Protecting Habitats & Creating a More Connected Wissahickon
Wissahickon Trails has been working with public and private partners to connect five nature preserves in Whitpain and Whitemarsh Townships through the creation of a single trail system. A newly established trail easement through private property that connects to Willow Lake Farm means that a trail visitor will be able to walk between Armentrout Preserve, Camp Woods, Briar Hill Preserve (which includes Hughes Family and Cheston Family Preserves), Whitpain Township’s Prophecy Creek Park, and Willow Lake Farm. In total, this connects 436 acres of land and 9 miles of trails. The land for the last stretch of trail needed to complete the connection is being provided by Ellen Lea and the funds to support its installation were donated by PECO and a private donation in memory of Phil and Barbara Albright.
The “5 Preserves, 1 Trail Initiative” required the acquisition of land, trail easements, and trail construction and enhancement projects. Since 2018, Wissahickon Trails and our partners have preserved 51 additional acres of open space to support this effort, acquired two trail easements, built new trails, and invested in enhancements to improve user experience, such as an equestrian bridge and stepping stones across the Prophecy Creek. The open space and trail investments for this initiative were made possible with $1.7 million in public funding from Whitpain Township, PECO, Montgomery County, and PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and $2.5 million in private funding from Wissahickon Trails’ donors.
“Wissahickon Trails has a long history of successfully bringing together public and private partners to preserve land and protect the habitats and ecosystems that make our communities better places to live, work, and play,” said Gail Farmer, Wissahickon Trails’ Executive Director.“ This 9-mile trail, connecting 5 nature preserves, has been decades in the making and would not have been possible without the willingness of residential property owners, like Ellen Lea and her family, to allow trail users to walk through their property.” Wissahickon Trails will begin work on the trail connector installation and plans to open the trail connection in summer 2024.
