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

Forbidden Drive is a 4-mile out-and-back in Wissahickon Valley Park near Highland, PA. It climbs 438 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 10/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi95 – 322 ft · steepest grade: 18%5.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Lavender Trail 40.07381, -75.21641
Nearest town Highland, PA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Forbidden Drive

4 mi · ▲ 438 ft · 1 hr 33 min

Elevation 96–321 ft

Out & Back · Wissahickon Valley Park

Trailhead: Lavender Trail · 40.07381, -75.21641

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

Transit-accessible: Germantown Av & Norman Ln stop 650 m from the trailhead

  1. Start on Lavender Trail, heading W.
  2. 0.2 miContinue straight onto White Trail, heading W.
  3. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  4. 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
  5. 300 ftTurn left, heading W.
  6. 50 ftBear left, heading W.
  7. 450 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  8. 50 ftBear left onto Orange Trail, heading W.
  9. 0.3 miTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading SE.
  10. 250 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  11. 50 ftContinue straight onto Forbidden Drive, heading SE.
  12. 450 ftTurn right onto Yellow Trail, heading W.
  13. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  14. 0.7 miTurn right, heading SE.
  15. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  16. 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
  17. 150 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  18. 50 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  19. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  20. 0.2 miBear right, heading SW.
  21. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  22. 0.7 miSharp left, heading SE.
  23. 0.1 miTurn left onto Forbidden Drive, heading NE.
  24. 500 ftTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading NW.
  25. 250 ftTurn left onto Orange Trail, heading NW.
  26. 0.4 miBear right, heading N.
  27. 50 ftSharp right, heading N.
  28. 450 ftBear right, heading N.
  29. 50 ftTurn right onto White Trail, heading E.
  30. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  31. 350 ftTurn left, heading N.
  32. 150 ftContinue straight onto Lavender Trail, heading N.
  33. 500 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

86% dirt4% gravel10% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:28 PM

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Germantown Av & Norman Ln stop 650 m from the trailhead

More from Lavender Trail Trailhead