Intro to Rock Climbing with Valley to Summit on September 18, 2022…read more This was my second trip to Chickies Rock with VTS and it was wonderful! There were only 5 of us, so plenty of time to climb. Our Guide, Bob, was so patient, engaged and informative. I learned a lot of great things that I had not known before about clothing, ropes and technique. Bob was so patient with me and was there with his " green pointer" to help me over the tough spots. You should know that I am 74 years old and tho I have climbed indoors for a few years, my stamina was not that of the youngsters who were there! Nonetheless, it was a great time! I highly recommend Valley to Summit, this being my 3 rd trip with them. They Rock!

Absolutely amazing professional guides!!…read more I hired this company to guide me through the winters treacherous water fall trails of Ricketts Glen that is normally closed off for hikers that don't have the explicitly specific required safety gear for winter hikes which this company provides. The guides were patient and helpful with the small group in getting gear on and going over all the safety equipment. They were never impatient with anyone and insanely kind. You could tell the guides truly enjoyed bringing everyone out to this amazing trail at Ricketts Glen State Park. I wasn't sure what to expect but OMG it was worth the money spent to have these guys/gals guide me through the trails. I took tons of pictures and was never rushed at all while taking in the views and photos. This company comes highly recommended amongst the hiking community even out of state.

Great Park and a great Dog Park. Clean and beautiful! The fenced area is mulch with some benches…read more The rest of the park has trails down to a small creek and through the woods, which can be off leash or on leash. It's a beautiful park and a beautiful neighborhood.

Lovely park, great for dogs! The trail is well marked and dogs can swim in the creek. Large fenced…read morein dog park area too:)

Great short or longer hike in lambertville with good views of river and new hope pa! Be mindful as…read morethere is no trail map in parking area/trailhead. Downloading trails ahead of time might help, as paths do get confusing at times. Either way, can always opt for shorter walk of 0.5 miles each way which is easy!

You park a bit of a distance from the overlook so make sure you have good footwear. Once you get…read morethere, it is very pretty, but I wouldn't say spectacular.. on a nice day, after a big lunch, it will be a nice walk, not too many inclines.

Heinz Park is a wonderfully well managed clean environmentally friendly refuge area. It has well…read moremarked trails; strategically located observation platforms, bridges and marshlands throughout. The Heinz is suitable for biking. Jogging, hiking, dog waking, nature and bird watching. This community resource is multifaceted, providing options for all ages and interests, don't miss it when in the area.

Good spot, easy to forget it's still in the city…read more I've been here a handful of times, usually after work or on weekends when I need to get outside for a bit. Once you're on the trails it gets surprisingly quiet. Like, noticeably quieter than you'd expect from somewhere still technically inside Philadelphia. The paths are mostly flat gravel so it's not a hard walk at all. I tend to stop on the boardwalks and just look out over the marsh for a few minutes. Last time there were a few turtles lined up on a log, and I'm pretty sure I spotted a couple of herons near the water too. You do hear planes since the airport's close by, but it doesn't really bother me. Kind of adds to the strangeness of the place in a way I actually like. One thing worth knowing: the mosquitoes are no joke. I skipped bug spray once and regretted it pretty quickly. If you're going in summer, just bring some, especially if you're planning to hang around near the water.

You can walk behind all the shops along main street without all the people stopping in front of…read moreyou. Safe travels and be careful for bikes

I was recently looking for a nice, easy hike somewhere in the vicinity of my home in Center City…read moreand came across The Towpath. By hiking standards, I'd rate this as very easy, as the trail is flat and wide, with a combination of dirt and gravel for walking. The Towpath runs along the Manayunk Canal and Schulykill River beyond and makes for a nice, peaceful stroll along the water. Along the way you see plenty of artwork and murals, as well as eerie remnants of a time when this place was a booming center for industry. Fascinating! Being it was late fall, there wasn't a lot of wildlife out and about, but I'm sure it's even more beautiful and alive in the warmer months. PS. Main Street in Manayunk runs parallel to the Towpath and is a great place to explore in and of itself! Plenty of unique shops and eateries to be found.

I was in Gladwyne because I had to drop something off at house there. Only a minute or two away…read morefrom the home I was at is Saunders Woods Preserve and I decided to stop in. There is a medium sized parking lot towards the entrance of the preserve, which is convenient. I assume it could get a big crowded during the summer months. A large meadow that has path mowed down the middle greets you as you begin your walk. Eventually, the meadow leads to a wooded trail. Along the trail are some scenic sights including beautiful trees and a small creek. Overhead, you'll see many beautiful birds flying. Towards the summer, this seems like a nice place to see butterflies and flowers, too. There's also a historic building on this property, which is cool. There's a benches outside Altogether, Saunders Woods is a nice place to take a nice, casual hike!

4 stars for greenspace, but in the grand scheme of what Natural Lands has to offer, this is one of…read moretheir neighborhood trail spots, and not a grand destination preserve. This was my 12th NL preserve out of their current 20 properties. Saunders Woods is the second smallest preserve, and to give an idea, it is only 25 acres, while 90% of their preserves are over 40 acres, and 75% of their preserves are over 100 acres. That said, if you want a brief walk, or to sit in some serene nature, you've found a cool spot. This preserve has a swing on a tree that is wide enough to fit two adults. There is a meadow adjacent to the parking lot (one of the few paved lots at NL preserves), and the wooded portion is mostly the valley between surrounding residential neighborhoods. In the winter you can clearly see all the neighboring houses from the trail. It's great that this land has been made into a public nature preserve, and this suits locals as a wonderful spot to enjoy the outdoors. I don't recommend planning to visit if you are looking for a long hike, or a destination preserve with a lot to explore. Below is a list of all preserves from smallest to largest, so you can get an idea of the levels of wilderness they offer. Stone Hills Preserve 13 acres Sauders Woods Preserve 25 acres Stoneleigh 42 acres Hildacy Preserve 55 acres Wawa Preserve 98 acres Meng Preserve 101 acres Binky Lee Preserve 112 acres Willisbrook Preserve 126 acres Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary 200 acres Green Hills Preserve 201 acres Peacedale Preserve 222 acres Gwynedd Preserve 279 acres Harold N. Peek Preserve 344 acres Sadsbury Woods Preserve 508 acres Bryn Coed Preserve 520 acres Stroud Preserve 571 acres Crow's Nest Preserve 712 acres ChesLen Preserve 1,282 acres Bear Creek Preserve 3,565 acres Glades Wildlife Refuge 7,440 acres **Apparently 27-acre Sharp's Woods Preserve is now part of the Radnor Conservancy and is no longer a Natural Lands property.

Visited this park today on a cold winter morning. Gate was closed, so I had to park out on the…read morestreet just outside the park, which was not too bad. Even with sidewalks and the parking lot slicked over in ice, this was actually a pleasant park to visit just to get some fresh air on a cold winter morning. There were a surprising amount of dog walkers and even small groups of people also getting outside for some fresh air. I can see how this park would be a great place to get outside in nicer weather. There's a softball field, a small picnic and firepit area, and a few outer trails that directly connect to the larger Wissahickon trail system. I could have kept going... but alas I didn't bring a beanie with me. Great park, will be back!

Blue Bell is a hidden gem on the Germantown side of the Wissahickon Creek. It is one of Fairmount…read morePark's best parks because it is used for so many diverse things. 1. Dog Park-- Lots of room to run, lots of things to investigate on the edges of the field, lots of small and long trails to hike! I'm actually not a fan of a lot of the people who come here with their dogs. Not a lot of control going on (more that casual, "beeeeenji, come back" kind of dog watching. which is okay unless you have a big dog and have to deal with their little yappy biting bastard.) Most of the more responsible owners come during the day when it's empty or skip the park altogether and just hike the trails. That said, if you are a more social, stand-around kind of owner-- this is the park for you: around 5:00-6:00 pm there has gotta be about 40 people and their dogs congregating and hanging out in the field. 2. Picnic Areas-- this is one of the premiere spots inthe Northwest for family/ school/ fraternity / sorority reunions, Memorial and Labor Day Parties, you name it. With 5 separate picnic areas, there can even be multiple events going on at once (though Picnic Area #5 is the prime one and is closest to the pavilion). I have even seen people pull trucks out into the field and set up bbq pits and tables on the grass! They HAD two Porta Potties which were both sparklingly clean and always stocked with Toilet Paper (yay!), but recently they got rid of the blue one (private contractors not Fairmount Park). There is a pavilion with 3 picnic tables and a working fireplace. 3. Access to Hiking/Biking Trails: So, you can get to both the hill bike trails and the main hiking trail from at least 6 small trails that I can think of off the top of my head (I attached pics of a couple of them). The wonderful people at Fairmount Park are currently renovating this Park's access, and are about half done-- gosh, every once in a blue moon I am proud of our Philly government... 4. Parking: regretfully for them, many people do not live near the Wissahickon Valley and have to drive here. Parking lots with easy access to Creek Trails are essential. Blue Bell has a TON of parking and is pretty empty except for peak times. Peak times are as follows (caveat: this is based only on my own observations). WEekdays-- early morning, say 8:00-9:00 am; evening, say 5:00-7:00 pm; weekends, ALL DAY. Another thing to be aware of is that Germantown Friends' softball team seems to use the field, though randomly. Just be aware that you might head over to get away from the dogs, be lounging in left field reading a book, when 30 screaming girls will pour of a yellow bus and swarm you... 5.Baseball Field: very well-groomed (as I mentioned, GFS' softball team uses it). Best thing of all is that they also have a pitching "cage" and a batting "cage" (both are netting). The pitching cage even has a bounce back net with strike zone hole! 6. Porta Potty: Last but not least, one of the major uses of this park is to go to the bathroom: trash men, water department, roofers, landscapers, regular Joes in suits and ties-- they ALLLLLLL come here to use the bathroom. And only to use the bathroom. As you can see from the pictures, the Porta Potty is CLEAN and always stocked with TP. I don't know about you, but having somewhere in an emergency (and knowing where it is) is a major quality of life issue :) there's always the woods, but I am getting old... HOURS: From April 1 through October 31 the parking lot is open from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, November 1 through March 31 they close it up at 6:00 pm. But no worries, there is plenty of parking on Walnut Lane's shoulder and there are plenty of trails leading from the street. Also, when they are going to lock the gate at closing, the Ranger will drive in with his lights (like tow lights) flashing and will play a megaphone/speaker announcement that the park is closing (and it's usually at least a half hour late....) So whether you are taking care of a dog, hiking, biking, relaxing or just need to go to the bathroom, don't forget about Blue Bell Park!