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

Forbidden Drive is a 3.9-mile out-and-back in Wissahickon Valley Park near Manatawna, PA. It climbs 546 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 – 364 ft · steepest grade: 19%4.9 mi

Getting there

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

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Forbidden Drive

3.9 mi · ▲ 546 ft · 1 hr 34 min

Elevation 96–366 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 ftContinue straight onto Lavender Trail, heading NW.
  17. 0.3 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  18. 0.3 miContinue straight onto White Trail, heading E.
  19. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  20. 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
  21. 350 ftTurn left, heading E.
  22. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  23. 450 ftSharp left, heading W.
  24. 50 ftBear left onto Orange Trail, heading W.
  25. 0.4 miTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading W.
  26. 250 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  27. 50 ftContinue straight onto Forbidden Drive, heading SW.
  28. 450 ftTurn right onto Yellow Trail, heading W.
  29. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  30. 0.7 miTurn right, heading S.
  31. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  32. 0.2 miSharp left, heading E.
  33. 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

82% dirt5% gravel13% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:28 PM

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