Wissahickon Valley Park: Forbidden Drive & Paved Wissahickon Trail

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Wissahickon Valley Park Trail | Photo by Anya Saretzky

Wissahickon Valley Park: Forbidden Drive & Paved Wissahickon Trail

Forbidden Drive and the Paved Wissahickon Trail make up is a 6.7-miles of Circuit Trail in Wissahickon Valley Park, Philadelphia. Forbidden Drive was named Trail of the Year in 2018 by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and is the Wissahickon Park’s most popular trail. The Paved Wissahickon Trail is the Park’s only paved trail and offers connections to the Schuylkill River Trail. Both of these trails are like many in the Circuit Trails network, a system of multi-use trails in the Greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region that when finished will include more than 850 miles of trails.

Location: Philadelphia

Trail Length: 6.7 miles total (Paved Wissahickon Trail: 1.4 mi; Forbidden Drive: 5.3 mi)

Surface: Gravel (Forbidden Drive) and Asphalt (Paved Wissahickon Trail)

Wissahickon Valley Park Trail System | Photo by TrailLink user popsknox

Getting to the Trail

Parking and Public Transportation Options

Northern Access: Parking is available at 200 W Northwestern Ave in Philadelphia

If you are taking public transportation, the trail can be accessed from SEPTA’s Regional Rail Manayunk/Norristown Line or Chestnut Hill East Line, in addition to the Wissahickon Transit Center

For other access points, visit https://fow.org/visit-the-park/maps/

For more information about the trail, visit TrailLink.com.

View on TrailLink

Explore the Trail

Wissahickon Trail Itinerary

Schuylkill River to Morris Arboretum Wissahickon Valley, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

Overview

Once home to the sound of logging mills, today the verdant Wissahickon Valley Park offers a tranquil refuge from nearby Center City. Immerse yourself in a beautiful landscape of waterfalls, streams and dense foliage as you wind along a 7-mile long route through the park. Visit historic sites, spot wildlife and explore additional trails that lead to quiet and remote areas.

Download Itinerary

Forbidden Drive | Photo courtesy Circuit Trails

Trail Activities

Events and activities are happening on Circuit Trails around the region all the time. Friends of the Wissahickon, a Circuit Trails Coalition member, often hosts events on the Wissahickon Valley Park Trail – Forbidden Drive. View all upcoming events #OnTheCircuit here.

Email [email protected] with questions or updates to this trail.