Get Out and Plan Your Next Wissahickon Adventure
Recently, we’ve been reminded of what 20 degrees really feels like, followed by a pseudo-spring. With the unpredictability of this time of year, you can spend these days curled up on the couch with a good book or your favorite show, or you can grab your layers (or a light sweater, who knows) and have your own adventure out in the Wissahickon!
What you’ll need:
Sturdy shoes—the trails in the Wissahickon can have changes in incline and terrain, and it’s important to be prepared with appropriate footwear. We’re in the middle of the freeze-thaw cycle, AKA, it’s mud season! To protect our trails, try not to hike after heavy precipitation, and if you encounter a muddy trail, try to walk through, not around, to avoid widening and damaging the trail or come back when the trail is dry. If you’re leaving hoof, tire, or footprints on the trail, it’s too wet to use.
A plan—we like a spontaneous hike as much as the next guy, but if you don’t come prepared with a route, come prepared with a map! Members at every level get a FOW pocket map mailed to their home or you can stop by our office and pick one up for $10. Need a map, like yesterday? Get our free FOW Map App here: fow.org/mapapp. The map is available offline if you download it before heading out on the trails.
Onto the fun stuff…
Photography. Lucky for us, the beauty of the Wissahickon can be captured on a digital camera or even with your phone. We love seeing the Wissahickon through your eyes; make sure to tag us in your park pics on Instagram and Facebook. Take a picture overlooking Lover’s Leap and under the Henry Avenue Bridge. These are both iconic, picturesque spots in the Wissahickon, and they’re only feet away from each other.
WPA structures. The park has a rich history, including being home to structures that were erected by President Theodore Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. Learn more about these iconic stone structures before your next visit on our YouTube channel and then see them for yourself!
Hike with the FOW map app or with FOW volunteers. Bored of your usual route? Check out the free guided hikes on the FOW Map App and find your new neck of the woods, or join our Trail Ambassadors for a free guided hike about geology, structures, flora, and much more. Sign up to attend here on our events page.
Species scavenger hunt. There’s so much to see in the park, but sometimes, you may not even know what you’re looking at. On your next visit to the park, print out one of our species scavenger hunts and see how many plants and animals you can find.
Don’t go a day without an adventure! There is never a shortage of fun things to do in the Wissahickon.
Photo courtesy of Michael Riccio