Forbidden Drive Celebrated as Trail of the Year

On June 21, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined Friends of the Wissahickon and City of Philadelphia officials in celebrating designation of Forbidden Drive as Pennsylvania’s 2018 Trail of the Year.

Paralleling Wissahickon Creek, the trail is a focal point of Wissahickon Valley Park, a key piece of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park system.

“Though we are just miles from Center City Philadelphia, Forbidden Drive has long been an avenue traveled by so many to a new world of outdoor adventure and discovery,” Dunn said. “Generations have been drawn to this bucolic valley where the drive follows Wissahickon Creek through miles of unspoiled woodlands.”

DCNR has invested almost $1 million in projects benefiting the National Recreation Trail.

“We’re thrilled that the beautiful and historic Forbidden Drive has been named Trail of the Year,” said Maura McCarthy, executive director of Friends of the Wissahickon. “The name belies this urban oasis that welcomes visitors of all ages on foot, bikes, or horseback to enjoy the wonders of nature that Friends of the Wissahickon work to conserve.”

Pennsylvania is a leader in trail development, providing its citizens and visitors with more than 11,000 miles of trails across the commonwealth to enjoy, from gentle pathways threading through miles of preserved greenways, to remote, rugged trails scaling the state’s rugged mountains.

Each year, the Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee designates a Trail of the Year to help build enthusiasm and support for both large and small trails and raise public awareness about the value of Pennsylvania’s trail network.

Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) works in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, organizations, and volunteers to maintain the park and its trails. Today, the Wissahickon Valley is viewed as among the most natural places in the City of Philadelphia, and is visited by more than 1 million people each year.

In 2017, DCNR and the Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee named Montour Trail in Allegheny and Washington counties as Pennsylvania’s Trail of the Year.

For more information about Pennsylvania trails, visit Explore PA Trails, which features more than 600 trails covering almost 12,000 miles throughout the state.