Wissahickon Valley Park, Philly, PA
- Thread starter Brockwan
- Start date
Ian F
Well-Known Member
It amazes me how well this park drains. I rode there on Sunday after it rained Sat night (and was still sprinkling as I drove there). I was prepared for the worst but every trail we rode was solid. Parked at the Inn, up Wises Mill, left onto Yellow to the end, crossed over the Henry Ave bridge and dropped down on "other side of Lincoln Drive" trail (in reverse direction than I usually ride it), then did Orange back with a detour up into Cresheim Valley, which I'd never ridden before. Wet leaves, roots and rocks made things "fun" at times, but otherwise it was a great day.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Since they started putting up signs all over, I am just starting to figure out what each trail is when people refer to "yellow" or "orange" or whatever. To me, the whole thing has always just been one big loop. I only know different sections by their local names. For example, the "other side of Lincoln Drive" is known as the "Spaghetti Bowl" (since it just keeps coiling around on itself.) Did you actually ride across the bridge? You don't have to do that, you know -- you can take the trail all the way down to Lincoln and pick up the Spaghetti Bowl out off of Ridge Ave. If you crossed over at Henry, you missed about half of the trail in there.
But you're right about the drainage. Wiss is the best int he region for drying out quickly.
Ian F
Well-Known Member
I don't really know the trails by the colors either actually (and usually get them wrong/confused), but figured nobody else here would know "Fantasy" "No Name" "Pipeline" and the various other names we called them 20+ years ago. Plus, so many of the trails have been rerouted and reworked, I don't recognize them anymore. "Other side of Lincoln Drive" has been called that for over 20 years. "Spaghetti Bowl" is newer although I don't really know why anyone would call it that - it's such a narrow strip of land between Lincoln Drive and the houses off Schoolhouse Lane, I'm not sure what you mean by "coiling around on itself". I've ridden that trail forever. We used to session the steep climb behind the old police station off Gypsy Lane.
For us, the "bowl" referred to the "BMX Bowl" which is at the end of Fantasy, behind next to the ball field off Hermit Lane. I normally ride that trail from the upper end downstream towards Ridge. We crossed over at Henry and dropped in - mainly to avoid the paved path next to the creek to get to the start of Pipeline, which can be annoying to ride on during a weekend. There is a nice little drop on the trail which was fun. Plus, it was neat to ride in the opposite direction, even if only half of it.
Hopefully by next year, I'll have enough legs that I can do the whole park in a day like I used to do...
For us, the "bowl" referred to the "BMX Bowl" which is at the end of Fantasy, behind next to the ball field off Hermit Lane. I normally ride that trail from the upper end downstream towards Ridge. We crossed over at Henry and dropped in - mainly to avoid the paved path next to the creek to get to the start of Pipeline, which can be annoying to ride on during a weekend. There is a nice little drop on the trail which was fun. Plus, it was neat to ride in the opposite direction, even if only half of it.
Hopefully by next year, I'll have enough legs that I can do the whole park in a day like I used to do...
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
The Spaghetti Bowl trails are actually much more extensive now than they used to be -- if you stay along Lincoln on the lower trail, then it is a straight shot, but if you climb up to the top first, it goes back and forth for about 3 or 4 miles. At one point, you come almost all the way back to the start of it before turning around and heading out under Henry Ave Bridge. Half the trail is before you reach that, though. It's also a lot techier than just staying along the bottom, but ti does tend to become overgrown since not too many people ride it year round.
The names for most of the trails have changed over time, but most people who ride there regularly still know them by their names like Pipeline, No Name, Houston Meadow, Indian, and 7 Mile Hill (AKA "Nate's Mom".) The section that drops to Lincoln from the cave is apparently now known by a name my buddy and I gave it about 10 years ago. I had no idea the name caught on, but it makes sense since we've told a ton of people the story behind it over the years. One Sunday, my buddy and I were coming down that section when we saw three people huddled behind a tree. It was a man, a woman and a girl about 11 years old or so. The man and woman were each holding up one of the girl's arms and she was squatting down. Just as we passed by about ten feet away, the guy (I'm assuming it was her father) says, "Yeaaaaa! You pooped!" We kept going and when we hit Lincoln, my buddy and I just lost it. And ever since then, that section has been known as The Poop Chute. And the name seems to have caught on because I was talking to a few other riders a while back and they knew it by that name but didn't know how it came to be called that.
Ian F
Well-Known Member
OK... I'm still not sure we're talking about the same thing... Some day you'll have to show it to me. Or maybe describe it in mile-sections on one of your Strava rides.
echappy
Active Member
The right side (relative to the direction of the creek's flow) is tamer than the left side. There's even a veritable stream crossing on the left side (White trail). A few really steep approaches btwn creek level and the trail level on the right side (Yellow Trail).
As for parking, I choose to park on MLK Drive, ride across the Schuylkill, and hop on at East Falls
As for parking, I choose to park on MLK Drive, ride across the Schuylkill, and hop on at East Falls
I do not suggest parking at the VGI, it is a lot of wasted driving. To suggest a parking spot: Where are you coming from? For a route: How long are you planning to ride?
Mahnken
Well-Known Member
Coming from sicklerville and spending around 3 hours or so? Only time I ever went, I followed this:
https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/7009980/wissahickon-loop
wafflin
Member
I'm picking up my brother at 30th Street station. So I'll be south of the park. Probably ride 2 hours or more. Thanks.
echappy
Active Member
thegock
Well-Known Member
That's what the iconic "locals" tell us. Used to be Duke's BBQ CADENCE, and the bus terminal SE of the Manayunk Diner. Probably all 3 still there.?
JDurk
Well-Known Member
Yep. Deke's BBQ, Cadence, bus terminal, and Manayunk Diner all still there.
Ok during the day, but a common window-smash spot. I would stick to the UA theatre that @JDurk posted. No matter wherwe you park in Philly, don't leave valuables in the cabin/in sight of would-be thieves. Same for any city really.