The Wissahickon Valley: Wilderness Inside a City

Wissahickon Valley Park is a 1,800-acre gorge of mature, largely second-growth forest, creeks, and hiking trails entirely within Philadelphia city limits. Forbidden Drive, a gravel path of roughly five miles along the creek, bans all motorized vehicles and feels like it belongs in rural Appalachia, not a city of 1.6 million. The park contains a covered bridge, historic inns, and the remains of the mill industry that once powered Philadelphia. Most tourists have never heard of it.