It’s in the comforting rustle of the giant red oaks, and the universe of birds that perch on their branches to burst into distinctive song. It’s in the very air itself – crisp, quiet, and laced with the scent of pine.

Peace.

This 1,800-acre oasis, which hugs a stunning 7-mile gorge that carves its way through lush forest and craggy rock, offers solace and adventure in equal measure. It’s a natural escape that feels worlds away from city life, and with more than 50 miles of trails, it’s also an inviting place to play. 

“You have to stop to remember that you’re within the city limits of Philadelphia,” said Jim McClory, of Flourtown. “This five-mile-long park is in the fifth most populous city in the country, but you just feel like you’re out in the woods.”

For the people who live in Northwest Philadelphia, many of whom were drawn to the region by this park, the magic of the Wissahickon delivers more than a candid relationship with nature. It serves as a communal backyard where families gather, friends meet, and individuals find quiet. It also goes a long way toward developing relationships with other humans – something the park’s small army of committed volunteers do each and every day. 

Take McClory, for instance. He’d been living in Atlantic City until he met Debbie Hoellein in 2008, who was in a local biking club. During winters, when cycling was difficult, she’d lead her club members on hikes through the park’s rocky trails. One day, she bumped into a friend who told her about Friends of Wissahickon’s trail ambassador program, which trains volunteers to teach the guests about the flora, fauna and history of the park.

“I said, ‘That’s what I want to do when I retire’,” Hollein said.

Just a couple of years later, in 2011, McClory and Hollein tied the knot. And when they both retired in 2017, it didn’t take long for Hollein to make good on her promise to herself. In 2018, she became a trail ambassador and encouraged McClory to do the same. Two years later, he was officially persuaded. 

Over his years of exploring the park, McClory has come to love exploring its history, particularly Rittenhouse Town, which includes the Thomas Mansion.

Hoellein’s favorite part of the park? “Any place I haven’t been to recently,” she said.

Hoellein and McClory are two of about 1,500 volunteers FOW who regularly work at the park. They’re also part of a smaller group of about 200 volunteers who’ve gone through some type of training. The park is the recipient of about $TK from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation – TK% of the department’s total budget. It also receives about $2 million in funding from FOW.

Hoellein and McClory aren’t alone. The park is visited by about two million people annually, which is about the same as Valley Forge, a national attraction that gets “significantly more funding,” said Friends of Wissahickon executive director Ruffian Tittmann.

Like McClory, Tittman thinks the Wissahickon is special for many reasons, but especially for its location. It’s in a big urban city, yet once inside the steeply wooded gorge, all the sounds of the city fall away.  

“It provides the kind of hiking experience you might expect in the Poconos or some of the more rustic state parks across Pennsylvania,” she said. “It’s got a very wilderness feel within a densely populated area.”

The Wissahickon also brings opportunities to engage in unique outdoor activities, Tittmann said. The park offers far more than just hiking and trail running; lots of visitors also enjoy mountain biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing when it snows. It’s also a popular spot for bird watching. Pileated Woodpeckers, Great Blue Herons, Indigo Buntings and Wood Ducks are among the most commonly sighted birds.

“I’ve seen Bald Eagles soar down the creek,” Tittmann said. 

The park is home to a variety of other animals as well, including Eastern Box Turtles, Northern Water Snakes, Northern Two-Lined Salamanders, plus chipmunks and foxes – all of which enjoy the land just as much as humans do. 

A large part of what makes the park so enjoyable is the regular upkeep it gets from volunteers. Much of that effort starts with Shawn Green, FOW’s director of field stewardship, who works with volunteers to keep the park clean and accessible.

He has one main goal when he’s out with his team of volunteers: Make it look like they were never there.

“It adds to the illusion that the park just takes care of itself,” Green told the Local in an interview. “There’s always something to do to make the park safe, accessible and clean.”

That, of course, starts with litter. Last year, volunteers hauled 17 tons of it out of the park.

Next up are more natural sources of blight. With Green’s help, volunteers clear out an ever-encroaching army of invasive plants that seem hell-bent on choking out the native species – like the insidious and stubborn Japanese knotweed, honeysuckle, and English Ivy. Whenever possible, they replace these with native plants like Foamflower, Canada Wild Ginger and Nodding Trillium. 

They also do whatever is needed to keep all 50 miles of trail clear and easy to navigate. 

Green gives this park credit for reinvigorating his passion for nature. He grew up an outdoorsman, going camping and hiking with his dad. When he went to college at Temple University, he adjusted more to city life and fell out of the habit of heading into the woods. 

But he immediately fell in love with the outdoors again upon discovering the Wissahickon.

“When I went to Temple I hadn't gone hiking or camping for a couple of years,” he said. “But I just started to go more frequently to the Wissahickon, and that re-ignited this love I had as a kid. Something about being in the woods can spark that childhood joy.”

Green’s favorite part of the park is the Cresheim Valley, which flows into Devil’s Pool before it joins the Wissahickon Creek.

“It’s funny that Devil’s Pool is one of the most well-known areas when just upstream from that there’s this beautiful area where you don’t see as many people.”

But every corner of the park has its own special charm, Tittman said, and being a volunteer is as good a way as any to explore it. 

Her volunteers tell her they leave the park feeling good about getting outdoors and being productive with their time, she said. And that’s not just because of the park’s beautiful scenery; it’s also because of the friends they make.

“It seems to me a great proposition,” she said. “And I think a lot of other people think that too because we have so many folks who come out and do it.”