Wissahickon Valley Park
Wissahickon Valley Park contains 2,042 acres (8.26 km2) of parkland in Northwest Philadelphia, including the Wissahickon Creek from its confluence with the Schuylkill River to the northwestern boundary of the city with eastern Montgomery County. Visitors travel by foot, bicycle and horse along Forbidden Drive where motor vehicles are not allowed. Side trails off Forbidden Drive lead up into the wooded gorge above the creek along a total of 50 mi (80 km) of trails.Philadelphia Parks & Recreation manages the park as the second largest part of the city's parkland areas, after the slightly larger Fairmount Park.Wissahickon Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1964, including 1,250 acres (5.1 km2) of the parkland.
While logging and industrialization occurred in some parts of the valley in the late 18th and early 19th century, the gorge itself was known for its natural environment, inspiring religious mystics like Johannes Kelpius, writers like Edgar Allan Poe, John Greenleaf Whittier, George Lippard, and William Cobbett; and artists like Thomas Moran, James Peale, William Trost Richards, and Currier and Ives.
Valley Green Inn, a tavern built in 1850, still stands today. A black bear alert was issued in May 2016.
Coordinates: 40°02′23″N 75°12′31″W / 40.039722°N 75.208547°W
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