a natural park, Speedwell Forge BB is a hidden gem in Lancaster County. Yet it is only minutes to the historic towns of Lititz, Manheim, and the rest of Pennsylvania Dutch County.
18.9 miles from park*
businesss listing main photo
Waynebrook Inn - Honey Brook, PA
Hotels/Motels
Come experience the rich history and refined hospitality of the Waynebrook Inn, Est. 1865. Our charming full service hotel has been splendidly refurbished and is nestled in the midst of beautiful Amish farm country near Lancaster in historic Chester County. At the Waynebrook you can experience that rarity among country inns along with the amenities of a full service hotel...the elegance and beguiling charm of American Inns of yesteryear coupled with the modern conveniences today's travelers demand.
12.6 miles from park*
Places To Find Supplies
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Waynebrook Inn - Honey Brook, PA
Restaurant
Come experience the rich history and refined hospitality of the Waynebrook Inn, Est. 1865. Our charming full service hotel has been splendidly refurbished and is nestled in the midst of beautiful Amish farm country near Lancaster in historic Chester County. At the Waynebrook you can experience that rarity among country inns along with the amenities of a full service hotel...the elegance and beguiling charm of American Inns of yesteryear coupled with the modern conveniences today's travelers demand.
12.6 miles from park*


Location
Nolde Forest State Park is located near Birdsboro, Boyertown and Chester Springs

Nature Programs
The Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center, operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks, is dedicated to helping people develop a sound environmental ethic. Since the early 1970s, the center has provided a wide variety of activity-oriented programs for students, teachers, adult groups and individuals.

A normal school day brings several classes of students to participate in the center?s discovery and problem-solving approach to environmental studies. Together, teachers and students explore different aspects of the environment and develop concepts and skills that help them become effective environmental decision-makers. The center, often in cooperation with the Berks County Intermediate Unit or nearby colleges and universities, sponsors teacher in-service training and college-level workshops on environmental education curricula and current environmental topics. And, as each season brings its own set of splendors, programs for the public are conducted by staff and guest resource people.

Nolde Forest encompasses more than 665 acres of deciduous woodlands and coniferous plantations. A network of trails makes the center?s streams, ponds and diverse habitats accessible to both students and casual visitors. Teaching stations offer places for students to work and benches for those who wish to sit and enjoy the sights and sounds associated with the natural world. There is a short, accessible trail by the mansion.

The Nolde mansion houses offices for the center staff. A garden featuring native wildflowers is adjacent to the mansion. The C. H. McConnell Environmental Education Hall near the mansion is the indoor site for year-round programming.

Schools and groups should schedule learning experiences as far in advance as possible. For more information on the center?s current public and school programs or to schedule activities, contact the center.

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Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania State Parks

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