Step onto the Green Ribbon Trail, our longest and most popular trail, to enjoy diverse wetlands, woodlands, and meadows. Beginning at Parkside Place in Upper Gwynedd Township and ending at Stenton Avenue in Whitemarsh Township, this 12.6 mile trail shadows the Wissahickon Creek the entire way. The Green Ribbon Trail and Preserve was designated by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association as one of the 2022 Great Places in Pennsylvania in the category of Great Greenways and Trails!
The trail offers access points through several towns and boroughs including North Wales, Gwynedd Valley, Penllyn, Ambler, and Fort Washington. You’ll pass through several other preserves, including Timoney Preserve, Penllyn Woods, Four Mills Nature Reserve and Fort Washington State Park. If you explore the Fox Loop trail, you'll be able to connect with Natural Lands' Gwynedd Preserve. Please note, the section of creek at the Runners' Crossing has changed and there is now a gap between one bank and the first stepping stone. We are working on a solution.
Along the way, you will find historic sites that offer a glimpse of life in the Wissahickon Valley many years ago. Around mile 2.5, you'll encounter the Evans-Mumbower Mill, a fully operational gristmill built in 1745 where we hold monthly Open Houses. At mile 3.5, you will see the old fireplace at King's Woods that ice skaters used as a warming hut. And at mile 8, you will find our headquarters located in the historic Four Mills Barn. The barn was designed by Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer and built in 1891 as part of an estate called "Abendruh."
For more than 50 years, Wissahickon Trails has worked with individuals and community organizations to gain permission to hundreds of acres to complete the Green Ribbon Trail. By visiting the trail, you can become part of a community tradition.
Early on along its northern portion, the trail intersects a power line right-of-way. Here, Wissahickon Trails worked with PECO Energy Company to restore a meadow of native grasses and wildflowers. It is also the site of the $1.4MWissahickon Headwaters Stream & Riparian Restoration. The project reconnected the stream channel with its floodplain along 1,775 linear feet of the Wissahickon Creek and transformed a once eroded, channelized, and degraded headwater stream into a functional and attractive landscape that manages stormwater and provides vital habitat. You can stop to see a variety of wildlife, including butterflies, birds, frogs and more.
Along this section of the trail you’ll hike through a diverse mosaic of environments. The area is made up of meadows and distinct kinds of forests. The different kinds of plants found here allow for many kinds of insects and wildlife, from monarch and red-banded hairstreak butterflies, to pickerel and green frogs.
As you walk the trail, you may also spot birds, including great blue herons wading in the creek, and bluebirds, yellow warblers, red-winged blackbirds, goldfinches and song sparrows winging through the air. You can use the eBird app to document the birds you see and share your findings with other trail hikers.
From the trailhead to mile 10, the trail is natural, unpaved and managed by Wissahickon Trails. When you enter Fort Washington State Park, near mile 10, it becomes a paved and multi-use trail managed by Montgomery County. Click here to learn more about Fort Washington State Park.
Remember, our trails are for foot traffic only. Our trails are not designed for bicycles, so they are not allowed. All dogs must be leashed, as unleashed dogs are a safety concern for trail users, birds and wildlife. Please pick up after your pet. For a complete list of trail rules and other information, click here.
