About the Hike Leaders: Gail Farmer & Ken Lawrence
Join Gail Farmer, Executive Director of Wissahickon Trails, and Ken Lawrence, a longtime champion of open space preservation in Montgomery County, for a conversation on the trail about the partnerships that made the 5 Preserves, 1 Trail connection possible.
As Executive Director, Gail has played a central role in guiding this project to completion, working tirelessly to keep the many moving pieces aligned, from land preservation and trail design to partnerships and fundraising. Her leadership has helped ensure that decades of vision and planning came together to create a connected landscape that people can now experience on foot. Ken Lawrence, in his previous role as Chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners, was instrumental in advancing this effort, particularly in helping secure critical public funding and building the partnerships needed to move the project forward. His work reflects a deep commitment to protecting open space and ensuring that communities across the region have access to nature.
Together, Gail and Ken will share the behind-the-scenes story of how public and private partners came together to protect land, build trail connections, and create the 5 Preserves, 1 Trail experience that trail users can enjoy today.
About the Hike: This 4-mile guided hike begins at Willow Lake Preserve and travels through a beautiful stretch of Wissahickon Trails before finishing at Prophecy Creek Park. Along the way, participants will experience some of the newest trail connections created through the “5 Preserves, 1 Trail” initiative, a landmark project that links five preserves and more than 9 miles of continuous trail over 436 acres of protected open space in Whitpain and Whitemarsh Townships. The route winds through a mix of open meadow, woodland and Creekside habitats, with trail surfaces that may include mowed grass paths, packed dirt forest trails, and potentially rock or uneven sections of typical natural trails. Depending on recent weather, some areas may be muddy or damp, especially near stream crossings. As we travel from the rolling fields of Willow Lake towards the wooded corridors near Prophecy Creek, hikers will experience first-hand how new trail easements and carefully designed connectors now allow trail users to move between preserves without leaving the landscape.
Access Information:
Elevation change: Less than 300 ft
Trail surface: Dirt, roots, rocks and dips, mowed grass, stepping stone crossing, wooden and metal bridges, short segments of pavement, potential for mud
Pace: 25-30 minutes per mile
Amenities: Restrooms available inside CVS next to the trailhead. Port a pot available mid-hike. Many sections of the route are shaded and we are also walking through open fields and meadow with no shade
Habitat: Forest, meadow and pasture (with horses), scrub, residential
What to bring: Sunscreen, water, snacks
