Volunteer Picks: The Best of the Wissahickon
With 1800 acres and over 50 miles of trails to explore in Wissahickon Valley Park, it’s no surprise that even long-time park users continue to discover new favorite places in the park. From open meadows, to rocky creek-side trails, the Wissahickon is a beautiful treasure of variety with someone to offer everyone! We thought it would be fun to check in with some of our volunteers (who know the park intimately) and find out what their favorite locations in the Wissahickon are. Here’s what a few of them said…
Gordon Henderson (Trail Ambassador):
“Identifying my favorite part of the park is tough as I discover more and more through trail shifts and visits with friends and family. But, the Lavender Trail is it. The part that runs along the waterfalls is delightful in every season. And there are so many other deep woods variations on the Lavender trail that one does not have to take the same route in return. Rushing water provides such a welcome respite from the intensity of center city living.”
Margaret Guerra (Crew Leader):
“One of my favorite spots is off the Cresheim Trail towards the White trail. When you’re on the trail on the south side of the creek and then the trail veers off and goes into a stand of old white pines. They’re tall, there isn’t much undergrowth and it’s so quiet…you can stand still and just hear the winds stirring the pines. You know you’re getting to it when the trail starts to be covered with pine needles. And not long after, if you don’t stop, you can be out of it. It feels wonderfully remote. Old and awesome.”
Marv Schwartz (Trail Ambassador):
“Perhaps my favorite Wiss. spot is the steps up to Finger Span bridge. Besides the fun and excitement of the bridge, the view from here is expansive and splendid throughout the seasons. A great place for solitude and reflection. At busier times in the park, it is a fun place to interact with park users managing the steps and bridge with their children and pets. The journey to get here takes you through varied terrain and geologic formations. And the hills and rocky trails provide a good workout.”
To see exactly where these locations are and some of our volunteers’ favorite locations are, check out this map! We plan for this to be a recurring feature, so be sure to check back for some more of your soon-to-be-favorite-locations!