Beyond Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania offers expansive rural farmland, rolling green hills and endless activities for you and your family to enjoy in the fresh, open air.
This summer, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office introduced its PA Preferred Ice Cream Trails Passport Program. Similar to a wine, beer or bourbon trail, this kid-friendly trail is all about one other addictive treat — ice cream! The program celebrates all the great family farms around the area that serve up heaping scoops of the good stuff, often just a few feet away from the cows who did their part. You won’t find any Hershey’s ice cream or Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream on this map, though. The creators delved deep into the heart and soul of rural Pennsylvania to pick only the best family farms creating ice cream on a small scale. However, with all the farms located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, you’re just a short drive from Philadelphia, making this trail easily accessible.
Whether or not you pick up your passport for the program or even if ice cream’s not really your thing, these farms are a fun family visit and a great way to capture that little bit of warm weather before winter hits the state.
Part of a relatively new farm, this creamery in Lebanon was founded in 2009. You can eat your ice cream while looking right at the cows and, inside the creamery, you can get a glimpse of the processing plant through large viewing windows. If you don’t have time to stop and see the crops planted or harvested (depending on your time of visit), you can swing through the drive-thru to pick up your ice cream, cheese, butter and more.
In Lancaster County, you’ll find more than just regular farm-fresh ice cream at this small dairy farm. You can enjoy milkshakes, floats and affogato, too. Try the lunch menu as well and get a glimpse of the entire farming operation, from cow to cone. This sustainable farm has been recognized for its wide array of conservation efforts.
In York, Perydell Farm sits on more than 300 acres and is a fully self-sufficient dairy farm. The farm supports four families with 130 cows. Self-guided tours are available during normal operating hours, but you can also schedule a guided tour to see the cows, calves, farming equipment and ice cream production.
Called one of the top ice cream destinations in Pennsylvania, the creamery at Milky Way Farm has more than 40 flavors, each named after one of the on-site cows. The family tours include interaction with the farm animals, crops and machinery. Tours are generally available during evening hours so you can roll up your sleeves and help with the farm chores — feeding the calves and goats, collecting eggs and more. Tours are $10 per person.
Get your complete ice cream fix at this farm that sells not only hand-dipped ice cream on the spot, but also pre-packaged ice cream just about every way you could want it, even in cake form! Other farm-fresh items to pick up while you’re there include beef products, baked goods, deli items and seasonal produce.
This farm is a destination in of itself. There’s so much more to do here than just eat and say hi to the animals (which you can do at the farm’s zoo). They also have two miniature golf courses, batting cages and a driving range.
Merrymead Farm certainly caters to those with a sweet tooth. The fifth-generation family farm serves up all kinds of baked goods, fresh pies, award-winning milk and ice cream. Visit between 3:30 and 6 p.m. to observe the daily cow milking and also say hi to the baby chicks and ducklings, calves, sheep, bunnies, goats, peacocks and the lone pig and donkey.
With 300 cows and three generations of farmers, Way-Har Farms in Bernville, Pennsylvania, has been a community staple for decades. The on-site market sells ice cream and baked goods. A children’s tour is $4 per ticket and even comes with ice cream! Kids meet the cows, see the ice cream manufacturing facility and how it all results in the ice cream they’re eating.
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