Wissahickon Valley Park

Located in the Northwest section of Philadelphia, the Wissahickon Valley Park has been a popular natural space for over a century and a half. Before it became a Park, this picturesque ravine inspired and rejuvenated tourists, painters, writers, photographers and Philadelphians from all walks of life. The Wissahickon also was the first piece of publicly owned U.S. land to be preserved mainly because of its scenic attributes. Edgar Allen Poe, famous poet, and the famous landscape painters, Thomas Moran and James Peale, have drawn inspiration from the space as well.

Wissahickon also hosts the city's first drinking fountain. Wissahickon Valley Park is a natural park that offers numerous hiking, biking, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities to an estimated number of 750,000 of visitors to the Wissahickon Valley Park per year.

The Wissahickon Creek flows through the park, running seven miles in its entirety. Forbidden Drive, a wide gravel road closed to automobile traffic, is a well traveled biking, walking, and hiking trail that follows the Wissahickon from Manayunk through the Valley that parallels the Creek. The Park also is crisscrossed by more than 50 miles of other rugged trails. Also you can sit beside one of the Wissahickon Creek's last remaining dams from the Wissahickon's important industrial past. One can also take part in the valley's favorite pastimes fishing in the stocked stream.

Another alluring feature of the Park is The Valley Green Inn which offers dining in a 19th century roadside inn along Forbidden Drive. The building has been standing and in use since the 1850’s. The Valley Green is now a restaurant for the many visitors to the park, while still enjoy the natural setting and scenery.

The Wissahickon Valley Park is a national Natural Landmark and one of the most unique places in the City of Philadelphia.

The Wissahickon provides the city with 1800 acres of land, including forest and woods. Also 125 bird species seek refuge in the Wissahickon all year round. The main ecological benefit for our city is the fact that Wissahickon wooded area absorbs about 4680 tons of harmful pollutant CO₂ each year.

Wissahickon Valley Park is recognized in the Fairmount Park system as a Philadelphia icon. This remarkable urban wilderness enriches Southeastern Pennsylvania by helping to purify the drinking water supply for the City of Philadelphia, by absorbing carbon and other waste emissions from our air, and by providing enhanced quality of life for Philadelphians and our neighbors in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The Valley also is home to a diverse wildlife population of mammals, birds and fish.

But the Wissahickon Valley currently faces challenges that may impact its ability to remain a space for people and wildlife alike to enjoy with an aging trail system that degrading the habitat, funnels surface runoff and contaminants