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Join Keystone Trails Association for an afternoon in the Wissahickon Valley on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
We invite you to join KTA hike leaders, Shira Blady and Brian MacNamara, followed by a Philly hiking social! This event is open to the public and is a great opportunity to connect with local trail clubs and fellow hikers.
Two hike length options are available:
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Hike One: 1:00 pm - 6.7 miles
Blue Bell parking lot to Valley Green Inn loop. 6.7 miles. About 600 feet of elevation gain and loss. Meet-up time 1:00 pm. Approximate length three hours.
Begin at Blue Bell parking lot, walking north on the Orange trail, passing the Toleration Statue. Continue north on Orange Trail, eventually crossing Fingerspan Bridge. Continue north on Orange Trail to reach Glen Fern. Continue north through Devil’s Pool and then cross the creek to visit Valley Green Inn. Cross back over the creek and walk south on White Trail. Turn right to remain on White Trail. Continue south on White Trail past Climber’s Rock and past the Vernal Frog Pool, eventually crossing the Wissahickon Creek on Kitchens Lane Bridge. Continue south on Forbidden Drive until crossing back over the Wissahickon Creek on Blue Stone Bridge. Follow Forbidden Drive past Ten Box and into Rittenhousetown. From Rittenhousetown, it’s a short hike on Orange Trail to get back to Blue Bell parking lot.
Hike Two: 2:00 pm - 4.0 miles
Blue Bell parking lot to Mt Airy Ave loop. 4.0 miles. About 400 feet of elevation gain and loss. Meet-up time 2:00 pm. Approximate length two hours.
Begin at Blue Bell parking lot, walking north on the Orange trail, passing the Toleration Statue. Veer right onto the White Trail. Continue on White Trail past Kitchens Lane parking lot, eventually making a sharp left towards Orange Trail. Turn left onto Orange Trail and head south. Continue on Orange past Kitchens Lane Bridge and stay to the right towards Rittenhousetown. From Rittenhousetown, it’s a short hike on Orange Trail to get back to Blue Bell parking lot.
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Hike One: 1:00 pm - 6.7 miles
Blue Bell parking lot to Valley Green Inn loop. 6.7 miles. About 600 feet of elevation gain and loss. Meet-up time 1:00 pm. Approximate length three hours.
Begin at Blue Bell parking lot, walking north on the Orange trail, passing the Toleration Statue. Continue north on Orange Trail, eventually crossing Fingerspan Bridge. Continue north on Orange Trail to reach Glen Fern. Continue north through Devil’s Pool and then cross the creek to visit Valley Green Inn. Cross back over the creek and walk south on White Trail. Turn right to remain on White Trail. Continue south on White Trail past Climber’s Rock and past the Vernal Frog Pool, eventually crossing the Wissahickon Creek on Kitchens Lane Bridge. Continue south on Forbidden Drive until crossing back over the Wissahickon Creek on Blue Stone Bridge. Follow Forbidden Drive past Ten Box and into Rittenhousetown. From Rittenhousetown, it’s a short hike on Orange Trail to get back to Blue Bell parking lot.
Hike Two: 2:00 pm - 4.0 miles
Blue Bell parking lot to Mt Airy Ave loop. 4.0 miles. About 400 feet of elevation gain and loss. Meet-up time 2:00 pm. Approximate length two hours.
Begin at Blue Bell parking lot, walking north on the Orange trail, passing the Toleration Statue. Veer right onto the White Trail. Continue on White Trail past Kitchens Lane parking lot, eventually making a sharp left towards Orange Trail. Turn left onto Orange Trail and head south. Continue on Orange past Kitchens Lane Bridge and stay to the right towards Rittenhousetown. From Rittenhousetown, it’s a short hike on Orange Trail to get back to Blue Bell parking lot.
Post-Hike Social: 4:00 pm
Social following hikes in the Blue Bell parking lot. Look for the Keystone Trails Association banner. We will have Rita's Water Ice, pretzels and water.
Social following hikes in the Blue Bell parking lot. Look for the Keystone Trails Association banner. We will have Rita's Water Ice, pretzels and water.
Photos above are provided by Brian MacNamara and Shira Blady.
Below is a glossary of some of the features/sites that we'll be hiking past:
Toleration Statue: sculpted in 1883 to commemorate Pennsylvania’s religious and political tolerance
Fingerspan Bridge: conceptualized and built by artist Jody Pinto in 1987 - transported and installed in six trips via helicopter
Glen Fern: old farm house ca. 1700 and mill remnants ca. 1750s
Devil’s Pool: beautiful and popular picnic and swim spot with unique schist rock formations
Valley Green Inn: historic inn built in 1850. The last remaining roadhouse of the many that used to line Forbidden Drive
Climber’s Rock: popular rock climbing destination
Forbidden Drive: crushed gravel former road that was historically used to access the numerous mills in the valley
Ten Box: Park guard shelter built by the CCC in the 1930s
Rittenhousetown: historic paper mill community, founded in 1690. Many original houses remain in pristine condition from the 17th and 18th centuries. First paper mill in the US colonies
Below is a glossary of some of the features/sites that we'll be hiking past:
Toleration Statue: sculpted in 1883 to commemorate Pennsylvania’s religious and political tolerance
Fingerspan Bridge: conceptualized and built by artist Jody Pinto in 1987 - transported and installed in six trips via helicopter
Glen Fern: old farm house ca. 1700 and mill remnants ca. 1750s
Devil’s Pool: beautiful and popular picnic and swim spot with unique schist rock formations
Valley Green Inn: historic inn built in 1850. The last remaining roadhouse of the many that used to line Forbidden Drive
Climber’s Rock: popular rock climbing destination
Forbidden Drive: crushed gravel former road that was historically used to access the numerous mills in the valley
Ten Box: Park guard shelter built by the CCC in the 1930s
Rittenhousetown: historic paper mill community, founded in 1690. Many original houses remain in pristine condition from the 17th and 18th centuries. First paper mill in the US colonies
