The creek below the city — Wissahickon & Valley Forge

There is a particular hour in Philadelphia when the city stops insisting on itself. The traffic thins, the creek takes over, and somebody in the group realizes that the day has become a walk instead of an errand.

Forbidden Drive is good at this conversion. Gravel underfoot, trees overhead, water keeping its own counsel. You can come for an hour and find yourself negotiating with the afternoon for one more bend.

For September 19–20, 2026, the sensible arrangement is the same one that works on many good weekends: begin with the creek, keep Valley Forge in reserve, and leave enough room in the plan for parking not to become the main event.

The particulars

Some weekends require a long drive and a heroic explanation. This one requires walking shoes, a free morning, and the good sense to follow the creek. Below Philadelphia, Wissahickon is made of gravel, trees, water, and the recurring decision to turn around. These notes are for the September 19–20, 2026 edition. Confirm current access with Friends of the Wissahickon and the National Park Service before traveling.

This dispatch: Forbidden Drive + Valley Forge · Saturday–Sunday Sep 19–20, 2026

First stop: the Wissahickon

Forbidden Drive is 5.3 miles of multi-use gravel running along Wissahickon Valley Park, named PA DCNR's Trail of the Year 2018. Connect it to the park's 1.4 miles of asphalt and boardwalks down toward the Schuylkill, and you have 6.7 miles of continuous Circuit Trails inside Philadelphia limits.

The park holds roughly 2,000 acres and about 50 miles of trail per Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW). Philadelphia Parks & Recreation operates the grounds from dawn to dusk across all seven days. Designated-lot parking is free.

The particulars

Start at Valley Green Inn for the classic mid-gorge access point. Walk north toward Northwestern Avenue and Bells Mill, or south toward Ridge Avenue. Keep in mind that 5.3 miles is the one-way distance along the Drive, so you can turn around whenever you need.

Driving realities: Use designated lots only. Do not park on Livezey Lane or Kitchen's Lane; both are strictly emergency access corridors (the Kitchen's Lane lot itself is permitted, but parking on the lane is not). Upper Valley Green lot is closed to all vehicles for construction. Valley Green Road below Wolcott Drive is also closed to the public, with FOW directing traffic to Wises Mill Road. Lower Valley Green lots frequently close on weekends, and open spaces fill quickly, so arrive early or target alternate FOW map lots like Ridge, Northwestern, Bells Mill, or Kitchen's Lane.

SEPTA: Wissahickon Station on the Manayunk/Norristown Line, the Chestnut Hill West Line, bus routes 27, 97, 23, and 65, or the Wissahickon Transportation Center at 4900 Ridge Ave.

Trail rules: Dogs must remain on a leash 6 ft or shorter. The trail speed limit is 7 mph. No swimming or wading anywhere, including Devil's Pool, and no camping. Cellular service is spotty throughout the gorge, so grab an offline map beforehand. Pedestrians on Forbidden Drive do not need a permit; the $35 non-resident permit applies only to bikes, horses, and carriages on Upper Wissahickon soft trails.

Branching off the gravel: Official color trails include Orange (5.66 mi, hikers only, running Hortter to Thomas Mill covered bridge), White (4.74 mi), Yellow (7.93 mi), Lavender (1.28 mi, hikers only), and Andorra Meadow (1.7 mi). Orange and White northbound links connect through Forbidden Drive. Expect rock, dirt, grades between 9% and 11%, and obstacles up to 24 inches. On Yellow near Kitchens Lane, remain strictly on the blazed tread to protect restoration zones and ground-nesting wildlife.

Restrooms: Year-round facilities remain open at Wissahickon Environmental Center, Valley Green Inn, and Kitchens Lane & Forbidden Drive.

When the first arrangement is full

If Wissahickon parking is at capacity, Valley Forge National Historical Park provides $0 entrance fees. Grounds are open 7 a.m. to dark (30 minutes past sunset) daily. NPS does not require an entrance pass, and passes are not sold on site. The Visitor Center and orientation film run 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Valley Forge access notes for this edition:

• The Maurice Stephens access road and parking lot on Route 23 opposite Washington Memorial Chapel are closed for house renovation. Use the Chapel lot and cross Route 23 at the designated pedestrian crossing for Grand Parade access.
• Grand Parade Trail has intermittent segment closures for herbicide and meadow restoration work between the Steuben Statue lot, the center of the meadow, and Baptist Trace Road. Follow posted signage and stay out of treated areas.
• Fatlands Trail and Chapel Trail remain open for hikers, runners, cyclists, and equestrian use with extra caution required: Fatlands is undergoing widening to 8 ft, while Chapel has active vegetation management and check-step construction.
• Standard park roads are fully open. Parking outside designated spots risks a tow.

The small things worth carrying

Bring adequate water (fountains are not guaranteed), layers, a rain shell, sturdy trail shoes if heading onto color trails, tick protection, a leash under or equal to 6 ft, and an offline map. Orange gear is not required in the city park.

Want a shoppable day-hike kit for the same corridor: Wissahickon daypack.

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