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

Forbidden Drive is a 3.4-mile out-and-back in Wissahickon Valley Park near Manatawna, PA. It climbs 461 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi95 – 331 ft · steepest grade: 18%4.2 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 40.05790, -75.22845
Nearest town Manatawna, PA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Forbidden Drive

3.4 mi · ▲ 461 ft · 1 hr 22 min

Elevation 96–332 ft

Out & Back · Wissahickon Valley Park

Trailhead: 40.05790, -75.22845

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 450 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  3. 0.2 miTurn right onto Yellow Trail, heading E.
  4. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  5. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  6. 0.7 miSharp left, heading N.
  7. 0.1 miTurn left onto Forbidden Drive, heading N.
  8. 450 ftTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading E.
  9. 250 ftTurn left onto Orange Trail, heading SE.
  10. 0.4 miBear right, heading NW.
  11. 50 ftSharp right, heading NW.
  12. 450 ftBear right, heading NW.
  13. 50 ftTurn right onto White Trail, heading NW.
  14. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  15. 300 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  16. 150 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  17. 150 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  18. 300 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  19. 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
  20. 450 ftSharp left, heading E.
  21. 50 ftBear left onto Orange Trail, heading E.
  22. 0.3 miTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading W.
  23. 250 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  24. 50 ftContinue straight onto Forbidden Drive, heading SE.
  25. 450 ftTurn right onto Yellow Trail, heading SE.
  26. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  27. 0.7 miTurn right, heading SW.
  28. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  29. 0.2 miSharp left, heading S.
  30. 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

80% dirt5% gravel15% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:28 PM

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