KTA Hiking Weekend to Begin on PA's 2018 Trail of the Year

KTA will host PHILADELPHIA: An Upscale Urban Hiking Weekend on June 1-3, 2018. We will kick-start this sure-to-be memorable weekend by hiking the Forbidden Drive Trail, PA's 2018 Trail of the Year. 

For more information on this incredible weekend, click HERE.

See the DCNR News Release below:

Pennsylvania Names Philadelphia’s Forbidden Drive as 2018 Trail of the Year
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​Harrisburg, PA – Today, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that Forbidden Drive located in Wissahickon Valley Park, has been named 2018 Trail of the Year.

“This trail truly is among so many Fairmount Park gems, and one that shines brightest for the thousands of hikers, bikers, anglers and others who travel it each year,” Dunn said.

“For decades, Friends of the Wissahickon has been working hard to make a great trail even better. It’s all here. Quality, benefits to the region, and a strong volunteer network and multitude of partnerships qualify Forbidden Drive to be singled out in this fifth year of very special recognition.”

Also known as Wissahickon Valley Park Trail, Forbidden Drive stretches five miles along Wissahickon and through Wissahickon Valley Park, passing the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, Valley Green Inn and other numerous landmarks. Runners, bikers, and equestrians all frequently share the 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 magnificent 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.

Designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, Forbidden Trail connects users with a rich history through many historic landmarks, 50 miles of natural surface trails, and a regional trail network that takes them into Pennsylvania’s countryside on the Schuylkill River Trail (with access to state parks), and The Circuit (with a link to the East Coast Greenway).

The Wissahickon Valley once served as the hunting and fishing grounds of the Lenni Lenape. It later became the site of more than 25 mills that were built along its banks in the 1800s, and numerous taverns and roadhouses were built along the Wissahickon Turnpike, now known as Forbidden Drive.
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The Wissahickon Valley Park has been celebrated in poetry and in paintings. In 1868, Fairmount Park acquired the 1,800 acres of the Wissahickon Valley to preserve the purity of a then-city water supply. Mills and taverns were demolished, but the dams remain, telling the story of the industry that was once there.