Hiking DC's Rock Creek Park - Southern Bluffs and Rapids Section

by Brian Schwarz

Rock Creek Park is a swath of preserved parkland located in Northwest Washington, DC. Managed by the National Park Service with hiking trails maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Rock Creek Park is a haven for urban hikers. Still, despite being well within the urban core of the nation's capital, Rock Creek's trails offer hikers a surprising amount of solitude.

This hike in the rocky southern section of Rock Creek Park begins at historic Pierce Mill. From the Pierce Mill parking area, take the green-blazed Western Ridge Trail north along the Rock Creek flood plain. Carefully cross Broad Branch Road and continue to follow the green blazes up a steep hill to cross Glover Road, soon after which you will reach Equitation Field. 

View from Rapids Bridge of Rock Creek, along the Fall Zone

Keep going on the Western Ridge Trail until you reach the signed Picnic Area 17. Here, cross Glover Road and find unmarked horse trail, identified on the PATC Map N Rock Creek Park map as CT7. Cross trail 7 joins CT6 after you traverse Ross Road at the picturesque Ross Road Bridge. Soon you will reach the flood plain once again. Turn left when you see Rock Creek and walk to Rapids Bridge, where you will cross the bridge to enjoy one of the most scenic views along Rock Creek. This is the Fall Zone, where the Piedmont physiographic province yields to the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

After enjoying views of the boulder-strewn waters, continue across the bridge, and then cross Beach Drive to join the blue-blazed Valley Trail. Turn Right. Stay on the Valley Trail as you pass by Boulder Bridge, where president Theodore Roosevelt once lost a precious gold ring that was never recovered, and climb to the precipice known as Pulpit Rock, a great place to rest and refuel.

Continue on the Valley Trail and soon you will cross Blagden Avenue, then later Park Road and Beach Drive once again. As you once again reach the banks of Rock Creek, turn left, to the end of the Valley Trail at Bluff Bridge.

Cross Bluff Bridge and turn right to join the Western Ridge Trail, at the base of a hill topped by Klingle Mansion, which houses Rock Creek Park Headquarters. Several yards on, you must choose the strenuous or moderate route to continue on the Western Ridge Trail.

The strenuous route is more scenic but requires some light bouldering (grabbing onto boulders to navigate obstacles in the trail). Along the moderate route you will find a spur trail that leads to Klingle Mansion. Just beyond the point where these two routes converge is your starting point at Pierce Mill.

Trailhead: Find the Pierce Mill parking area along Park Road, just west and across Rock Creek from Beach Drive. This hike is also accessible via the Metro Red Line. From Vann Ness - UDC Station walk south on Connecticut Avenue to Tilden Street and walk east. Also, You may take H2, H3, or H4 Metrobus to the corner of Klingle Avenue NW and Park Road NW, then walk north on Park Road to Pierce Mill. Each of these public transit routes add approximately one mile, round trip.
Distance: Approximately 3.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain/Loss: Approximately 400 feet, spread out between several hills
Map: A free map is available from the National Parks Service here. However, for a more enriching experience hiking Rock Creek Park, I recommend purchasing Map N: Trails in the Rock Creek Park Area, from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, available for purchase here.
Hiking Time: 1.5 to two hours round trip, depending on your personal speed and how often you take breaks to enjoy the views.
Best Times to Hike: This hike can be done year round.
Difficulty: Easy

For more information on this hike or other hikes discussed in the blog HikeyHikey, feel free to leave a comment below. Also, check out my other blogs Man of Merit and MyFitLife2Day and HikingMegalopolis. Or contact me via my splash page at about.me/brian.schwarz

Hiking Philadelphia - West Fairmount Park Great Woods Loop

by Brian Schwarz

Most Philadelphia area hikers know about hiking the Wissahickon Gorge, but few realize some of the best trails lie tucked away between the Schuylkill Expressway, West Philadelphia and City Avenue. That's right, West Fairmount Park is so close to the Center City that no one suspects that it's home to an in-tact contiguous woods, with an easy-to-follow 5-mile hiking loop that leads through the urban wilds and only crosses a busy park road once!

Mountain bikers and competitive cross-country runners already know about sections of these great trails. Still, strikingly few hikers take the time to get to know this truly unparalleled hiking experience. Despite their proximity to the heart of the city, this is not some second-rate hike you do when you can't make it to the Wissahickon, the Reading Prong, Blue Mountain or the Poconos. Hiking the great woods of Philadelphia's West Fairmount Park actually feels like entering the lungs of this great city.

Topo map shows terrain, beneath the trees of West Fairmount's Great Woods

Most people who have been to West Fairmount Park are probably most familiar with aspects of the Centennial District, which includes the Philadelphia Zoo, the Horticultural Center with its Japanese Garden, the Mann Center for Performing Arts and the Please Touch Museum in Memorial Hall. Many also know the many picnic areas and the spectacular view to be seen of the Philadelphia skyline from the Belmont Plateau. But fewer know of the woods that lie east of the plateau, on either side of the ridge where you'll find Chamounix Drive and the multi-use Speedway Trail.

The Great Woods of Fairmount Park can be divided into two parts, Belmont Woods and Chamounix Woods. The Belmont Woods is a unique urban-riparian experience.  Bound by Greenland Drive to the north, Chamounix Drive to the west and the sweeping grassy knoll of Belmont Mansion to the south. It is bound by the Schuylkill Expressway, too, and the trails here dip down below the massive interstate highway taking you into quiet wetland zones where creeks trickle down through a mixed-growth forest. Trees that are hundreds of years younger trees, providing a unique forest experience with a high canopy and a dense understory. It's an experience that rivals and even tops many Pennsylvania state forests, most of which are still quite young in comparison.

The Great Woods of Fairmount Park - Belmont and Chamounix

The Satellite image above shows the near contiguous Great Woods of Fairmount Park. Notice where the Strawberry Mansion Bridge enters the picture, crossing the Schuylkill River on the bottom right of the photo. As the road enters the park it is called Greenland Drive until it reaches Chamounix Drive. Belmont Woods are to the left of Greenland and extend all the way to the edge to the grassy area in front of Belmont Mansion. The woods north and west of Chamounix Road stretch as far north as the Schuylkill Expressway - right up to the I-76/Roosevelt Boulevard interchange - then wraps around Chamounix Hill to continue back to Greenland Road.

Here's the best part - the Great Woods of Fairmount Park is home to an extensive network of wilderness trails that nearly ANYONE can do and where EVERYONE is welcome. That's right - you don't have to be a moneybags or have special equipment and such to enjoy these woods! Just strap on a sturdy pair of shoes, carry water and snacks, and carry a pack so you can haul out any trash you make while enjoying the woods. These are the people's woods!

Don't worry that the trails back in these woods are not marked; you can trust all of the trails to lead you eventually to a road. If there is a trail back there that just peters out and doesn't go anywhere - and I haven't found one yet after at least 15 trips to scout trails - then just turn back around and take another route. That's what's so amazing - you're never far from a way out of the woods, yet you could get lost in there for as long as you choose to. These Philadelphia woods are the epitome of the urban wilds.

GPS Map of the Great Woods Hike in West Fairmount Park

The above map shows a recent 5.3-mile hike I took, starting at the Chamounix Mansion Youth Hostel (see the green dot?) and doing a loop of the entire Great Woods Hike. During the hike, I only crossed traffic once - at the intersection of Belmont Mansion and Chamounix Drives, which, as it turns out, is at the three-mile mark, an excellent place to stop and have lunch at the Chamounix Picnic Area.

The road crossings at Ford Road and Greenland Drive each have wooded pedestrian crossings, where if you'd like to exit the woods you may, but you certainly don't have to. Just to give you an idea of how long it would take to do this 5..3-mile loop, I did the entire thing in about three hours, taking several breaks to sit beneath the towering trees and listen to the many birds that call these woods home. Because it is at once so accessible while feeling so remote, you can break up the hike any way you choose and still walk out of the woods feeling refreshed.

So are you ready to explore the Great Woods of Philadelphia's West Fairmount Park? Follow this link to sister blog Hiking Megalopolis for a description of an epic loop hike that begins at Historic Strawberry Mansion, just across Strawberry Bridge in East Fairmount Park.

Also, for more information of other opportunities to explore the urban wilds and other hiking areas throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond, go to Facebook and like the Hiking Megalopolis community page. Free hikes are often listed. And please, TELL YOUR FRIENDS you saw it on Hiking Megalopolis!

Hiking Philadelphia's East Fairmount Park Woods Trails

by Brian Schwarz

Have you ever driven along the Schuylkill Expressway or Kelly Drive and wondered what mysteries might be hidden there in the woods, beyond the rush of traffic?

Those drawn to East Fairmount Park typically stick to either the Schuylkill River Trail - that thin sliver of pedestrian traffic wedged between Kelly Drive and river's edge. Or they make their way up the hill, to the ball fields or to explore the old stately homes abutting the historic Strawberry Mansion, and Fairmount neighborhoods.

Far fewer find their way into the woods here, but this post on Hiking Philadelphia's East Fairmount Park Woods Trails aims to remedy that.

Lemon Hill Trail

You will find the start of the East Fairmount Park Woods Trails across the street from the north side of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, near the intersection of Kelly and Fairmount drives. As you stand on the corner you'll notice the begining of a faint dirt path that runs paralel to the west, between Kelly Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue. Take this path as it goes past a playground and leads into the woods at 27th Street. This stretch of the Two Block Woods turns downhill after the 29th Street pedestrian bridge. Then, you must cross Sedgley Drive and find where the trail picks up into the woods and wraps around to the front of Lemon Hill Mansion.

Uplands view from the Lemon Hill Trail of the Shuylkill River Trail below

Catch the views in front of the mansion, then notice the single-track dirt trail takes you along the escarpment between Lemon Hill and Kelly Drive, popping out of the woods only briefly between Oshanter Drive and the Lemon Hill Gazebo overlooking the Schuylkill River. It continues in the woods behind the gazebo all the way to the base of the steps at Girard Bridge. It ends here, but if you cross under the bridge you will find Glendinning Rock Garden just beyond the bridge at Brewery Hill Drive.

Glendinning-Cliffs Trail

The Glendinning-Cliffs Trail begins at the Glendinning Rock Garden near the intersection of Kelly and Brewery Hill drives and leads up through Sedgley Woods to the abandoned Cliffs mansion, ending along Reservoir Drive at 33rd Street. At first, it's hard to make out where the trail continues beyond the Girard Avenue Bridge, but look closely toward the woods and you'll notice an old stone wall with a doorway across the manicured lawn. Take the stairs up to the top, and continue on the trail that leads up and to the left. At the top of this hill there is a veritable spiderweb of trails, but there is an outer ring trail you will follow out to the Schuylkill River overlook.

Continue along the trail, which leads back along the railroad tracks. The trail eventually dips down and you see an entrance to the railroad tracks. Carefully make your way down to the tracks and walk along the tracks to the left. You will cross under the railroad bridge, where the SEPTA line runs from 30th Street Station to North Broad. Beyond the rail bridge, look on the opposite side of the tracks for a trail that leads up into Sedgley Woods. The trail is hidden behind and to the right of a small structure surrounded by a chain-link fence. Take this trail up a few feet until you reach a trail that is part of the Sedgley Woods Disc Golf Course. Turn right, and then immediately look for some rugged log stairs on the left. These stairs lead you to the top of the hill where you come to a gorgeous meadow that's managed by the Audobon Society and is a great place for bird-watching and spotting wildlife (I recently saw a deer there).

Cliffs mansion, in Sedgley Woods, along the Glendinning-Cliffs Trail

At the northwest corner of the meadow you find the Cliffs mansion. Walk carefully along the edge of the meadow to view The Cliffs up close. Then, from the rear of the abandoned mansion, find a trail that leads along the meadow and make your way through the Sedgley Woods trails to find the front of the course along Reservoir Drive near the Strawberry Green Driving Range.

Boxers Trail

The Boxers Trail is an amalgam of paved multi-use trail and packed-gravel path that extends from Reservoir Drive at 33rd Street all the way to Strawberry Bridge. Follow the paved path along the front side of Sedgley Woods and head north. Beyond Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, the paved trail cuts across a field toward Fountain Green Drive. Turn left at Fountain Green Drive and walk until you notice a packed-gravel path that enters the woods. This is the most charming portion of trail, as it leads along the backside of Mount Pleasant mansion and several other historic homes before coming out of the woods again at the corner of Reservoir and Randolph drives. Here, the Boxers Trail returns to pavement, arching around Randolph Drive between Laurel Hill Mansion and Edgley Field, continuing on to Strawberry Mansion, where the trail ends. From here you can either return the way you came, walk along 33rd Street back to the starting point, or take the 32 bus back to the art museum from the Dauphin Bus Loop at Dauphin and 33rd.

Mount Pleasant mansion as seen from the Boxers Trail, East Fairmount Park

Here are all the important details you'll need to enjoy your day hiking the East Fairmount Park woods trails:

Trailhead: You will find the start of the East Fairmount Park Woods Trails across the street from the north side of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, near the intersection of Kelly and Fairmount drives. As you stand on the corner you'll notice the begining of a faint dirt path that runs paralel to the west, between Kelly Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue. Parking in the art museum parking lot or find street parking. Or, you can reach the trailhead via the SEPTA 32 Bus from Center City, which stops near the corner of Fairmount Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Distance: 4.5 miles one-way (9 miles out-and-back)
Elevation Gain/Loss: The trail has some ups and downs, but nothing more than about 30 feet.
Map: With the exception of the small portion of the Boxers Trail that is in the woods behind Mount Pleasant mansion, East Fairmount Park Woods Trails are not on any of the maps distributed by Fairmount Park. The good news, however, you can view the park in detail using Google Maps, and because the woods run along such a narrow footprint here, it is all but impossible to get lost.
Hiking Time: 1.5 to two hours one-way or 3-4 hour hours round trip, depending on your personal speed and how often you take breaks to enjoy the views.
Best Times to Hike: This hike can be done year round.
Difficulty: Easy

For more information on this hike or other hikes discussed in the blog HikeyHikey, feel free to leave a comment below. Check out my other blogs Man of Merit and MyFitLife2Day and HikingMegalopolis. Or contact me via my splash page at about.me/brian.schwarz.

Hiking French Creek State Park: Chestnut Hill-Mill Creek Loop

French Creek State Park, which is located in the ecologically fragile Pennsylvania Highlands region, has a lot to offer folks seeking day hikes near the Philadelphia metro area. The Chestnut Hill-Mill Creek Loop hike will take you from the Shed Road trailhead to Mill Creek along a lollipop loop that includes the Lenape and Raccoon Trails. It cuts through the hilly, backwoods eastern section of the park - as well as part of the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site - and is particularly attractive to those seeking out conditioning hikes to prepare for bigger, more strenuous hikes in the nearby Appalachian Mountains.

French Creek State Park's old growth is largest stretch from D.C. to NYC

Find directions to the Shed Road parking area below. Once there, cross Shed Road and go through a gate to find the main trail, a gravel path which crosses from east to west. If you were to go right here, you would cross State Route 345 and head west toward the park's campground. Instead, go left and follow this gravel path east until you see signage for the green-blazed Lenape Trail turn-off into Hopewell Furnace.

Prepped for a hot summer day on the trail at French Creek State Park

Make a mental note of the red-and-white-blazed Mill Creek Trail, which continues straight at this junction - you will be returning from that direction. But you will turn right onto the Lenape Trail here to begin your descent through an old growth forest and make your way down a 1.3-mile stretch of trail to Baptism Creek.

Enjoy this gentle walk in the woods, as it is a nice way to begin your hike and it only gets more strenuous from here. As you reach a confluence of streams at the bottom of the hill, keep your eyes peeled for the red-blazed Raccoon Trail. Now, get ready for a bit of cardio.

At the Lenape - Racoon junction near Baptism Creek, Hopewell Furnace

TIP: If you turn right at the double green blazes where the Lenape Trail meets the Raccoon Trail you will reach a large covered picnic area at .2 miles. You won't need it at this point, but you may want to enjoy a rest here and mull over your trail maps a while, then backtrack to rejoin the Raccoon Trail. Alternatively, you could head uphill on a cart path from the shelter and rejoin the trail just past the ruins of an old house.

If you take the original turn off from the Lenape Trail, you will make your way up a sloping hill on the red-blazed Raccoon Trail past some ruins that are part of the Hopewell Furnace Historic Site. (These are the same ruins mentioned in the tip above.) Watch for trail signs and stick with the red blazes as you reach the northern border of the Hopewell Furnace site, where you will notice the Raccoon Trail turns left as the route you're on turns into the Buzzards Trail. You could take the Buzzards trail for a longer hike. Or continue making your way up hill on the Raccoon Trail to follow this recommended route.

Raccoon Trail cuts the powerline throughway, choked with greenbrier

At the top of the hill the Raccoon Trail intersects the Mill Creek Trail at a long saddle that separates the two highest points in this section of the park - Chestnut Hill is to the left and an un-named hill to the right. The Raccoon Trail actually joins the Mill Creek Trail briefly here as you follow the red blazes to the right. Notice that the Raccoon Trail will veer off the Mill Creek quickly and descends to the banks of Mill Creek. If you stay on the Mill Creek Trail you can loop back down to the creek, too, adding a mile or so to the route outlined here.

Raccoon's red and Mill Creek's red-and-white blazes join the trails briefly

NOTE: The section of the Raccoon Trail that leads from the saddle down to the creek can be choked with prickly greenbrier in hot, wet summer months, but with some gentle maneuvering it is easy enough to get through.

As the Raccoon Trail comes to an end you will have finally reached Mill Creek, a great place to sit on a big boulder and have lunch by the babbling brook. Rest a while and enjoy the scenery, for the next half of your hike is more strenuous than the first. 

The author - fit blogger Brian - at Mill Creek

From the banks of Mill Creek, turn left to go north to continue on the red-and-white blazed Mill Creek Trail. This section of trail traverses the lowlands for a bit, taking the hiker on several ups and downs of about 50-feet in elevation each. Then it turns sharply uphill to begin a steady and winding climb up to Millers Point - a big pile of boulders high above Mill Creek - and the summit of Chestnut Hill, which at about 950 feet is second highest point in French Creek State Park (the hightest being the site of Hopewell Fire Tower on the Ridge Trail in the west side of the park).

The final ascent of Chestnut Hill along the Mill Creek Trail

Don't expect a view here, though; In fact, the only elation you will feel here is that of accomplishment, knowing it's all downhill from here! At this high point, the Mill Creek Trail reconnects to itself. Turn right here and follow this wide gravel cart path back to your car.

Don't track seeds of invasives home with you - brush those boots!

Here are all the important stats you'll need to enjoy your day hiking the French Creek State Park, Chestnut Hill - Mill Creek Loop:

Trailhead: You can reach French Creek State Park from the south via Pennsylvania Turnpike Exit 298 (Morgantown) or from the north by taking turning south onto State Road 345 from Federal Highway 422. Find the trailhead on Shed Road near the intersection of Rt. 345 in French Creek State Park, just north of the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. 

Distance: Between 5 and 6 miles (This is an estimate based on the park maps and trail length information. I will update this with a more accurate measure soon.)

Elevation Gain/Loss: 900 feet

Map: Maps are available online from French Creek State Park and Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Hiking Time: 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on personal hiking speed and dawdling factor 

Best Times to Hike: This is a great year-round hike, but best times are most probably spring and fall, as with any hike in the Pennsylvania woods.

Difficulty: Moderate

For more information on this hike or other hikes discussed in the blog HikeyHikey, feel free to leave a comment below. Check out my other blogs Man of Merit and MyFitLife2Day. Or contact me via my splash page at about.me/brian.schwarz.

Gear Review: Ribz Front Pack - for all the right reasons

The first time I saw the Ribz Front Pack in action I was halfway through a 12-mile out-and-back hike to the summit of Mount San Jacinto. At nearly 11,000 feet above the desert floor, I thought I must be hallucinating (the altitude does that to me sometimes). Seeing a guy with a pack strapped to his ribs instead of on his back struck me as odd - like those funky five-toed shoes that started popping up at the gym a few years ago. Upon cursory inspection, I was ready to write it off as some novel and unnecessary fad. But the more I looked into it, I realized there were some pretty good reasons to try it out (The Ribz Front Pack, I mean - I'm still not ready to try out those shoes!).

Ribz Front Pack in action on the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail

I'm kind of analytical, so before I strapped one on I did some research online. I found there were three primary reasons to try the Ribz Front Pack:

1. To redistribute weight from my back to my core in order to increase balance and reduce impact on my lower back and spine
2. For quick and easy access to the things I use most often while hiking - maps, hand towel, snacks, camera, binoculars, etc.
3. For extra space on longer hikes, overnights or weekend trips - when a day pack isn't quite big enough but there isn't enough to fill a 60+ liter pack 

Ribz Front Pack as it came in the mail - just one pound and very compact

When I got my Ribz Front Pack in the mail, I was impressed with how small it was; the shipping weight was just one pound, and it came rolled up in a Cordura Fabric pouch - the same durable material the pack is made of. As I began to pack it in preparation for my hike, though, I was even more impressed by how big it actually is. With two deep main pouches and two smaller but roomy outer pockets, it easily fit everything I needed for my day hike and even had enough room so I could carry extra snacks for my friends. 

Putting it on was at first a bit challenging. It seemed to be just a bunch of straps connected in the back. But I read the instructions and found that by unzipping the two pouches I could slide it on in a way similar to a regular backpack and then zip it back up in front. Once I had it on, I could easily adjust the straps to fit.

A word on sizing: I was concerned that it might not fit me because I am 6'1" and weigh 280 pounds. I got the regular and it fit me perfectly. There wasn't much room for give, though, so if you're much bigger than me or have more than a 44" waist, the regular probably won't work, and that's the biggest size they have. Also, I saw the pack for sale on Amazon with small and small/medium for sizing, so if I were you I would go straight to the Ribz Front Pack manufacturer to check on your correct size before buying.

After a more perfunctory inspection, I can definitely say I love my Ribz Front Pack. On short day hikes - five to 10 miles - I will probably still stick with my backpack, since it's got a bladder where I can store my water and enough room for snacks and such. But for longer hikes, overnights, weekend trips and even backpacking expeditions I will definitely use my Ribz Front Pack in conjunction with a day or overnight pack, especially for reason number two - quick and easy access to all my hiking essentials.

Brian Schwarz is an award-winning journalist whose career was derailed by super obesity. He fought his way back to health - losing 165 pounds in the process of his "fit-life journey". A professional communicator by trade and activator by nature, Brian's personal mission is to inspire others live their fullest lives. Follow Brian on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Ribz Front Pack for free from RibzWear as coordinated by Deep Creek Public Relations.

Hiking Philadelphia - Wissahickon Gorge White Trail

Wissahickon Valley Park is a gem among gems within Philadelphia's Fairmount Park System, the largest urban park system in the United States. Among the many highlights of this park is its geography. Here, the Wissahickon Creek has carved a gorge through the landscape as it flows southward toward the Schuylkill River, where the Pennsylvania Piedmont flattens to form the Coastal Plain. As a result, trails are secluded within the city, and bustling urban life is at once proximate and absent, making the park both amazingly accessible and surprisingly serene.

Statue of the last Lenni-Lenapi chief, at Council Rock, along the White Trail

There are four primary routes through the park - three dirt-and-stone foot trails and one flat and wide pedestrian path, a former auto route. The 4.5-mile White Trail is a single-track and sometimes wider route that follows a primarily north-to-south trajectory high above the east bank of Wissahickon creek. The trail begins at the north end of Seminole Avenue in Chestnut Hill and continues southward to a point along Park Line Drive in Germantown.

A rocky incline along the White Trail, high above Wissahickon Creek

The White Trail parallels the Orange Trail for the most part. The White Trail, or the "high trail" climbs up and down the walls of the Wissahickon Gorge and involves a water crossing at Cresheim Creek, making it a bit more strenuous than the longer Orange Trail, which, as the "low trail", sticks more to the creek's shoreline.

Along the way, hikers pass two statues - the Indian Statue immortalizes the last Lenni-Lenapi chief at Council Rock and the Toleration Statue is of Pennsylvania founder William Penn and harkens to his political leanings toward inclusion.

Rock-hopping across Cresheim Creek may become treacherous after rains

The White Trail is at some points heavily trafficked by dog walkers, mountain bikers and joggers, which takes away some of the joy of hiking that one feels along the more secluded Orange Trail, where mountain biking is mostly restricted. Still, it is a great fitness route, especially for folks in adjacent Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy and Germantown, as well as folks in South Philly and North Philly who can reach trailheads easily on SEPTA buses from the Broad Street Line's Erie Station or via SEPTA Regional Rail on the Chestnut Hill West line.

Dog walkers, runners, mountain bikers and hikers share the White Trail

Here are all the important stats you'll need to enjoy your day hiking the Wissahickon Gorge White Trail:

Trailhead: Take the SEPTA 23 bus to the intersection of Chestnut Hill and Germantown avenues, walk three short blocks down Chestnut Hill Ave., and you will see the trailhead on your right. You could also take Regional Rail to either Highland Station or Chestnut Hill West and follow the local streets to the trailhead at Chestnut Hill and Seminole avenues. (Check the SEPTA schedule here). The other trailhead is at Park Line Drive and Hortter Avenue, just a few blocks from Tulpehocken Station on the Chestnut Hill West rail line and two blocks south of the SEPTA 53 bus stop at Hortter and Wayne Avenue.
Distance: 4.5 miles one-way (9 miles out-and-back). Add a quarter mile to each end if taking transit.
Elevation Gain/Loss: Estimated 100-300 feet (30-90 m). The elevation change is 100 feet (30 meters), but the trail has a lot of ups and downs, so until I can get a GPS reading I've included an estimate here.
Map: Friends of the Wissahickon and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation have just put out a 2013 Map of the Wissahickon Valley Park, which you can pick up at several locations in and around the City of Philadelphia, including at the Valley Green Inn, along Forbidden Drive in the park. You will find more information about the map and where to get it here. Also, find information on the Wissahickon Gorge's geography and geology in this 1997 report.
Hiking Time: 2 to 2.5 hours, depending on your personal speed.
Best Times to Hike: This hike can be done year round, but snow and ice may impede enjoyment without snowshoes or crampons in the winter. Springtime is mud season, but you can avoid the mud by rock hopping. Avoid this hike after heavy rains, as the stream crossing may become treacherous at these times.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Overuse on the White Trail has led to re-routing to protect habitats

For a more rugged experience in the Wissahickon Gorge, check out the Orange Trail. And for more information on this hike or other hikesdiscussed in the blog HikeyHikey, feel free to leave a comment below. Check out my other blogs Man of Merit and MyFitLife2Day. Or contact me via my splash page at about.me/brian.schwarz.

Hiking Philadelphia - Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail

When most people think of Philadelphia, it is unlikely that hiking comes to mind. But I'm hoping this post will change that! Philadelphia is home to Fairmount Park, the largest urban park system in the United States. And the gem of the Fairmount, in this blogger's opinion, is the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail.

Follow the orange blazes of the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail

The Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail is a rugged, single-track, dirt-stone-and-root-strewn path that follows the namesake creek's northern and eastern banks and along the lower gorge wall. Higher up the gorge wall, the White Trail follows a near parallel path. Forbidden Drive is the heavily traversed, wide and smooth, multi-use trail that follows the creek on its opposite shore. 

It's an enigma wrapped in a riddle, as they say. The wooded path that is the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail appears on maps to be too close to the city to be enjoyed as an apparent wilderness. Its location deep within the Wissahickon Gorge, however, makes it so. For at least two-thirds of the trail's length, the gorge is practically free of urban noise pollution (with the exception of the occasional scream of emergency vehicle). Otherwise, the sounds of the creek, birds chattering, and wind blowing through the canopy of trees are all you will hear along the Orange Trail.

Enjoy the lush riparian environment of the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail

The Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail makes its way from the northwest reaches of the city, at Chestnut Hill College along East Northwestern Avenue, to the Schuylkill River, near the intersection of Lincoln and Kelly drives at the Wissahickon Transportation Center. This thru-trail is approximately 7.5 miles from start to finish, and it can be done in about 3.5 to four hours, depending on your personal speed.

You won't find outfitters in Philadelphia to shuttle you from one end of the trail to the other. So the best way to enjoy this trail is to reach the trailhead via public transportation, provided frequently, conveniently and economically by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

From the Olney Transportation Center (Broad Street Line Subway), board the L bus going west toward Plymouth Meeting and get off at the gates of Chestnut Hill College, at the corner of Germantown Pike and Rodgers Drive. The trail begins by crossing the south side of the bridge. From there, the trail veers to the right and hugs Wissahickon Creek, which will remain on your right hand side for the entirety of your hike. 

At about the half-mile point you will cross West Bells Mill Road, and just past the one-mile point you will arrive at a covered bridge. Built in 1737, this is the only remaining covered bridge of the many that once crisscrossed the creek in the area.

Covered bridge along the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail

Enjoy the many views of the bridge, then find your way back to the trail, which continues on the other side of the picnic area there. Within a half mile of passing the covered bridge, keep your eyes directed up the slopes of Wissahickon Gorge and you will see a statue of a kneeling Lenape warrior atop a large rock outcrop called Council Rock.

It is worth it to take the short connector trail up to the top of Council Rock to see the statue up close. According to the Friends of the Wissahickon's 2013 Map of the Wissahickon Valley Park, this 1902 statue stands "where the Lenape are believed to have held gatherings." 

Return to the Orange Trail, and the next mile or so past Council Rock is some of the most beautiful terrain you will encounter along the Orange Trail. There is a section with dozens of rhododendron bushes which, if you're lucky, you'll get to see in bloom. This, according to the National Rhododendron Society, occurs in the Philadelphia area from mid-May through the first week of June.

Civilization along the trail at Valley Green Inn - trail maps available here

At approximately 2.5 miles into your hike you will come across a bridge that gives you access to the Valley Green Inn, which has public restrooms for hikers as well as a restaurant with a full menu, making it a wonderful lunching spot along your hike. Even if you packed your lunch, I recommend you stop here for a cup of coffee to enjoy the view from the veranda. On a recent hike, I had a serendipitous encounter with a bald eagle and the Irish folk band Scynthian. (Read more about that here.)

Devil's Pool, along the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail

Continuing on, you will come across Devil's Pool at the three-mile mark. This is a spot of deep water along the Wissahickon, where it is joined by Cresheim Creek. Just beyond Devil's Pool, which is a popular spot for swimmers even though the official park policy bans swimming, you will reach the historic Livezey House (also known as Glen Fern).

From this point on the trail begins to feel a bit more civilized, especially at the 3.5-mile mark, where you encounter the Fingerspan Bridge, designed by artist Jody Pinto, which was airlifted into place by a helicopter in 1987.

Fingerspan Bridge, designed by artist Jody Pinto, along the Orange Trail

Another mile or so down the Orange Trail you will reach a sharp bend in the Wissahickon Creek. Just beyond the curve you will reach a rock outcropping called Mom Rinker's Rock, named after a reputed witch who, according to local lore, would drop balls of yarn containing messages about British troops to Colonial soldiers waiting below. A spur trail takes you to the top of Mom Rinker's Rock where you will find the Toleration Statue (placed here in 1883).

Tolerance Statue, atop Mama Rinker's Rock, Wissahickon Gorge

Just before the five-mile point you will cross under the Walnut Lane Bridge, which looms high above the creek. Enjoy the graffiti here and continue on. In another half mile or so you will reach historic Rittenhouse Town, which is home to several historic homes, the last remains of a bustling mill town established in 1690. 

At Rittenhousetown, you will follow the sidewalk uphill along Lincoln Drive to the intersection of Lincoln and Rittenhouse Street at the southern end of Saylor's Grove. Cross the drive here - carefully - and on the other side of Rittenhouse Street you will find the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail picks up to the right.

Graffiti at the Henry Avenue bridge, Orange Trail, Philadelphia University

This last portion of the trail, which continues south along the gorge high above Lincoln Drive all the way to its intersection at Ridge Avenue, is the least-traveled of the Orange Trail. In fact, the new map put out by the Friends of the Wissahickon no longer designates it with the Orange color - but to miss out on this portion of trail would be a mistake. One feels like a voyeur over the traffic below, and a sense of accomplishment mounts as you gently make your way back into civilization.

Lincoln Drive as seen from the Orange Trail, near Philadelphia University

Here are all the important stats you'll need to enjoy your day hiking the Wissahickon Gorge Orange Trail:

Trailhead: The start of the trail is near the gates of Chestnut Hill College. Take the L bus from SEPTA's Chestnut Hill West Station or the Broad Street Line's Olney Transportation Center and tell the driver you want to get off at the college on the corner of Germantown Pike and Rodgers Drive
(not all of the buses stop there, so check the SEPTA schedule here). Conversely you may start the trail from northeast corner of Lincoln and Kelly drives, which is accessible by a slew of buses and Regional Rail at Wissahickon Station.
Distance: 7.5 miles one-way (15 miles out-and-back)
Elevation Gain/Loss: Estimated 100-300 feet (30-90 m). The elevation change is 100 feet (30 meters), but the trail has a lot of ups and downs, so until I can get a GPS reading I've included an estimate here.
Map: Friends of the Wissahickon and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation have just put out a 2013 Map of the Wissahickon Valley Park, which you can pick up at several locations in and around the City of Philadelphia, including at the Valley Green Inn, along Forbidden Drive in the park. You will find more information about the map and where to get it here. Also, find information on the Wissahickon Gorge's geography and geology in this 1997 report.
Hiking Time: 3.5 to four hours, depending on your personal speed.
Best Times to Hike: This hike can be done year round, but snow and ice may impede enjoyment without snowshoes or crampons in the winter. Springtime is mud season, but you can avoid the mud by rock hopping.
Difficulty: Easy

Buses galore return to Center City from the Wissahickon Station

For another scenic hike higher up in the Wissahickon Gorge, check out the White Trail. And for more information on this hike or other hikes discussed in the blog HikeyHikey, feel free to leave a comment below. Check out my other blogs Man of Merit and MyFitLife2Day. Or contact me via my splash page at about.me/brian.schwarz.