Forbidden Drive (Wissahickon) Hiking Guide
Forbidden Drive is the wide gravel spine of Wissahickon Valley Park, following Wissahickon Creek for 5.35 miles through a steep wooded gorge inside the Philadelphia city limits. It earned its name when the old road was closed to motor vehicles, and today it carries walkers, runners, cyclists and riders on horseback. Pennsylvania named it the 2018 Trail of the Year.
End to End, or Any Piece of It
Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW), which maintains the park with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, gives Forbidden Drive as 5.35 miles; mapping apps list the full out-and-back at about 10.7 miles with roughly 320 feet of gain. The south end sits near Lincoln Drive and Ridge Avenue, and the north end is at Northwestern Avenue. Most people walk only a section, and Valley Green, near the middle, makes a natural turnaround from either end.
Surface and Sharing the Road
The DCNR trail listing describes a surface about 25 feet wide with an average grade of 3 percent, so the walking is easy even on long days; the length is the only real challenge. It is genuinely shared. FOW's rule is that everyone yields to horses, and cyclists yield to people on foot. Over a million people visit the park each year, so expect company on fair weekends, especially near Valley Green, and keep to one side when bikes come through.
Landmarks Along the Creek
Valley Green Inn, which stands beside the drive, was built in 1850 as a temperance tavern and passed to the Fairmount Park Commission in 1872; it is the last of the many roadhouses that once served carriage traffic in the gorge. Farther north, the red Thomas Mill Covered Bridge dates to 1855 and is the only covered bridge left in Philadelphia. Side trails climb away from the creek on both banks if you want rougher footing and fewer bikes.
Parking and Access
FOW lists the main parking points as the Northwestern Stables area at 120 W. Northwestern Avenue, the Valley Green Road lots, and the Ridge Avenue trailhead at 4901 Ridge Avenue. Parking is not allowed along Livezey Lane or Kitchen's Lane, which must stay clear for emergency vehicles. Valley Green is the busiest lot on nice days. There is no fee to enter the park, and three permanent restrooms stay open all year, with portable toilets added from spring until winter.
Rules Worth Knowing
Dogs are welcome, leashed the whole time, and FOW caps the leash at 6 feet. The park has a curfew from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., which starts earlier, at 8 p.m., from December 1 through March 31. Swimming in the creek is prohibited. FOW's conditions page also warns of ground-nesting wasps reported in parts of the park, so watch where your dog noses along the edges in late summer.
Hiking tips for Forbidden Drive (Wissahickon)
- Start from Northwestern Avenue for a quieter first mile than the Valley Green crowd.
- Turn around at Valley Green if you want a shorter walk with a restroom stop.
- Step aside for horses; on Forbidden Drive every user yields to riders.
- Keep your dog on a 6-foot leash and watch for ground-nesting wasps along the verges.
- Leave before the curfew, which begins at 8 p.m. from December through March.
Nearby trails to explore
- Wissahickon Orange Trail to Devil's Pool
- Mount Joy and Mount Misery Loop (Valley Forge)
- Ridley Creek White Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Forbidden Drive is the easiest long walk in the city, and better with someone keeping pace. Use TrailMates to find Philadelphia hikers heading to Forbidden Drive. Download the TrailMates app to connect.