Wissahickon Valley Park

The Wissahickon Valley Park is a beautiful and magnificent example of what can be accomplished when we reclaim and restore our natural lands.  Wissahickon Valley Park is a 1,426 acre oasis surrounded by the city and suburbs.  It is home to hundreds of species of plants, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects and other living things.  The natural beauty of the Wissahickon is enhanced by bridges and structures such as the Valley Green Inn.

            Many thousands of people visit the Wissahickon each year for nature walks, bird watching, hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnics and other recreational activities.  The Wissahickon is a precious and priceless treasure and is among the few places in the country designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark.  It is a haven for people and wildlife, and a place that has deeply touched the lives of the many people who have visited over the years.

            Before European settlers arrived in the late 1600s, the Wissahickon Valley had been undisturbed for thousands of years.  Native Americans hunted and fished in the area.  They were respectful of nature and did no permanent environmental harm.

            When Europeans settled in the valley, they soon began using the Wissahickon's water to power dozens of mills.  Logging and quarrying removed trees and stone from the valley and altered the landscape forever.  Mills and outhouses polluted the creek and its tributaries.  Construction of dams, roads, houses and other structures led to problems with erosion and trash.  Non-native plant species were introduced.  Many species of animals were hunted and trapped until they were exterminated.  By the mid-1800s, the Wissahickon had become an industrial valley, horribly disturbed and polluted by humans.

            In the mid-1800s, the City of Philadelphia began to acquire land in the Wissahickon Valley.  The Fairmount Park Commission was created in 1867.  Restoration of the Wissahickon Valley began shortly afterward and continues today.

            Wissahickon Valley Park today faces a multitude of pressures caused by modern human disturbance.  Erosion, pollution, overuse by humans, invasive exotic plants, vandalism and many other factors threaten the survival of the Wissahickon’s ecosystem.  Fairmount Park Commission staff is working with every available resource to preserve and protect the Wissahickon, including volunteers who care about the Park and want to help preserve it by participating in the Preserve-Your-Park program.

            Many restoration projects have been completed in recent years.  Trees have been planted, vines and trash have been removed and trails have been rebuilt.  The restoration of the Yellow trail near Cathedral Road and the forest restoration near Daisy Field represent the results that have been achieved through the cooperative efforts of volunteers and Park staff.  Many more restoration projects are planned for the future.

            Anyone can volunteer to help in the Wissahickon.  When you volunteer, you will join the many thousands of people who have worked for more than 130 years to keep the Wissahickon clean, to plant trees, to maintain trails and structures, to improve wildlife habitat and to provide a recreational refuge for people.  Your stewardship will ensure that Wissahickon Valley Park will continue to be a cherished and essential component of our environment for many generations to come.  

 

Volunteer Coordinator for the Wissahickon, Dave Bower (2nd from left), works alongside volunteers in Carpenter's Woods.

Student from Philadelphia University monitor soil conditions at the Walnut Lane reforestation site.