Stone-building-in-Wissahickon-Valley-Park-2025-08-29 01.jpg
Fjalnes · CC BY-SA 4.0

Forbidden Drive is a 2.2-mile out-and-back in Wissahickon Valley Park near Manatawna, PA. It climbs 255 ft, with sections as steep as 15% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 5/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi98 – 299 ft · steepest grade: 15%2.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Summit Avenue West Entrance 40.05976, -75.22973
Nearest town Manatawna, PA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Forbidden Drive

2.2 mi · ▲ 255 ft · 52 min

Elevation 100–299 ft

Out & Back · Wissahickon Valley Park

Trailhead: Summit Avenue West Entrance · 40.05976, -75.22973

Weather Sep 5: sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 7:28 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 200 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  3. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Yellow Trail, heading SE.
  4. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  5. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  6. 0.7 miSharp left, heading N.
  7. 0.1 miTurn left onto Forbidden Drive, heading N.
  8. 0.1 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  9. 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
  10. 450 ftTurn right onto Yellow Trail, heading E.
  11. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  12. 0.7 miTurn right, heading S.
  13. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  14. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

90% dirt10% gravel

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:28 PM

More from Summit Avenue West Entrance Trailhead