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As summer approaches, what better way to escape Philly’s busy streets than by exploring the hidden trails many people don’t even realize are right in the city?
Wissahickon Valley Park is home to 2,000 acres and over 50 miles of trails that anyone can visit to enjoy a change of scenery. The park offers trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and even equestrians. It’s an opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the park or even just have a relaxing retreat and a chance to get away from the busy streets.
Shawn Green, director of field stewardship at Friends of the Wissahickon, says the park’s unique features offer a place for community events from the surrounding neighborhoods, such as Roxborough. This includes volunteer services days, free guided hikes and the Valley Talks lecture series.
“Residents of Roxboro, depending on where you’re living, you can walk to the park, you don’t have to drive anywhere, you don’t have to deal with parking, and you can just head in at any of those different access points and start your adventure,” Green said.
There are even businesses that can be found inside the park, such as Valley Green Inn and the Paper Trail Bike Cafe, for an afternoon snack and rest stop.
According to Green, one of the easiest and most popular trails people know would be Forbidden Drive, which is 5.35 miles with mostly flat, wide gravel. The path runs by various connector trails.
“That’s a great starting point, because you can see a lot. I describe Forbidden Drive as being like the highway, the thoroughfare through the park, and it’s the fastest way to get from one point to another.” Green said.
The longest trail is the Yellow Trail, located on the western side of the park in Roxborough, and it is entirely multi-use.
Entering the park can make people completely forget that they are in a major city.
“It’s very, very special, and it’s really important that we have this resource that anybody in Philadelphia is able to come and enjoy to recreate or relax, or however people want to enjoy the forest.”
Since 1924, Friends of the Wissahickon has supported the area as a non-profit that stewards the park with their partners, such as Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and the Philadelphia Water Department.
In addition, they host various volunteer programs, including Volunteer Service Days, which are open to the public. There is no need for prior experience, and the park will provide all the tools, instructions and everything else. These programs are held every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
“It’s a great way to experience the park as well, because you really kind of get to learn a little bit more about the history and the habitat of these particular areas. But aside from that, we have free guided hikes that are also led by our volunteers, which are all listed on our events page.”Green said.
The group has recently launched an effort to protect the park from flooding and other weather events, such as the damage that happened in 2021 following Hurricane Ida in 2021 when water rushed down the creek, flooding Forbidden Drive.
In 2024, a $3.5 million project provide a major upgrade in the form of a new pedestrian bridge with an observation deck, a stream restoration, and a new trailhead in the park’s Valley Green Run section.
The Friends group also hosts a lecture series called Valley Talks, with each session exploring different topics from wildlife and history to the park’s watershed.
“There’s so much to see and do and experience, and it takes a lot of work to keep them up, to clean up litter, to restore habitats, cut back invasive plants, and take care of the trails. It really is a large community effort to take care of all these, and so we rely heavily on people coming out to volunteer.” Green emphasized.
