EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS IN PHILADELPHIA, USA
Philadelphia is home to one of the largest urban park systems in the nation, with over 100 parks, squares, and recreation sites totaling over 10,000 acres.
The green spaces both in the city and in its surrounding areas present ample opportunities for visitors to spend time exploring the outdoors, while staying within or not far from the heart of the city. We’ve collected a few key parks, historic sites, and other outdoor experiences to seek out during your visit to Philadelphia.
Fairmount Park
Totaling over 2,000 acres when combined, Philadelphia’s East and West Fairmount Park offers visitors an abundance of biking, walking, and hiking trails as well as recreation fields to explore. The park system is also home to several museums and attractions (Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum), six historic mansions, a music venue (Mann Center for the Performing Arts), and a horticultural center. Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Junior Drive run parallel to one another on the banks of the Schuylkill River, each with their own set of paths and picnic areas.
Don’t miss the iconic Boathouse Row that caps the park’s eastern end (best viewed from along MLK Jr. Drive) and the beautiful grounds of the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden adjacent to the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center.
Before exploring, read Fairmount Park Conservancy’s Digital Guide to aid your exploration of the park, highlighting trails, historic landmarks, and more.
Schuylkill River Trail
Winding its way through Philadelphia along the Schuylkill River, the Schuylkill River Trail — once named one of the best riverwalks in the nation by USA Today — serves as a recreation trail with paved lanes for biking, running, or walking, including a 2,000-foot-long boardwalk that hovers over the river near the city’s Rittenhouse neighborhood. The trail extends from South Philadelphia through Fairmount Park along Kelly Drive. In total, the trail is 120 miles long and extends to Frackville, PA. When visiting Center City, there are access points at the 34th Street ramp, CHOP bridge, JFK Boulevard stairs, and Race Street crossing.
Parks & Squares
In William Penn’s original plan for the City of Philadelphia, he envisioned five squares stationed evenly throughout the city’s grid-like system of streets. Four of these squares — Rittenhouse, Franklin, Washington, and Logan — serve as recreation and community spaces, each with their own unique features. The fifth square, Centre Square, is where you will now find Philadelphia’s historic City Hall — the largest municipal building in the United States — and accompanying Dilworth Park. Throughout the year, these parks host various events and installations including, live music performances, an outdoor ice rink and a holiday market.
Wissahickon Valley Park
Home to miles of trails, the 1,800-acre Wissahickon Valley Park follows the Wissahickon Creek as it winds through northwest Philadelphia. The Wissahickon immerses travelers in the wilderness surrounded by waterfalls and wildlife, on unforgettable trails. The wooded park is home to 50 miles worth of trails, a quaint tavern and event space (Valley Green Inn), and Historic Rittenhouse Town.
Countryside of Philadelphia
A short drive west from Philadelphia will bring you to both Valley Forge or Brandywine Valley. Both of these countryside destinations offer a green escape from the historic and downtown settings of Center City.
In Valley Forge, visitors can explore the over 3,400 acres of Valley Forge National Historical Park — once home to General George Washington’s encampment during the Revolutionary War — or any number of biking trails throughout Montgomery County. Alternatively, in Brandywine Valley, visitors can find the renowned Longwood Gardens — a sprawling botanical garden complete with lush conservatories and beautiful fountains.
Heading north from Philadelphia, you can visit the Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum — the ancestral home of the Biddle family — in nearby Bucks County.
Heading to Philadelphia to spend some time outdoors? Read our Official Visitors Guide to discover the best of Philadelphia.
About the PHLCVB:
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) creates positive economic impact across the Philadelphia region, driving job growth and promoting the health and vibrancy of our hospitality industry by marketing the destination, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and attracting overnight visitors. The PHLCVB’s work engages our partners, the local Philadelphia community as well as culturally and ethnically diverse regional, national, and international convention, sporting event and tourism customers. The PHLCVB is also the official tourism promotion agency for the city of Philadelphia globally and is responsible for growing the number of overseas leisure visitors who come to the region each year. To learn more, visit www.DiscoverPHL.com.
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