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

Forbidden Drive

4.3 mi · ▲ 292 ft · 1 hr 35 min

Forbidden Drive is a 4.3-mile out-and-back in Wissahickon Valley Park near Andorra, PA. It climbs 292 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 12/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi95 – 276 ft · steepest grade: 16%5.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Bells Mill West Trailhead 40.07837, -75.22731
Nearest town Andorra, PA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Forbidden Drive

4.3 mi · ▲ 292 ft · 1 hr 35 min

Elevation 96–276 ft

Out & Back · Wissahickon Valley Park

Trailhead: Bells Mill West Trailhead · 40.07837, -75.22731

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

Transit-accessible: Germantown Pk & Rodgers Dr stop 760 m from the trailhead · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Forbidden Drive, heading E.
  2. 0.4 miBear left, heading S.
  3. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
  4. 200 ftTurn right, heading S.
  5. 50 ftBear left onto Orange Trail, heading S.
  6. 0.4 miTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading SE.
  7. 250 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  8. 50 ftContinue straight onto Forbidden Drive, heading SE.
  9. 450 ftTurn right onto Yellow Trail, heading W.
  10. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
  11. 0.7 miTurn right, heading S.
  12. 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
  13. 150 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  14. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  15. 0.2 miBear right, heading W.
  16. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  17. 0.7 miSharp left, heading SE.
  18. 0.1 miTurn left onto Forbidden Drive, heading N.
  19. 450 ftTurn right onto Rex Avenue, heading N.
  20. 250 ftTurn left onto Orange Trail, heading N.
  21. 0.4 miBear right, heading N.
  22. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  23. 200 ftTurn right onto Forbidden Drive, heading N.
  24. 0.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.

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

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/forbidden-drive-out-back-7-km-744b

Trail surface

70% dirt23% gravel1% boardwalk6% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:28 PM

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Germantown Pk & Rodgers Dr stop 760 m from the trailhead
  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Bells Mill West Trailhead Trailhead

Hikes near Andorra, Pennsylvania