Nature in and around Philadelphia – Laura Pulte
Philly is a great city that offers various cultural and athletic events during the week and on weekends. In the course of my semester at Temple, I went to exhibitions, concerts, ballet, the Philadelphia Film Festival, a college football game, and tried different food in Philly’s many diverse neighborhoods. Although all of this is exciting, I sometimes had the urge to have a quiet day in nature to recharge my batteries.
The US is not only known for its dazzling cities but also for the beautiful and endless expanse of nature – something I was equally excited to discover while doing the exchange and luckily I was not the only one. In the beginning, I chose Philly as my starting point for my trips into nature. In and around Philly there are various opportunities to disconnect from the hectic city life. I will share three of my favorite excursions, which are all possible without having to rent a car.
Schuylkill River
The first one is more of a nice and easy-going walk alongside the Schuylkill River. Starting at the back of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the parking lot is, stairs lead to the riverbank of the Schuylkill River. From here the Lower Trail passes by the Fairmount Water Works and the Old Mill House offering a great view on the Fairmount Damn and the Boathouse Row. On a Sunday, when I had more time, I went even further into Fairmount Park.
Tip: The Belmont Plateau up north and on the other side of the river offers a very scenic view of Philly’s Skyline (especially at sunset).
East Park Reservoir
Another great place to experience some nature in Philly is also located in Fairmount Park (up north in the east part)- the East Park Reservoir. From Temple University it’s basically just down Cecile B. Moore until you reach Fairmount Park (there’s a direct bus line). The Reservoir is connected to the Discovery Center, a nonprofit organization that helps to protect nature, especially in this area, and offers educational events about flora and fauna. They also offer canoeing and ziplining.
Tip: Check the Sustainability Office at the Campus they sometimes offer a trip to the Discovery Center or look at the Website of the Discovery Center for their opening hours and events.
Wissahickon Valley Trail
One weekend friends and I decided to do a hiking day. The American autumn really lived up to its name that day. It was a beautiful warm and sunny “Indian Summer”-day in October. At 10 am my friends and I met at the campus. From the Temple train station, it’s a 30-minute train ride northwest to Chestnut Hill, a very cozy, pretty and small town with a couple of cute shops and amazing cafés. Side note: Also a nice place to study on the weekends, if you are sick of the library.
From Chestnut Hill, it’s a little tricky to find the beginning of the trail but with Google Maps and a little trial and error we found the Rex Ave Trailhead (another option is to start from the parking lot). The Wissahickon Valley offers three different trails. All of them have beautiful views but we decided to hike the Orange Trail, as this trail leads past “Devil’s Pool”, the old mill Glen Fern, and across the Fingerspan Bridge. Always close to the Wissahickon Creek, we could do some great rests and even dip a little in the water.
Most of the time it’s difficult to reach bigger nature parks without a car in the US. The Wissahickon Valley is a great place to experience nature and a little American wildlife. We saw some chipmunks and lizards. In addition, the fall foliage gives the forest a phenomenal atmosphere in October. For our lunch break, we found a nice sandbank at the riverbank of the Wissahickon, where we enjoyed the sun and the sound of the birds and the mumbling water. It really felt like being in a different world.
Our hike took us about 4 ½ hours until we reached a café that was close to the station of Wissahickon. From there we took the train back to the campus and arrived around 5 pm at Temple. Side note: It’s also possible to hike the whole way back to Philly until the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which is approximately another 2 hours depending on how many stops you make. In October you also get the chance to see the American Halloween tradition at the outskirts of Philadelphia. In the smaller settlements, the Halloween decoration has literally huge dimensions and it was so much fun to see all the different front yards. It felt like one of these typical American suburbs that we knew from the movies.
Tips: Wear good shoes. It’s not a difficult hike but when you hike in sneakers for about 5 hours you might feel it in your knees later (like me). Definitely take enough drinks and food with you because you are in the middle of nowhere for some time.
In case you decide to explore some more nature: Rent a car and do a weekend trip with friends in the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachians are a stunning mountain range that runs from the Island of Newfoundland to Central Alabama in the US. They are not only older than the Rocky Mountains, but they also play a significant role in American history and literature. The beauty and biodiversity of the Appalachian Mountains are exceptional and definitely worth exploring (only a 2-hour ride from Philly).
