Hi Neighbors,
‘Tis the season to stay outdoors. The weather is cooler, the air is crisper, and the leaves are starting their photosynthesis phenomenon. Yes, the days are shorter but there is still ample daylight to spend outside, and not just on the sidelines of your kids’ soccer games.
When I was a kid, my dad would always create weekend adventures where we would pack a knapsack (old fashioned word for backpack!) with supplies of food and water, find a “walking stick,” bring the dog, and away we would go up the side of a mountain. Truth be told, it wasn’t a treacherous mountain but one with a trail already blazed from other weekend hikers, but for small legs, it was an exhausting, yet satisfying, afternoon event.
I try to recreate this favorite pastime whenever I can, especially on fall weekends. We don’t have to go far because there is an ample supply of trails with varying degrees of difficulty within our own townships.
Here are a few favorites:
Riverbend Environmental Center is more than an educational place for our children to learn about the environment and its inhabitants. Riverbend sits on a 30-acre preserve amidst the bustling suburbs but invites visitors to hike the trails from dawn to dusk.
Radnor Trail, also known as the P&W trail as it runs along what was part of the Philadelphia & Western Railway Company, is a popular 2.4 mile part-macadam surface convenient for walkers, joggers, and strollers. This trail is extremely popular and accessible for all visitors.
Rolling Hill Park offers trails of varying degrees of experience on its 103 acre public park. Besides the popularity for dogs and their owners, there is some history to discover in the ruins of buildings from the Walter Pew estate and remnants of mill workers’ homes along Mill Creek.
Skunk Hollow Park sits on 93.7 acres of undeveloped land, offering multiple trails from several access points. Visitors might stumble upon a portion of Little Darby Creek or a community garden while meandering on the paths.
Wissahickon Valley Park is gem, joining the city to the suburbs in its over 2,000 acres and 50-plus trails. My personal favorite is Forbidden Drive, mostly because of the name, but really because of the beauty and the history found along the way. So many choices – so many trails!
This list just scratches the surface of an area overflowing with hiking, walking, and jogging possibilities. Valley Forge Park, Saunders Woods, and Bridlewild Trail are also popular hiking spots in the area.
Let us know your favorite trail to traverse.
Happy hiking, Jackie
