Neshaminy State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neshaminy State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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The Philadelphia skyline as seen from Neshaminy State Park
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 Neshaminy State Park
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Bensalem, Bucks, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area | 330 acres (130 ha) |
| Elevation | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Established | 1956 |
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| Website | Neshaminy State Park |
Neshaminy State Park is a fun place to visit in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It's a state park that covers about 330-acre (134 ha) of land. From a spot called Logan Point, you can even see the amazing Philadelphia skyline!
The park is located where the Neshaminy Creek flows into the big Delaware River. You can easily find Neshaminy State Park right off Interstate 95 on Pennsylvania Route 132.
Contents
Park History
Most of the land for Neshaminy State Park was given to Pennsylvania in 1956. It came from the family of Robert R. Logan. His family was connected to James Logan, who was an important helper to William Penn. William Penn was the person who founded Pennsylvania a long time ago.
One of the oldest roads in Pennsylvania, Dunks Ferry Road, runs along the edge of the park. It was built way back in 1679! A man named Dunken Williams built it so people could get to his ferry, which crossed the Delaware River. There was also a place called Dunks Ferry Inn. This inn was a popular stop for travelers from the mid-1700s until the late 1800s.
Nature and Wildlife
Neshaminy State Park is about 116 miles (187 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. Even though it's far from the ocean, the park is at sea level. This creates a special area called an estuary. An estuary is where fresh water from a river mixes with salty water from the ocean.
Because of the ocean's tides, the river water here goes up and down every day. Long ago, the Lenape people lived by the river. They were very clever! They used the tides to help them catch fish. They would build low fences in the shallow water. When the water was high (at high tide), fish would swim over the fences. Then, when the water went down (at low tide), the fish would be caught behind the fences.
The area around Neshaminy State Park has a lot of Oak trees and other hardwood trees. It's like a big eastern forest.
Fun Activities
Neshaminy State Park offers many ways to have fun outdoors!
Boating on the Delaware River
The park has a large marina on the Delaware River with 370 spots for boats. These spots are very popular, so there's often a long waiting list! This is because the park is in a busy part of southeastern Pennsylvania. Many people enjoy boating on the Delaware River, especially in the summer. You can use boats with any amount of horsepower. Just make sure your boat is registered with any state or has a special permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
The Delaware River is also a good place for fishing. It's known as a "warm water fishery," meaning it has fish that like warmer water. If you go fishing, remember to follow all the rules from the fish commission.
Swimming Pool Fun
You can't swim in the river at Neshaminy State Park, but there's a great swimming pool! The pool is open every day from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. It's open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays and 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekends. Lifeguards are always on duty to keep everyone safe. There is a small fee to enter the pool area. For more information, you can visit neshaminypool.com.
Hiking Trails
Neshaminy State Park has about 4 miles (6.4 km) of hiking trails.
- Logan Walk is a paved trail that used to be the driveway to the Logan family's home. It's lined with trees and is great for walking.
- River Walk Trail is a loop trail that starts and ends at Logan Walk. It follows the edge of the Delaware River and goes past the estuary and a tidal marsh. It's a nice way to see the park's natural beauty.
Weather at the Park
Neshaminy State Park is in a special weather zone. It's between a cooler Continental climate to the north and a warmer Humid subtropical climate to the south. This means it has a Temperate Oceanic climate. The summers are hot, the winters are cool, and it rains throughout the year.
Even though most summer days are a bit humid, it can get very hot and sticky sometimes. The highest temperature ever recorded here since 1981 was 103.1 °F (40 °C) on July 22, 2011. The wettest month is usually July, which is when you might see more thunderstorms.
In winter, the coldest temperature recorded since 1981 was −8.2 °F (−22 °C) on January 22, 1984. It can also get very cold and windy, making it feel even colder. The park usually gets between 24 and 30 inches (61 and 76 cm) of snow each year, mostly in February. This is often when big winter storms called nor'easters happen.
| Climate data for Neshaminy State Park, 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1981-2018 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 72.2 (22.3) |
78.3 (25.7) |
87.8 (31.0) |
94.5 (34.7) |
96.1 (35.6) |
97.3 (36.3) |
103.1 (39.5) |
101.1 (38.4) |
99.0 (37.2) |
89.3 (31.8) |
81.9 (27.7) |
76.5 (24.7) |
103.1 (39.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.1 (5.1) |
44.3 (6.8) |
52.3 (11.3) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.6 (23.1) |
82.8 (28.2) |
86.9 (30.5) |
85.3 (29.6) |
78.6 (25.9) |
67.3 (19.6) |
56.5 (13.6) |
45.4 (7.4) |
64.9 (18.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.0 (0.6) |
35.4 (1.9) |
42.7 (5.9) |
53.2 (11.8) |
62.6 (17.0) |
72.1 (22.3) |
76.7 (24.8) |
75.3 (24.1) |
68.2 (20.1) |
56.8 (13.8) |
47.2 (8.4) |
37.4 (3.0) |
55.1 (12.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.9 (−3.9) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
33.0 (0.6) |
42.5 (5.8) |
51.6 (10.9) |
61.5 (16.4) |
66.6 (19.2) |
65.2 (18.4) |
57.9 (14.4) |
46.2 (7.9) |
37.8 (3.2) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
45.3 (7.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8.2 (−22.3) |
−1.8 (−18.8) |
5.0 (−15.0) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
33.7 (0.9) |
43.1 (6.2) |
49.3 (9.6) |
44.1 (6.7) |
37.6 (3.1) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
13.8 (−10.1) |
0.9 (−17.3) |
−8.2 (−22.3) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.59 (91) |
2.71 (69) |
4.27 (108) |
3.84 (98) |
4.20 (107) |
4.17 (106) |
4.96 (126) |
4.36 (111) |
4.02 (102) |
3.71 (94) |
3.41 (87) |
3.91 (99) |
47.15 (1,198) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 64.7 | 61.6 | 57.2 | 57.1 | 61.5 | 64.6 | 65.6 | 67.7 | 68.4 | 67.6 | 66.2 | 66.3 | 64.1 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 22.4 (−5.3) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
38.4 (3.6) |
49.2 (9.6) |
59.5 (15.3) |
64.3 (17.9) |
63.9 (17.7) |
57.4 (14.1) |
46.2 (7.9) |
36.5 (2.5) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
43.2 (6.2) |
| Source: PRISM | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Delaware River Water Temperature 10 Miles Northeast of NSP | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 37 (3) |
37 (3) |
44 (7) |
53 (12) |
63 (17) |
74 (23) |
81 (27) |
80 (27) |
73 (23) |
60 (16) |
48 (9) |
40 (4) |
58 (14) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Other Parks Nearby
If you enjoy Neshaminy State Park, there are many other great state parks within 30 miles (48 km) that you might like to visit:
- Benjamin Rush State Park (Philadelphia County)
- Bull's Island Recreation Area (New Jersey)
- Delaware Canal State Park (Bucks and Northampton Counties)
- Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park (New Jersey)
- Evansburg State Park (Montgomery County)
- Fort Washington State Park (Montgomery County)
- Nockamixon State Park (Bucks County)
- Norristown Farm Park (Montgomery County)
- Ralph Stover State Park (Bucks County)
- Rancocas State Park (New Jersey)
- Ridley Creek State Park (Delaware County)
- Tyler State Park (Bucks County)
- Washington Crossing State Park (New Jersey)
