The Wissahickon Creek is just a small stream. It runs about 23 miles from its source near North Wales, Pa, to its mouth in Philadelphia, where it is received by the Schuylkill River. It’s a familiar sight to most people in the Philadelphia area. What I liked about hiking along this creek is that although it runs within the city limits, the area surrounding it is preserved for parkland. It also runs through a deep gorge that makes the park resemble the Pocono Mountains. I heard a SEPTA bus go by shortly after we entered the park. So, if you just stretch your imagination a little, it’s like a trip to the Poconos that can be made by public transit.
We parked our car in a residential street in Chestnut Hill. The trailhead was right there, as there was a strip of park property between two houses. There is ivy streaming down the hill from the backyards that border the park property. Moving further down, it began to resemble the trails we sometimes hiked in the Poconos. The terrain itself seemed mountainous, going downhill to the creek. The downhill descent along the trail resembled the hikes I have taken in the mountains, as well as the algae green color of the water. It was early in the trout season, so there were plenty of people along the banks fishing, and also standing waist-deep in the water.
I’m trying not to sound like a travel agency. I won’t make any money by promoting a public park. However, if for some reason you want to go to the Poconos, but can’t leave the Philadelphia area, this is a nice place to go, although there is no skiing here, as far as I know.
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