Montgomery County

**Please take note that some of the below locations are open to hunting. If you decide to go there during hunting season (right side under Quick Clicks), be sure to wear the proper safety gear (bright orange) that will identify you as human or go on a Sunday when hunting isn't permitted. You don't want to be mistaken for someone's dinner!** 

Montgomery County Parks, Trails and Historic Sites - this is Montgomery County's main page with information on the trails and parks throughout the county. Although the site states there are nine parks, there are a total of seven listed, some of which are historical, and others that having hiking trails you can explore. The parks with trails all have trail maps you can print and bring along with you. 

Parks in Montgomery County, PA (Wikipedia) - this site contains little information on it but does have links to each of the locations mentioned. It should be helpful if you're looking for new places to explore but I'd also recommend searching the web to see if each has its own website if you're looking for trail maps. 

Upper Dublin Township Trails - this website contains information on the trails, pathways and sidewalks throughout Upper Dublin Township. There are also links to some of the larger trails throughout Montgomery County. If you're looking for some trail maps, check out the Documents and Forms section which provides a listing of trails and soon-to-be trails within the township. 

Armentrout Preserve - On my second of multiple park and preserve tours, I visited the Armentrout Preserve on April 12, 2015. This preserve is adjacent to the Camp Hill Preserve with trails connecting the two and offers a nice variety of mixed terrain, woodlands, open fields and brush land (scrub-brush). Out of all of the preserves I've visited so far, this has been my favorite since it provides a good mix of different landscapes and habitats. In all, there are about 3-4 miles of trails between the two.

Spring fed stream within the Armentrout Preserve

 
Briar Hill Preserve/Prophecy Creek Park - This is one of three places I visited on March 29, 2015. It's a small preserve that runs alongside Prophecy Creek and will take about an hour to walk around. According to the WVWA (Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association) website, the preserve is said to have two half-mile loops but I managed to get almost three miles in between the park and preserve. 

Section of trail at the Briar Hill Preserve

Camp Woods Preserve - As mentioned above, the Camp Woods Preserve is adjacent to the Armentrout Preserve with trails connecting the two and earned its name during the Revolutionary War. After the loss to the British in the Battle of Germantown, the Continental Army encamped and tended to their wounded nearby. It's also said that their dead were buried in the vicinity near Boehm's Church. Due to its history, it has not been lumbered since the Revolutionary War. Take note that you will be either passing or crossing private property while walking through Camp Woods. Please be mindful of this and stay on the trails. 

Section of trail at the Camp Woods Preserve bordering private peroperty

 
Evansburg State Park - I've only hiked there a few times and for the most part, they were short hikes to scope for fishing spots. My most recent visit was on April 11, 2015 and this time, my objective was to hike. Of course, hiking alongside rivers serves a dual purpose and still allows me to scope for fishing spots. According to the DCNR's website, there looks to be approximately 26 miles of marked trails in the park for different activities (hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding). I underlined "marked" because there are also unmarked fishing trails on either side of the Skippack Creek that aren't listed on the DCNR's website, especially in the southern end of the park. Be advised that if there's wet weather, you might want to go elsewhere. A good portion of the trails are used for horseback riding making the ground soft and the trails that are not equestrian tend to have stream crossings that might be difficult to cross if there's any flooding. Take note that over 1,000 acres of the park are open to hunting.  

Looking down at Skippack Creek from a trail at Evansburg State Park

Fort Washington State Park - I've hiked here a few times but mostly during my fishing expeditions on the Wissahickon Creek. The Wissahickon Trail (also known as the Green Ribbon Trail) runs through the park and for the most part is paved which I prefer to avoid. According to the DCNR's website, there are 3.5 miles of trails which isn't a whole lot, perhaps good for a leisure stroll on a nice day. There are also fishing trails alongside the creek but during the summer, they tend to get overgrown. If you're looking to hike long distances in this area, you can use the Wissahickon Trail to hike to other parks north of Fort Washington State Park. A few for example are the Four Mills Nature Reserve, Penllyn Natural Area, Penllyn Woods, and the Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve. 

Four Mills Nature Reserve - This is another reserve that I visited on March 29, 2015 and is home to the headquarters of the WVWA. Also relatively small, this reserve will bring you alongside the Wissahickon Creek and also contains a section of the Wissahickon Trail. There's said to be two loop trails with each being about a half mile in length but I managed to get a little over two miles in. If you want to check this reserve out, it should take about an hour to walk around the area.

One of two steel bridges at the Four Mills Nature Reserve

Green Lane Park - I'm not sure why it is it took me so long to explore this park but when I finally got around to it, it didn't disappoint. I've been there several times since my first adventure in February 2016 and have yet to complete my explorations. In all, there are said to be approximately 25 miles of trails at the park but I believe there may be more since there are a number of trails within the park that aren't shown on the trail map. For the most part, hiking at Green Lane Park is relatively easy with the exception of the Blue Trail where you'll run into a few hills. While they're not too steep, they're long enough to get your legs burning. As of now, I've taken five trips to Green Lane Park, four of which I documented in my blog:

Part One - Blue Trail
Part Two - Orange and Hemlock Point Trails
Part Three - Red and Honeysuckle Trails
Part Four - Unnamed Trails - Parts 1 and 2

Unnamed trail running parallel to the Red Trail at Green Lane Park - May 2016

Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve -  This is a small preserve located in Ambler, PA that has about 6 miles of trails. If you'd like to add some distance to your hike, the Green Ribbon Trail (also known as the Wissahickon Trail) runs adjacent to the preserve and alongside the Wissahickon Creek. While there is some shade, most of the trails are open space with grasslands. If you decide to go there, be sure to wear some sunscreen or go on a day where it's not too hot outside so you don't end up being baked by the sun.
 

Greenery alongside one of the trails at Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve

  
John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove (Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary) - Located less than a mile from Valley Forge, the Audubon Center is the site where John James Audubon first migrated to America from France and became a pioneer in portraying birds and other wildlife in their natural settings. Including the Audubon Loop Trail, there are about 9 miles of trails at the center, some of which will bring you past ruins of homes, spring houses, and former mining operations. 

Overlooking the Perkiomen Creek and dam at the Audubon Center

Masons Mill Park - This is a small park that's almost directly across the street from the Pennypack Trust Preserve. At first, I wasn't going to include it in my blog but after exploring it, I discovered there are some trails to check out on the western end of the park as you get beyond the ball fields. 

Trail on the western end of Masons Mill Park

Penllyn Woods and Penllyn Natural Area - Penllyn Woods and Penllyn Natural are are right next to each other and are connected by the Green Ribbon (Wissahickon) Trail. The Penllyn Natural Area is relatively small and is on both sides of the Wissahickon Creek. Unfortunately, when I was there on April 12, 2015, I forgot to explore the opposite side of the creek after hiking through Penllyn Woods and will have to return to check it out eventually. Penllyn Woods has a lot more trails than what's mentioned on their trail map including what's called the Horseways Trail. When you get there, just walk around until you find a trail and enjoy. Helpful hint, find the small pond and go from there!

Section of the Horseways Trail at Penllyn Woods

Pennypack Trust Preserve - Located in Huntingdon Valley, PA, the Pennypack Trust Preserve has quite a bit of history surrounding it including two of the three oldest extant bridges in Montgomery County (2nd and 3rd) as well as the Pennypack Creek that runs through the center of the preserve. It's also the second largest privately owned natural area in the county that's open to the public.

Section of the Pennypack Creek at the Pennypack Trust Preserve

Perkiomen Trail - Located entirely within Montgomery County, the Perkiomen Trail is the remnants of an old railroad known as the Perkiomen Branch. In total, the trail is approximately 20 miles long, starting at Lower Perkiomen Valley Park in Oaks, PA and ending at Green Lane Park in Green Lane, PA. Along the trail are a number of other parks you can explore as well as a few historical towns where you can stop to grab a quick snack or a bite to eat before jumping back on the trail. In some areas, you can still see remnants of the railroad tracks that were once in use. With a few exceptions, the trail is mostly flat making adventures on the trail relatively easy. In all and due to the distance, it took me three different trips to explore most of the trail:

Part One - Valley Forge to Collegeville
Part Two - Collegeville to Schwenksville
Part Three - Schwenksville to Green Lane Park

Section of the Perkiomen Trail close to Arcola, PA - January 2016

Valley Forge National Historical Park - I lived right next to Valley Forge for about 20 years before moving to Bucks County but what I had never done was hike the trails within the park with the exception of a few short ones. In all, there are just over 20 miles of trails, 6.6 of which are paved. Earlier in the spring just before I started my blog, I hiked Mount Misery which was the most challenging hike I had been on until I went to Wissahickon Valley Park. The Schuylkill River Trail also cuts through a section of Valley Forge if you're interested in hiking beyond the park's boundaries. This is also the starting point for the Horse-Shoe Trail. 

In the spring of 2015, I hiked Valley Forge on two separate occasions, once to explore the north side of the park and the second time to explore both the Chapel Trail and Mount Joy.

Beginning section of the Horse-Shoe Trail at Valley Forge

Willow Lake Farm Preserve - Another of the three preserves I visited on March 29, 2015, this place was probably my favorite hike of that day. There's a good mix of woods, pastures and thick brush separating all of the trails making it an excellent habitat for a lot of different types of wildlife. What's also cool is the Willow Lake Farm where these are several horses that were friendly and greeted me as I was passing their pasture. 

Two of several horses at the Willow Lake Farm

Wissahickon Valley Park - This park is located in both Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties and has more than 50 miles of trails. If you're looking for a leisure stroll, you can take a walk alongside the Wissahickon Creek on Forbidden Drive. If you're looking for a challenge, there are numerous trails throughout the valley surrounding the Wissahickon Creek and eventually into the Wissahickon Gorge. I've been hiking there a few times, once in the valleys around the creek and found it to be the most challenging hike I had been on this year and another of my favorites. Top this off with it being so close to Philadelphia, it's like a not-so-hidden, hidden treasure. You wouldn't think such a beautiful place would exist within the boundaries of a busy city. 

One of the few waterfalls at Wissahickon Valley Park