Friends of Tyler Park Launch $10K Campaign To Restore Connector Trail

NEWTOWN, PA — The Friends of Tyler State Park has launched a fundraising campaign to fund the upgrade of the Playground Creek Trail.

The community-driven initiative is focused on revitalizing and securing the unpaved connector trail, which links the park’s main playground area and the traffic-free Tyler Drive walking trail.

The path has deteriorated, creating navigational hazards for families traveling toward the park's popular Boathouse area. The project aims to replace the current trail with a stroller-friendly pathway, ensuring a significantly safer, more accessible "path to play" for visitors of all ages and helping reduce pedestrian traffic along the main park road.

"We want to ensure that every child and family can navigate our beautiful park safely," said Toby Tobin, project manager for the Playground Creek Trail Project and board member of Friends of Tyler State Park. "By rebuilding this connector trail, we are hoping to eliminate pedestrian traffic along the main park road to the Boathouse area by providing a safer and easier path.”

The unpaved, deteriorating trail. (Friends of Tyler State Park)

Community Kickoff and Early Milestones

The project has already garnered significant local momentum and early community backing:

• Ecological Restoration: The Bucks County Community College STEM Department, alongside ecology and environmental science students, kicked off physical project efforts by donating and planting native trees along the trail corridor.
• Foundational Donors: Early financial support has been anchored by generous contributions from the Bucks County Road Runners and local residents.

How To Support The Project

To transform the trail into a restored, weather-resistant path, the Friends group is relying on public contributions to reach its $10,000 goal before its September deadline.

Community members, businesses, and park enthusiasts are encouraged to donate securely online through the official Playground Creek Trail Project Donation Page (ppff.app.neoncrm.com/forms/tyler-path-improvement). Funds will go directly toward materials to make the path weather-resistant and stroller-friendly.