Springfield Trail

Start from Delaware County's Smedley Park. There is no clearly marked trailhead here -- look for the yellow trail blazes starting near the trolley station. The trail loops through the park, then follows a number of small streams to wind discreetly through neighborhoods. Once you get away from 476, the traffic noise drops to a minimum. Starting at the papermill road trolley station, head downhill towards Crum Creek through a playground and over a bridge. Following the yellow blazes you climb up a short gravel trail, past an old quarry and the ruins of an old water bottling plant, cross another playground and over a bridge. Then the trail takes a left through a grassy entrance into the woods and under the freeway. You'll leave Crum Creek and start to follow some smaller tributary streams. The trail crosses small streams in several places, but unless there has been a lot of rain recently, this isn't usually a problem. This section ends at the main trailhead located in a church parking lot off route 320. Cross the church parking lot and head toward the stoplight on Sproul Road. Cross Sproul Road at the light to follow the sidewalk on Woodland Avenue for approximately a quarter mile. Turn right at James Ln just before the Kovacs Funeral home. You'll pick up the Springfield Trail again on the left just behind the funeral home. (If you want to jump off the trail for an ice cream break, the Dairy Cottage restaurant is another quarter mile down the sidewalk on Woodland Avenue past the Funeral Home.) The next junction that you'll need to navigate is Thomson Avenue. The main trail breaks right and takes you across the stream to Lewis Road where you'll have to follow the sidewalks to the left to bring you back to Thomson Avenue, down the hill to the Thomson Avenue Trolley station. Follow the yellow blazes down the road behind the station to a bridge that crosses a small creek. When the trail comes to the Springfield Mall trolley station, you must climb the stairs and cross the bridge. The trail picks up on the other side. Following the yellow blazes will bring you back to the paper mill road trolley station.