Alverthorpe Private Park

I’m following up on my review from over a year ago with some refreshed insight, additional photos and, well, because once wasn’t enough, here’s a quick reel of HIGHLIGHTS and LOWLIGHTS: 

HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Hidden slice of suburban woodland tucked just outside Philly that is serene enough to reset your social media–addled brain; (2) Flat, open terrain scattered with tall shade trees makes pitching your tent feel practically pastoral; (3) Surprisingly solid cell signal (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T all wave hello), which is rare in inner-density camping and handy for emergency pizza delivery orders; (4) Short walk to a quaint lake and four-sided chimney for marshmallow toasting that offers low-key charm with built-in ambiance; and (5) Tons of shade completely shroud the entire campground area, so no need to bring those pesky shelters for added coverage. 

LOWLIGHTS: (1) No restroom drama on the way in, but once you’re past the control building, basic camping reality bites; (2) Ancient shelter and group pavilion are charming in a ‘needs new plumbing’ sort of way; (3) Reaching the camping area involves navigating uneven steps as you won’t be able to drive to your actual campsite, which is great for adventure, but bad for sprained ankles; (4) Feels like a weekend-only myth where the park closes on holidays and deals in ‘control building hours’; and (5) This place is known to be full of litter and in dire need of some ground maintenance, so you might just want to bring an extra garbage bag and a rake to help out.

Happy Camping!

Located just due south of Abington and north of Cheltenham right outside of Philly, Alverthorpe Private Park is a hidden gem tucked into the forested wilds in what is surprisingly an otherwise densely populated leafy tree-lined shady suburban area. One moment you are slowly passing stately homes in pristine residential surroundings and the very next, you’ll pull into this nicely shielded protected neighborhood park that offers up tons of recreational opportunities, in addition to a nice plot of shaded land perfect for suburban tent camping bliss – although you’ll need to be a resident in order to camp here, which was a major bummer to learn. 

As for the park itself, don’t follow your GPS if you intend to find this place, as you’ll have to enter on the south side of the park, which has the only main entrance. Here, you’ll pass a little check-in kiosk, where depending upon why you are there, as there could be many reasons, the nice older gentleman will point you in the right direction. From here you will turn left and find ample parking for your vehicle (although to be clear, this is not a spot for RVs or 5th Wheelers). If you are coming here to camp, you’ll have a bit of a hike for about a 1/3 mile, where you’ll want to follow the walkway towards the lake, after which a nice 18 hole golf course will be on your right. Once at the lake, you’ll see the group shelter where there is a super-cool 4-sided chimney perfect for late night marshmallow roasting or for BBQing. 

Just up the hill to the left and behind the shelter is where you’ll make your way to the actual campground. Careful, because up until this point, making your way to the campground has been pretty easy as you will have walked on nice wide paved sidewalks, perfect for hiking in or pulling your gear behind you, but at this stage, you’ll have to maneuver some uneven quasi steep steps before finally making it to the campground area. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll have your pick of about a dozen ill-kept sites and a fairly nasty shelter that is definitely in need of not only upkeep and basic sanitation, but likely would benefit from some much-needed repairs. All of the sites either have an in-ground firepits and standing grills, or there are enough spread around where you can easily use the ones not being used throughout the tenting community. There was one running spigot of water up here, but it was so gross we didn’t use it. There’s also a nice access point to the lake from here where you could easily go for a nice walk or even tow your kayak behind you. 

As for Alverthorpe itself, this is a magnificent well taken care of park, so I was surprised to see that the campground area didn’t receive the same level of TLC. If that doesn’t bother you, then you’ll be happy here as the whole place, as previously mentioned, is tucked behind a little suburban outcrop so it is extremely quiet. Here’s a lineup of all the amenities you’ll find: baseball field, basketball court, fishing, football field, grills, lake, mini-golf, pavilions and shelters, kid’s playground, restrooms, tennis courts, walking and biking trails and a swimming pool. To make a reservation to camp here, you’ll have to call the main office and the cost is $15 per night ... and again, don't forget to either be a resident or get one to vouch for you! 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) While this residential park packs a lot of entertainment options, when it comes to camping, there isn’t much. So I would definitely encourage you to bring EVERYTHING you might need to have a great experience – from chairs, tables, BBQ and even a brush and rake!; (2) After a good day of packing in a lot of activities, you might want to head out and enjoy a bite to eat or a couple of drinks – if so, you’re in luck as there are some really great spots just a short drive east of here, wherein I would recommend: Iron Hill Brewery, Hollywood Tavern and Gaul& Co. Malt House in Rockledge; (3) If you need any groceries, there’s a Giant Food Stores that has pretty much everything covered; and (4) Should you want to explore more of the surrounding nature offerings, I would suggest checking out Briar Bush Nature Center where there’s some great trail hiking as well as Morris Arboretum & Gardens, which is just beautiful. 

Happy Camping!