Berks County Parks: What Each One Offers

What the nine Berks County parks offer: trails, historic sites, fishing, and hours, plus the rule that dogs are allowed only at Antietam Lake.

Berks County runs nine parks, offering trails, historic sites, ballfields, fishing, and picnic pavilions. This guide covers what each one offers and the rules that apply at all of them, including the single park where dogs are allowed.

These are county parks, run by the Berks County Parks and Recreation Department. They are separate from Blue Marsh Lake, the federal lake northwest of Reading with the swim beach and boat launches, which the county does not run. For that one, see our Blue Marsh Lake guide.

The basics: who runs it, hours, and pets

The parks department is led by director Brendan Lederer. The main office is at Gring's Mill, 2083 Tulpehocken Rd., Wyomissing PA 19610. Call 610-372-8939 during office hours, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A park ranger on duty can be reached at 484-256-5530.

The parks open at 8:00 a.m. every day. Closing time changes month to month with the daylight:

January: 5:30 p.m.
February: 6:00 p.m.
March: 7:00 p.m.
April: 8:00 p.m.
May: 8:30 p.m.
June and July: 9:00 p.m.
August: 8:30 p.m.
September: 8:00 p.m.
October: 7:00 p.m.
November: 5:00 p.m.
December: 4:30 p.m.

One rule catches many visitors off guard: dogs are allowed only at Antietam Lake Park. Pets are not permitted at any of the other county parks, including the Union Canal Bicycle and Walking Trail. Service animals are allowed everywhere.

The nine parks

Gring's Mill Recreation Area

Address: 2083 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing. About 33 acres, and the hub of the system. It has six tennis courts, a softball field, an eighteen-station exercise course, a sand volleyball court, shuffleboard courts, quoit and horseshoe pits, a ranch-theme children's play area, and a walking trail. Historic buildings sit on the grounds, and the barn holds an information center, meeting space, and restrooms. The Union Canal trail runs through here. Summer brings a concert series at the outdoor amphitheater on Sunday evenings from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and a holiday lights program each December. The parks main office is on site.

Berks County Heritage Center

Address: 1102 Red Bridge Road, Bern Township. This is the county's history park. Its centerpiece is the Gruber Wagon Works, a National Historic Landmark, with guided tours that run about 75 minutes. The grounds also hold the C. Howard Hiester Canal Center, Melcher's Grist Mill, Epler's one-room schoolhouse, an herb garden, and Mildred the Houseboat. The center keeps a seasonal schedule, roughly mid-April through mid-November, open Thursday to Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4:00 p.m. Restrooms are open year-round, and the lower level of the barn has an information center, a country store, and a snack bar.

Red Bridge Recreation Area

Address: 2141 Tulpehocken Road, Spring Township. About 7 acres built around the Red Bridge, also called Wertz's Covered Bridge, the longest single-span covered bridge in Pennsylvania at 202 feet. The bridge carries walkers over the Tulpehocken Creek to the Union Canal trail and on to the Heritage Center. The park has a picnic pavilion, a badminton court, a walking trail, grills, restrooms, and parking.

Berks Leisure Area

Address: 1901 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing. A 7.5-acre spot with a picnic pavilion, badminton and shuffleboard courts, quoit and horseshoe pits, grills, and electricity at the pavilion. An iron-and-wood footbridge crosses the creek to the Union Canal trail, and the remains of the canal's Lift Lock No. 51 are nearby.

Union Canal Bicycle and Walking Trail

A 4.5-mile crushed-stone path that follows the Tulpehocken Creek between Stonecliffe Recreation Area and Reber's Bridge Road, linking Gring's Mill and the Heritage Center along the way. A 1.8-mile connector joins it to the Blue Marsh Lake trail system. Numbered markers point out features of the old Union Canal, which operated from 1828 to 1885. The trail is open daily, year-round, with parking at every county park along it. Biking and walking are allowed. Pets are not.

Antietam Lake Park and Angora Fruit Farm

Address: 230 Angora Road, Reading. The one park where leashed dogs are welcome. The county manages it for passive recreation and environmental education around Antietam Lake, with the Angora Fruit Farm on the grounds. A controlled archery-only deer management program, run with USDA Wildlife Services, operates here in fall and winter, so check the park page for current dates before visiting.

Allegheny Aqueduct and Beidler House

Address: 1130 Old River Road, Gibraltar. One of the county's smaller, historical sites, named for the Allegheny Aqueduct, with the Beidler House on the grounds. The county does not publish a detail page for this park, so call the parks office at 610-372-8939 for hours and access before visiting.

Stonecliffe Recreation Area

Address: 1200 Monroe Street, Reading. About 15 acres with volleyball, basketball, and shuffleboard courts, a combination football and soccer field, fitness stations, and a children's play area. It has a fishing dock and picnic area, though the concrete fishing pier is closed after the 2025 removal of Bushong's Dam changed water levels. The Union Canal and Schuylkill River trails pass through. Use the Columbia Street parking lot for access, since the Monroe Street lot is closed during city construction.

Youth Recreation Facility

Address: 1098 County Road, Leesport. A 115-acre sports complex at County and Upper Van Reed Roads in Bern Township. It has four soccer fields, one of them lighted, and four ballfields: a Legion field, a Little League field, a lighted softball field, and a tee-ball field, along with parking and restrooms. Fields are booked through the parks office.

Reservations and rules

Pavilions and barns can be reserved April 15 through the last weekend in October, booked through the county's RecDesk system. A group of 24 or fewer does not need a reservation to gather in a park; a group of 25 or more needs a permit, which the office asks you to request at least two weeks ahead. For rental fees and how to book, see our companion guide to Berks County pavilion rentals.

A few rules apply across all the parks:

No alcohol on park property.
Dogs are allowed only at Antietam Lake Park, leashed and cleaned up after. Pets are banned at every other park and on the Union Canal trail. Service animals are allowed everywhere. For the county license your dog needs, see our dog license guide.
No swimming anywhere in the county parks, and no watercraft on Antietam Lake. For a swim beach and boat launches, use Blue Marsh Lake.
No camping, and no hunting outside the managed program at Antietam Lake.
Keep vehicles on the roads and parking areas.

FAQ

Which Berks County parks allow dogs?

Only Antietam Lake Park. Dogs must be leashed, and owners must clean up after them. Dogs and other pets are not permitted at any of the other eight county parks, including the Union Canal Bicycle and Walking Trail. Service animals are allowed at every park.

Are the county parks the same as Blue Marsh Lake?

No. Blue Marsh Lake is a federal lake run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and it is where you go for a swim beach and boat launches. The nine parks in this guide are run by Berks County. See our Blue Marsh Lake guide for that one.

What time do the parks open and close?

They open at 8:00 a.m. every day. Closing time shifts with the season, from 4:30 p.m. in December to 9:00 p.m. in June and July. In October, the parks close at 7:00 p.m.

Do I need a reservation to use a park or pavilion?

A group of 24 or fewer can use a park without a reservation. A group of 25 or more needs a permit. To reserve a pavilion or barn, which you can do from April 15 through the last weekend in October, see our pavilion rental guide.

Can you fish or swim in the county parks?

Swimming is not allowed at the county parks. Fishing is available at Stonecliffe Recreation Area, which has a fishing dock, though its concrete fishing pier is closed for now after a 2025 dam removal changed the water level. For swimming at a beach, Blue Marsh Lake is the place.

Sources and contact

Berks County Parks and Recreation, 2083 Tulpehocken Rd., Wyomissing PA 19610. Phone 610-372-8939. Park ranger on duty 484-256-5530. Office hours Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For a broader look at what the county itself handles, see our guide to how Berks County government works.