Forbidden Drive

Forbidden Drive is an old mill road built in the 1860's that connected the textile mills located on the Wissahickon creek in Chesnut Hill to Center City, Philadelphia.  Located in a lush area surrounded by beautiful woods the Wissahickon Valley road located only about 10 miles from downtown Philadelphia was a world away out in the country. The Wissahickon creek, which is a Lenape Indian word, meaning yellow water, meanders through a five mile stretch of  woods and granite cliffs culminating in a surging waterfall feeding into the Schuylkill river along the scenic Kelly drive.   

Kelly Drive is a dynamic nine mile stretch of winding road that runs along picturesque scenery of the river.  The drive is named after Jack Kelly, Olympic gold medal rower and father of Princess Grace Kelly, who lived in nearby East Falls.  Kelly Drive ambles along the river connecting the Wissahickon Valley trail with beautiful outdoor sculptures, the historic boat house row which lights up at night illuminating the nine boat houses and finally end at the heart of the city at the iconic Art Museum. The entire area stretchingfrom the beginning of Forbidden Drive at Wissahickon Valley park to Kelly Drive leading into the Art Museum is part of the one of the largest city parks in the USA known as Fairmount Park. The e

The land comprising Fairmount Park was once owned by Founding Father Robert Morris who financed the American Revolution.  The park is over 2000 acres and flanks the Schuylkill river and houses the nation's oldest Philadelphia Zoo. There is the Lemon Hill mansion built by merchant Henry Pratt in 1799 and one of the finest example of Federalist architecture.  The home was named after the lemon trees that were grown in the greenhouse. 

The evolution of the Forbidden Trail that was once a late 1800's gravel mill road where folks would come to take a leisurely drive on a Sunday and stroll across the Thomas Mill red covered bridge connecting some of the nearby mansions to the mill creek to become an essential part of of the largest city parks in the US has been dramatic over the past 150 years.  The name Forbidden trail comes from cars being forbidden on the trail as the mills faded from existence and the bucolic trail became a favorite walking, jogging, jalking and dog walking community gathering place. 

Get outside and immerse yourself in nature's beauty.  Harness the power of nature to cure you of anything that ails you.

 

 With Love,

Coach K