This 230 acre park was given to the people of Montgomery County by the estate of George Horace…read moreLorimer, the editor of the Saturday Evening Post and president of Curtis Publishing Co., both headquartered in Philadelphia from the late 19th Century to the present. His mausoleum is in Laurel Hill Cemetery, so although originally from North Carolina, his true impact was on the cultural life of our city. Fairly small, it feels considerably larger due to its connection to Pennypack Park covering a large area in Northeast Philadelphia to the border with Montco. The creek by the same name flows through both parks, tying them together geologically. The watercourse meanders through Lorimer where it has cut a deep ravine over the millennia. There are multiple scenic overlooks worth exploring, even in winter when the absence of foliage allows you to see through the trees to the actual contours of the steep rocky hills across the creek. If power walking or family bike riding is your jam, Pennypack Trail runs along the northern boundary of the park and beyond for several miles, and it is flat, wide and dirt/gravel packed for smooth ambulation or cross country biking, allowing excellent views of the topography and creek vale. Plenty of parking in a big lot across the road from the main entrance.

During this hot weather, a shady stroll through Lorimer Park was pleasant. The path was paved and…read morestroller accessible . Everyone we encountered was friendly although there were not many people. There were a few benches along the way, but I could see how there could be a need for more benches if more people were present. We were also surprised that we did not encounter many bugs. We did use bug spray just in case! The parking lot was easy to find and there was plenty of space. We plan to return again for a family walk.

We really enjoyed this trail today, first time there!…read more The trail is relatively flat and very well maintained. There is a big loop around the lake that my dogs and I took, which is nice because it's a good walk without being too long or too short and you don't need to turn around. Lots of winding path areas so you feel pretty secluded. If you have reactive dogs you can easily step aside in many areas to let others pass. I'm excited to bring my dogs back here.

A nice walk in the woods. I enjoyed an early spring walk there. Blue Jays and Robins were…read morenoticeable as were a group of turtles sunning themselves on a rock in the lake. Very glad I found this place

Beautiful park with lovely trail. Great for running or walking. Hidden gem of nature in the…read moresuburbs. I would totally recommend.

Wow, wow, wow. This trail/park is *HUGE!!* I walked 12,000+ steps, 6.5+ miles, and feel like I…read moredidn't even see half of what this park has to offer. The trails here vary in difficulty - there's a long paved path that goes up and downhill and is great for running or biking, and there's another path that's really rocky/muddy. There's also a path for horses! No matter what your goal - exercise, communing with nature, bird watching - this place has you covered. Definitely check it out!

Completed in Montgomery County in 2015, Pennypack Trail is actually 16 miles long (5.4 mi. in…read moreMontco), and part of the much larger trail network in eastern PA. In fact, the section extending into Bucks County reaches the Delaware River and connects with the East Coast Greenway which runs 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. So, if you want a long hike, you can have one. The portion I was on yesterday was the border of Lorimer Park that was historically the railroad right of way since the 1860s, when first the Philadelphia Montgomery County Railroad Co., followed by the Philadelphia Newtown New York Railroad and finally the Newtown Branch of the Reading R&R used it to transport people and produce before highways took their place. SEPTA had it last and suspended commuter transportation (Fox Chase - Newtown Line) in 1983, and donated it to the Rails to Trails Project. While we all love a scenic walk, it sure would be nice to have mass transit available to get us from our bedroom communities to the heart of the city more conveniently, and redevelop the termini and old stations along the route for small commerce, too. There should be a way to have both more green space and village like economies working in tandem to attract people. Vision and capital are all that are required. Still, the Trail is a beautiful route for nature and scenic lovers as it is, and can be enjoyed in almost any weather. Walking along the heights above Pennypack Creek and watching the water course through the steep ravine cut out by erosion over eons of time, is remarkable. In the 18th and 19th Centuries many mills were busy using water wheels to grind flour, which was transported by the nearby rails to cities for further production and consumption. Some of those old structures are still there (mostly in ruins), and the stone houses built near to them were often maintained and are lived in today. Hiking further, the Bethayres Swamp beckons, with Audubon designation as an IBA - Important Bird Area. The trail goes through the town of Bryn Athyn, where the original train station has been repurposed as the local post office. Just beyond that is the site of a major head-on train collision in 1921, that killed many passengers. Not all the trail is smooth for bike riding, nor easy strolling, but with effort, grit and good footwear, these places can be reached, explored and fancied. The Pennypack Watershed is an ecological zone with long human history in the Philadelphia area. It is well worth sustaining and maintaining, even with reasonable respect for progress and our shared future.

This is such a staple to the North East Philly community and has been for decades. Trails in this…read more part wind through our area for miles and miles along Penny Pack Creek. There's usually 3 different levels of trails so no matter what your experience is, you'll have a great time. The main trail is paved and always clean. Perfect for those on bikes or brining a stroller. There's lot's of picnic areas and open fields for games. There's multIple entrances so you can go through the entire trail a bit each day. The main entrance is right across the street from Fox Chase Farm and has the biggest parking lot. Everything closes at sundown

Mallards, hawks, and swans O my!…read more I visited the Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve this weekend which is connected to the Green Ribbon Trail (0.06 miles away) and it is a wonderful spot to observe birds and ducks by a freestanding island. There is even a pier where you can set up a scope or use binoculars and get magnificent visuals on these majestic creatures. Interesting tidbit which I observed this weekend, predator birds like hawks are actually chased away by non-predator birds, like the red winged black bird, as non-predator birds do like predator birds hunting on their land! I witnessed this myself and was instructed by our birding tour guide this happens with birds unlike land animals. The tour guide further explained not all predator birds eat other birds hence this behavior exists in nature. There is free street parking right next to the Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve and the lovely town of Ambler can be explored after you are done with your biridng. As always people SYOY!!!

Fun trail to walk on, goes through the woods but it's mostly paved. We went some time ago and…read morehaven't been back, but would be fun to try again with the toddler. Looks mostly stroller-friendly, since the part we've been on is all paved. We've picked it up on Militia Hill Rd

We were scheduled to do a 1/2 day ice hike at Ricketts Glen. I had spoken to the owner Dave and…read morelet him know of my disabilities. He asked a few questions, then determined that it should be OK for me to go on the hike. Shortly before the hike we received an email from Dave saying that because of the warm weather the trip would not have as much ice as it normally does. He offered to reschedule or refund our money if we wanted, but also said we could go if we wanted. We wanted. When I got there Dave and the guides were fantastic. Very personable. They were helpful but without being intrusive. One of them carried one of my forearm canes in his backpack in case I needed it. (This was to have one hand free for the ice axe.) The hike was great. At the end of the hike I asked one of the guides if he thought I could do the repelling they offer... he conferred with the owner and the lead repeller guide, and they agreed that I would be allowed to do that in the Spring. I highly recommend Valley to Summit for a great time. I look forward to a full day ice hike in February.

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!

Beautiful trail! Well maintained and clean. Great place to go on a walk and see lots of wildlife…read moreincluding native birds and deer! Lots of beautiful plants to look at as well!

The outdoor play area is unsafe, dirty, and inaccessible -- my disabled son could barely use it,…read moreand I wouldn't recommend it to any family until it's fixed. UPDATE! Nothing has been fixed in almost a month. Will not be returning.

Wonderful place, my pups have been going since they were young one is 3 and the white one is 1read more

Nice tree lined path in a residental neighborhood. Bicycle path is same as walking path.read more

What other township park has a fishing pond, putt-putt, a golf course, tennis, basketball,…read morebaseball, and a free kiddie pool? This place even has a paved hiking/biking trail. Some pavilions too. Also a kids biking figure 8 loop with an overpass. Two kids playgrounds within. I love that this park is for township residents only, requiring your ID. I love that pets are forbidden. You will, however, find ducks, geese and deer. Park is generally well maintained. Alverthorpe Park is one of our favorites!

Awesome park, great for toddlers because of the wading pool open in the summer time (3rd week of…read moreJune to Labor Day) from 10AM-6PM. Lifeguard on duty. Has at least 6 lounge chairs, a few benches, and some umbrellas for shade. You can bring toys to play with in the water. Depending on age of child, might not even need swimmies since it's only ~1 foot high. They also have 2 playgrounds, a mini golf course, picnic benches basketball/tennis courts for older kids, a walking/jogging/biking path, fishing (need tag), pond, geese... I've been to birthday parties here when I was younger; they have picnic tables you can reserve. *Abington residents only - they have a security guard at entrance that checks IDs, but I feel like that's usually busier times, like weekends.

X-posting a review from the Wissahickon Park page. This park is so good it deserves two 5-star…read moreratings. Hard to rate an entire park this massive, but all things considered, after 5 years of traversing the trails here, this is an awesome park. Note that I live in U-City, so the fact that such a massive trail system exists in only a ~20 minute drive, depending on which part of the park I start in, is a blessing and keeps my sanity. Friends of Wissahickon does a great job maintaining trails and even expanding the system over the past few years. I don't think I've ever observed an unseemly part of the park. Definitely unseemly times of year like the snow thaw or the time between the trees dying and the snow falling, but otherwise, this park is beautiful all times of year. I've never had a hard time parking, never even had trouble with crowds even around the most popular trails (ex. Forbidden Drive). Even the bikers are friendly and patient here! Would strongly recommend not only visiting but coming back to keep exploring! I'm still finding new gems in this massive trail system.

Today I decided to switch things up and take a trip to Valley Green in Wissahickon Park, Philly…read more I've always heard about Devil's Pool but had never been, so when I saw the trailhead, I figured--why not check it out? What I've known about Devil's Pool is that it's been a popular hangout spot, especially for teens and young adults--swimming, drinking, smoking, etc. But I wasn't prepared for how disappointing the trail would be. At nearly every turn, there was trash--plastic bottles, wrappers, and even entire black garbage bags just left behind. The closer I got to Devil's Pool, the worse it got. There are clear signs asking visitors to take their trash with them, yet so many clearly don't. It's really disheartening to see such a beautiful natural space disrespected like that. Instead of feeling peaceful or connected to nature, it honestly felt a bit unsanitary and neglected. Wissahickon Park deserves better. If you visit, please respect the space and take out everything you bring in.