IMPORTANT UPDATE 3/13: Effective immediately, all Conservancy events are canceled or postponed through April 27, 2020.
As COVID-19 cases spread in our region, we wanted to let you know that Fairmount Park Conservancy takes this matter seriously. The health and well-being of Conservancy staff, partners, and community members are of the utmost priority to us.
We will contact all ticket buyers with updates in the coming weeks. For more information, please read: https://myphillypark.org/fpc-announcement-covid19/
If you have any questions about membership, please contact Marketing and Membership Manager Sara Hirschler at [email protected].
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Fairmount Park Conservancy offers opportunities to get into the woods and discover some of the hidden gems of our park system with a beloved hike leader, Brad Maule. Enjoy unique hikes through parts of the Wissahickon you may have not explored before. Please note that these are moderately challenging hikes and we strongly encourage the use of proper hiking shoes and packing plenty of water and snacks for the journey!
$15 for non-members.
Free for members of Fairmount Park Conservancy (membership starts at $35/year and includes year-round events).
Fairmount Park Conservancy members may sign up one person per hike with any membership level under $100.
2020 HIKE DATES:
Please note that different dates correspond to different places in the park! All details below.
Sunday, January 19 - MT AIRY HITS LOOP (Snow or Shine) 10am-1pm
Saturday February 22 - CHESTNUT HILL WEST LOOP (Snow or Shine) 9:30am-12:30pm
Saturday, March 21 - THE CONFLUENCE LOOP (Snow or Shine) 9:30am-12:30pm
Sunday April 5 - UPPER WISSAHICKON LOOP 9am-12pm
Wednesday May 13 - LOVE YOUR PARK WEEKDAY SPECIAL 5:30pm-7:30pm
Sunday, June 14 - THE CONFLUENCE LOOP 9:30am-12:30pm
Sunday, July 19 - CHESTNUT HILL WEST LOOP 9am-12pm
Sunday, September 27 - UPPER WISSAHICKON LOOP 9am-12pm
Sunday, October 25 - MT AIRY HITS LOOP 9am-12pm
Sunday, December 20 - TOLERATION LOOP (Snow or Shine) 9am-11:30am
MT AIRY HITS LOOP: 1/19, 10/25
Meets at Allen Lane Station: 7210 Cresheim Road
Let’s hear it for transit-oriented trails. We’ll meet at SEPTA’s Allen Lane Station and get on the trail just across the street. We’ll descend the Cresheim Valley and encounter Devil’s Pool, the Livezey complex, and Fingerspan on our way toward Carpenter’s Woods on this highlight reel of the Mt. Airy section of the Wissahickon. Ride the Chestnut Hill West Line from Center City - the train arrives 15 minutes before the hike begins. If you drive, parking is available on Cresheim Road, Nippon Street, and Mt Airy Avenue. Please do NOT park in the station’s lot, as it is used for High Point Café inside.
- This hike is roughly 4.5 miles and takes about three hours.
- MODERATE TO STRENUOUS: We will ford a stream and scramble up and over big rocks at Devil’s Pool. Sturdy boots strongly recommended.
CHESTNUT HILL WEST LOOP: 2/22, 7/19
Meets at Chestnut Hill West Train Station: 9 West Evergreen Avenue
Ride the rail and hit the trail. We’ll begin this hike at Chestnut Hill West train station and pass the highest point in Philadelphia as we walk through the neighborhood to the Lavender Trail. We’ll descend into the Wissahickon Valley on rugged hiking trails to Valley Green Inn, and return along historic Forbidden Drive. Ride the Chestnut Hill West Line - the train arrives just before the hike begins. If you drive, the Chestnut Hill Parking Foundation’s purple lot is the closest to the station. You might also find street parking on Hilltop Road.
- This hike is roughly five miles and takes about three hours.
- MOSTLY MODERATE: There are some rocky areas and a couple steep hills. Sturdy boots strongly recommended.
THE CONFLUENCE LOOP: 3/21, 6/14
Meets at Fairmount Park parking lot, 4900 Ridge Ave (next to Wissahickon Transportation Center). 11 buses stop here in each direction. SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown train arrives just up the hill.
The lowest reach of the Wissahickon serves up both deep history and a glimpse into the future. Encounter mystic monks, early American industry, and two big and beautiful bridges. We’ll begin this hike at the parking lot at 4900 Ridge Avenue, next to the Wissahickon Transportation Center. Ride the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line—it arrives at Wissahickon Station 15 minutes before the hike begins. Ride your bike—it’s right where the Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Bike Trails come together. Or drive—it’s a parking lot (but please do NOT park in the Philadelphia Canoe Club).
- This hike is roughly 4.7 miles and takes about three hours.
- MOSTLY MODERATE: This hike begins by climbing the 100 Steps, has a couple sizable hills, and a couple rocky areas. Sturdy boots strongly recommended.
UPPER WISSAHICKON LOOP: 4/5, 9/27
Meets at Cedars House.
Arrive early at The Cedars House and get one of their signature smoothies to fuel up for this loop through the northern end of the park. We’ll see the Wissahickon Environmental Center, Houston Meadow, and the Covered Bridge among our highlights. SEPTA’s L bus stops at Germantown & Northwestern Avenues. There’s usually ample street parking on Northwestern Avenue.
- This hike is roughly five miles and takes about three hours.
- MOSTLY MODERATE: There is one very steep hill and some rocky areas along the way. Sturdy boots strongly recommended.
LOVE YOUR PARK WEEKDAY SPECIAL: 5/13
Meet at Historic Rittenhouse Town’s barn: Map out 210 Lincoln Drive - it’s next to the parking area.
In this special after-work Love Your Park weekday hike, we’ll love our park starting at a colonial industrial village. We’ll walk from America’s first paper mill to see an oversized Quaker (is it William Penn?) and a century-old bridge that was once the world’s largest made of concrete.
- This hike is roughly 2.5 miles and will take under two hours. We can add on as warranted.
- MOSTLY MODERATE: We’ll be mostly on rugged hiking trails, but we may need to cross a busy road (in a crosswalk). Sturdy boots strongly recommended.
TOLERATION LOOP (NEW!): 12/20
Meet at Historic Rittenhouse Town.
This is a new route for 2020 that begins and ends at Historic Rittenhouse Town. On the hike, we’ll pass under what was once the largest concrete bridge in the world, we’ll see some horses in a working stable, and we’ll look into whether the Toleration statue depicts William Penn or just looks like him. The Chestnut Hill West Line arrives at Chelten Avenue 20 minutes before the hike begins. (Rittenhouse Town is about a 10-minute walk from the station.)
- This hike is about 4.5 miles and takes a little under three hours.
- MOSTLY MODERATE: There are some hills and rocky areas. Sturdy boots strongly recommended.
Becoming a member is easy and starts at $35/individual or $100/family of 4 for the year - sign up here!
