Frequently Asked Questions
The most Frequently
Asked Question is:
Q: Who owns the Wissahickon?
A: The Wissahickon, including the three public stables and Valley Green Inn, is owned by
the Fairmount Park Commission,
an independent agency of the City of Philadelphia. The FPC is directly responsible for all conservation,
maintenance, and preservation efforts except those formally delegated to others (such as the
stables and the lease at Valley Green Inn).
Other questions have
been categorized below:
Wissahickon Trails
Q: How many miles of trails are there in the Wissahickon?
A: The Wissahickon’s 1,800 acres contain an astonishing 57 miles of trails
— the
equivalent of eight separate trails running the entire length of the park.
Q: Who needs a permit to use the trails?
A: Anyone not using their own two feet, with the exception of those on skis, skates or
wheelchairs. That means all
equestrians and
bike
riders.
Q: Where can I get a permit?
A: The Fairmount Park Commission issues permits. You can print a form off its website and
send it in with the suggested donation.
Q: Are motor vehicles permitted on the Wissahickon trails?
A: No. With the exception of vehicles operated by the Fairmount Park Commission; police,
fire, ambulance and specially-permitted vehicles, no motor vehicles are allowed on the
trails. Specially-permitted vehicles include vehicles used by the FOW to get supplies and
other important equipment to work sites.
Q: What about access for handicapped people who wish to enjoy the scenery of the
Wissahickon?
A: There is parking for the handicapped at Valley Green and in one or two other parking
areas in the Wissahickon. The Inn also allows people to drop off handicapped passengers in
front of the ramps leading to the Inn. However, except for Forbidden Drive, the Wissahickon
trails are not really wheelchair-accessible. We recommend either Forbidden Drive or Kelly
Drive along the Schuylkill River for the handicapped.
Q: Who maintains the Wissahickon trails?
A: The FPC works with dedicated teams of volunteers from a variety of groups, including the
FOW, the Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers, school groups, and hiking clubs to maintain the
Wissahickon trails. As part of FOW’s Sustainable Trails Initiative, we have hired
consultants to develop a plan for the redesign of trails to make them sustainable for the long haul.
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The Wissahickon Creek
Q: Where does the Wissahickon Creek begin?
A: Ironically, the Wissahickon Creek starts in a spring in the parking lot of the
Montgomery Mall. It’s channeled through the parking lot and fed by a variety of smaller
tributaries throughout its 64-square mile watershed until it reaches the last seven miles of
its length in Philadelphia.
Q: Is it safe to swim in the Creek?
A: We do not recommend it. Between the pollution and the unpredictable currents, it can be
downright hazardous. We are aware that many people swim at Devil’s Pool and while they may
not get sick or injured, they do so at their own risk. We have heard reports of dogs
getting skin cancer from swimming in the creek, of tumors in fishes and of divers being
injured on the rocks at the bottom of Devil’s Pool, so we would strongly advise against it.
Q: What pollutes the Creek?
A: In late summer of a dry year, as much as 95 percent of the water in the creek is treated
sewage from the seven treatment plants upstream in Montgomery County. (See
Water
Quality.) Every rainstorm washes a variety of animal wastes, lawn and garden chemicals, household
cleaners, and things that drip from cars and trucks into the Creek. (See
Stormwater
Runoff.) Sometimes even industrial and commercial pollutants from Montgomery County and
Philadelphia get into the Creek. Heavy rainstorms overload Philadelphia’s aging sewer
system and force cross connections between sanitary and storm sewers. It’s little wonder
that a 2002 study by The Conservation Fund listed the Wissahickon as one of the Schuylkill
River’s four most polluted tributaries.
Q: Do people really drink Wissahickon water?
A: Yes. While the Wissahickon Spring Water Company doesn’t get its water directly from the
creek, the intake ports for northwest Philadelphia’s drinking water from the Schuylkill are
less than a mile downstream from where the Creek meets the river. As a result, roughly
one-third of northwest Philadelphia’s drinking water comes (highly filtered and treated)
from the Wissahickon.
Q: Do I need a license to fish in the Wissahickon?
A: Yes. Any person aged 16 or older needs to obtain a license from the Pennsylvania Fish
and Boat Commission. Licenses are available at many sporting goods stores. You can also
print out a form from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission website and mail it in with
the required fee. (See Fishing)
Q: What kind of fish are in the Wissahickon?
A: The Fish and Boat Commission stocks the Creek with trout a few times a year. They keep
the exact dates quiet. There are also large mouth and small mouth bass, sunfish, and some
small catfish in the Creek as well as a variety of minnows and other
panfish.
Q: Why are there so many dams in the Creek?
A: Almost every dam in the creek was built to provide power for the mills that lined the
creek before Fairmount Park was established in the 1860s.
Q: What will happen to the dams?
A: There is a curious debate going on about restoring the dams to their original condition
(and thus restoring ice-skating and other recreational opportunities) versus removing the
dams completely (and thus restoring the creek to its natural state and improving
opportunities for fish to move up and downstream.) With no clear consensus on what to do
and with funding for neither option forthcoming, the likely result is that the dams will
continue to deteriorate naturally. A water and sewer line passes through the dam nearest
the mouth of the Wissahickon, so the Philadelphia Water Department has an interest in
maintaining that dam.
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Holding Events in the Park
Q: Do I need a permit for a family picnic in the park?
A: It depends on how big a family you’re talking about. If you’re talking about five to
ten people who only take up one or two picnic tables or blankets, the answer is no. If
you’re talking about 25 to 50 people, you need to get a special events permit from the
Fairmount Park Commission.
Q: What other events do I need permits for?
A: When in doubt, if more than 25 people are involved and it doesn’t involve Valley Green
Inn, apply for a permit. The Inn has its own arrangements with the Park.
Q: Do I need a permit to get married in the park?
A: If the wedding is held at
Valley Green Inn,
nothing more than the usual marriage license is required. If the wedding is held at another site in the park,
you have to make arrangements with the organization that controls that site, e.g., Historic
Rittenhouse Town) and comply with whatever agreement they have with the
Fairmount Park Commission.
Q: What if I want to serve alcohol at my event?
A: If you want to serve alcohol, the Fairmount Park Commission will require you to obtain a special events permit
from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The LCB
will require you to notify all police agencies in the area. For example, when the FOW
stages its Whispers Along the Wissahickon event at the Andorra Natural Area, we notify the
5th (Roxborough), 14th (Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy) and 92nd (Fairmount Park) police
districts in Philadelphia as well as the Springfield and Whitemarsh Township police
departments since the site is so close to the city line. The FPC may also require
additional security deposits and scrutinize your application more thoroughly.
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Benches and Other Facilities
Q: How do I get my name on a bench in the Wissahickon?
A: Contact the Fairmount Park Commission. They have prices and standards. Truthfully,
there is probably an overabundance of named benches in the Wissahickon and their maintenance
could be better. You might want to consider an alternative gift.
Q: What if I want another facility with my name on it?
A: The FPC doesn’t have a standardized naming policy. For the right-sized contribution,
we suppose arrangements could be made. Developing such a policy is part of the FPC’s
strategic plan, but we wouldn’t recommend approaching the FPC about it until that policy is
in place. The FOW and others may object to the commercialization of the Park by re-naming
important landmarks.
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Other Questions
Q: I want to volunteer to work in the Park. How do I do it?
A: Contact Fairmount Park’s Volunteer Coordinator David Bower at 215-685-2189. The FOW also needs
volunteers for the workdays it sponsors on the second Saturday
of every month at different sites in the park. (See
Calendar for specific dates.) Also,
longtime FOW volunteer Ed Stainton and his Structures Committee are always looking for more
hands. E-mail Ed at edstainton@hotmail.com
for more information about how you can help.
If you’re interested in volunteering to help the park in other ways, contact the FOW about
joining one of our Committees.
Q: Why don’t cell phones work in the Wissahickon?
A: The Wissahickon is a steep, wooded gorge. It can be difficult for signals to get
through in many places and the FOW would object to ugly cell towers going up at the tops of
every slope. However, there are ways to properly mount transmitters on
bridges and in existing buildings that would not harm the scenery and that we would probably
not find objectionable. There is something to be said for having a place in a major city
where you are not accessible 24/7 and where you do not have to put up with the conversations
of others. At the same time, we would like to find a way to make the park safer and that
may call for police and other emergency service antennas in the park. Still, those would
require city funding from a city far too short on funds, so we don’t consider them a threat.
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