HomePennsylvaniaCoatesville › The Laurels Preserve

The Laurels Preserve

4.9 ★★★★★ 99 Google reviews · Running trail in Coatesville, Pennsylvania · Open 24 hours

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Crushed gravel
Distance
Not reported
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Tree cover
Access
Open 24 hours

Confirmed from The Laurels Preserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.

Crushed gravelOpen 24hShadedScenicDog-friendlyHillyTrailhead parkingQuiet

Nature preserve featuring covered bridges, trails, and fields for hiking, dog walking, and horseback riding.

What runners say about The Laurels Preserve

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (99 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

well-maintained 4 mentions

“Well maintained trails, historic covered bridges to get across the creek.”

🏞️ beautiful scenery 11 mentions

“Beautiful preserve, two covered bridges, lots of water, wooded trails and big open spaces.”

🌾 quiet & peaceful 5 mentions

“Away from the road noise members of the Brandywine Conservancy can enjoy peaceful uncrowded paths through woods & pasture.”

Great day for a hike. The Laurels Preserve is beautiful every day. My wife and I trained for the Camino de Santiago here. Nice mix of shady, stream side, Open Fields, good elevation and decline. Lots of horses and agricultural funk. We would do a basic 6+ plus mile figure 8, that you could scale by 3 miles per loop.

★★★★★ — Mike , Jun 2023

Great place to ride, hike and walk a dog!! Well maintained trails, historic covered bridges to get across the creek. You have to be a member of Brandywine, it costs $50/year but it is worth it!

★★★★★ — Hanna , Mar 2020

This is my go to place to just have a great walk and recharge my mental health some.

★★★★★ — Joyce , Aug 2023

Beautiful walks & horse trails through bucolic Chester County. Away from the road noise members of the Brandywine Conservancy can enjoy peaceful uncrowded paths through woods & pasture. Two covered bridges cross Buck Run and Doe Run creeks. Leashed dogs are allowed.

★★★★★ — Gail , Nov 2022

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 99 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🏞️ Scenic views 11 mentions

“Beautiful preserve, two covered bridges, lots of water, wooded trails and big open spaces.”

More trails like this →

🐕 Dog-friendly 6 mentions

“Dogs must be on leash because park is shared with horse riders and mountain bikers.”

More trails like this →

🤫 Quiet / uncrowded 6 mentions

“Away from the road noise members of the Brandywine Conservancy can enjoy peaceful uncrowded paths through woods & pasture.”

More trails like this →

🌳 Shaded / tree cover 4 mentions

“Beautiful preserve, two covered bridges, lots of water, wooded trails and big open spaces.”

More trails like this →

⛰️ Hills / elevation 4 mentions

“The Laurels has it all hike hills, in the shade or relatively flat areas.”

More trails like this →

🪨 Crushed gravel / limestone 2 mentions

“Beautiful property, nice gravel trail for easy walking, off road cycling, or horse back.”

More trails like this →

🅿️ Trailhead parking 2 mentions

“No entrance fee, but parking can be limited.”

More trails like this →

Plan your run at The Laurels Preserve

The practical stuff

  • AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
  • SurfaceCrushed gravel — the rail-trail classic: softer than asphalt, still smooth enough for tempo work
  • DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
  • ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
  • At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
  • DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
  • Websitebrandywine.org
  • Phone(610) 388-2700
  • Social Instagram · Facebook

Hours

Monday Open 24 hours
Tuesday Open 24 hours
Wednesday Open 24 hours
Thursday Open 24 hours
Friday Open 24 hours
Saturday Open 24 hours
Sunday Open 24 hours

Posted hours for the park or trailhead. Gates and parking lots often close earlier than the trail itself, and seasonal hours change — worth a check before a pre-dawn or after-dark run.

Where to find The Laurels Preserve

Apple Grove Rd, Coatesville, PA 19320

Get directions

Running trails near Coatesville

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Natural Lands' ChesLen Preserve

4.8 ★★★★★ 485 reviews

Coatesville, PA

MixedShadedLitScenic

Sizable nature preserve featuring walking trails, a small playground & picturesque scenery.

3.9 miles away

Broad Run Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 145 reviews

Downingtown, PA

LoopPavedShaded

Clean park featuring a pond and paved trails, plus basketball and volleyball courts.

5.3 miles away

Shadyside Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 298 reviews

West Bradford Township, PA

PavedShadedLitDog-friendly

Park featuring baseball and hockey fields, tennis and basketball courts, pavilions, and a playground, plus a pond.

5.4 miles away

Anson B. Nixon Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 814 reviews

Kennett Square, PA

ScenicDog-friendly

106-acre park with ponds, trails, a playground & picnic pavilions set amid old-growth woods.

6.3 miles away

Parrish Trail

4.1 ★★★★☆ 14 reviews

Kennett Square, PA

10 miLoopMixed

6.4 miles away

Caln Municipal Park

4.2 ★★★★☆ 40 reviews

Thorndale, PA

6.4 miles away

All running trails in Coatesville, PA →

Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.