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!