The Forest on the Fall Line
Five Mile Woods Preserve
Roughly 300 acres of protected woods where Pennsylvania's piedmont meets the coastal plain.
Five Mile Woods Preserve protects roughly 300 acres of forest in Lower Makefield Township, just off Big Oak Road between Yardley and Levittown. Its quiet claim to fame is geological: the preserve straddles the fall line, the ancient boundary where the rolling piedmont drops to the Atlantic coastal plain — so a single walk carries you between two distinct ecosystems.
For the surrounding neighborhoods it is simpler than that: miles of well-kept walking trails through genuinely deep woods, in a corner of the county most people assume is wall-to-wall development. It is the closest thing Lower Bucks has to a hidden forest.
Parks & Nature
Walking the preserve
The trail system loops through mature hardwoods, wet lowlands, and stream corridors, with enough mileage to build a real hike out of connected loops. It is foot traffic only, which keeps the woods quiet — on a weekday you will hear more woodpeckers than people.
Because the terrain is gentle, it works for nearly everyone: young kids, older walkers, runners doing loops. Spring wildflowers and fall color are the peak seasons, but the preserve stays open and walkable year-round.
Parks & Nature
Why a forest survived here
The woods survived the postwar building boom because residents recognized the fall-line ecology made the tract scientifically significant and fought to protect it — a campaign that ended with Lower Makefield Township acquiring the preserve in 1979 as permanent public open space. It stands as one of the last large unbroken forests in this part of the county.
That history is worth knowing because it explains the character of the surrounding area: the Big Oak Road corridor keeps a green spine even as the neighborhoods around it filled in — one reason lower Yardley, Oxford Valley, and the eastern Levittown sections hold their appeal.
Questions People Ask
Five Mile Woods Preserve — frequently asked questions
What is Five Mile Woods Preserve?
Five Mile Woods Preserve is a roughly 300-acre protected forest owned by Lower Makefield Township, near Yardley in Bucks County, PA. It sits on the fall line between the piedmont and the Atlantic coastal plain, giving it unusual ecological variety, and offers a network of walking trails.
Where is Five Mile Woods located?
The preserve entrance is at 1305 Big Oak Road in Lower Makefield Township, PA, a few minutes from Yardley, Oxford Valley, and Levittown's eastern sections.
Are dogs or bikes allowed at Five Mile Woods?
Five Mile Woods is managed as a quiet natural area with foot-traffic-oriented trails. Check the preserve's posted rules for current policies before visiting with pets or wheels.
Why is the fall line at Five Mile Woods significant?
The fall line is the geological boundary where Pennsylvania's rolling piedmont meets the flat Atlantic coastal plain. At Five Mile Woods you can walk between the two zones, which is why the preserve supports plant communities from both ecosystems — a rarity in the region.
Want Five Mile Woods Preserve in your daily life?
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