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

Forbidden Drive is a 3.8-mile out-and-back in Wissahickon Valley Park near Manatawna, PA. It climbs 490 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 10/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi95 – 371 ft · steepest grade: 19%4.7 mi

Getting there

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

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Forbidden Drive

3.8 mi · ▲ 490 ft · 1 hr 31 min

Elevation 96–370 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. 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 ftContinue straight onto Lavender Trail, heading NW.
  17. 50 ftContinue straight onto White Trail, heading NW.
  18. 0.3 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  19. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Lavender Trail, heading E.
  20. 50 ftContinue straight onto White Trail, heading E.
  21. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  22. 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
  23. 350 ftTurn left, heading E.
  24. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  25. 450 ftSharp left, heading W.
  26. 50 ftBear left onto Orange Trail, heading W.
  27. 0.4 miTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading W.
  28. 250 ftTurn left, heading W.
  29. 50 ftContinue straight onto Forbidden Drive, heading W.
  30. 450 ftTurn right onto Yellow Trail, heading SE.
  31. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  32. 0.7 miTurn right, heading S.
  33. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  34. 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

71% dirt5% gravel24% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:28 PM

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