Green Ribbon Trail North: Hiking Trail in Eastern Pennsylvania

We recently moved into the North Wales, PA area and were pleasantly surprised to find that there was a very nice park so close to our house. We had gone numerous times to walk and rollerblade but it was not until last week I found out that there was a great hiking trail that started in that very park! Today I decided to check it out and see what the north section of the Green Ribbon Trail was all about.

I was inspired to write this blog because of some of the neat pictures I started snapping along the way to show my husband. The title of the blog is inspired by the handful of quizzical looks I received while walking to the trail head, sitting at the train station, and walking home by passing motorists and regional rail passengers.

Here is a great map I used for the North section today: Green Ribbon Trail North

The first 2 or so miles of the trail are easy and pretty flat. There were a handful of friendly trail runners but it seemed like I was the only hiker today. I started my hike around 12:30pm. (The fields were nice and sunny but there was plenty of shade throughout the trail which kept me comfortable)

By the 2.5 - 3 mile marker you are met with a moderate incline. It was by no means strenuous. I leisurely kept hiking along and met a man who hikes a 6 mile loop with his dog Moose everyday along the trail and an adjoining trail. Everyone I encountered on the trail was incredibly nice. Even a maintenance worker who was setting some concrete along one of the cobble stone crossings was cordial.

I am a city/suburb gal so the fact that I saw 2 families of running deer and another deer who stopped to watch me as I walked by about 15 yards away was amazing. All along the trail you will see many birds, the birds you can't see you will surely hear. At one point there must have been 15 robins sitting on the trail ahead of me. I even startled a MASSIVE great blue heron which allowed me to watch him fly away hovering over the creek and out of sight. Pretty awesome!

The trail fades in and out of "civilization." Sometimes you literally are in the backyards of houses or walking through power line clearings. Sometimes you are alone in the woods along the trail and feel like there isn't another person for miles. After stretches of the woods you eventually hear a highway, or a lawn tractor and it zaps you back to suburbia.

I came across an old foundation of a stone home which still had its fireplace. It was overlooking the creek at a beautiful spot. I stopped to grab a granola bar and take it in, and it hit me... I should start taking pictures!

Below is the panoramic shot I shot I took in that same place, overlooking the creek.

There are 4 cobble stone crossings you will come across which are very well maintained and easy to cross. (all thanks to the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association)

Here is a picture of the 4th crossing.

The trail is relatively easy to follow and is fairly well blazed with a green blaze marking. There is one instance where you need to cross train tracks (at the Gwynedd Valley Station) to pick up the trail across the street but there was a very good sign that explained where you needed to go. I did make one oops on the trail. (I guess it wasn't that bad since I roamed into a neighborhood which was full of houses that had to be worth millions of dollars)

It was right after I took a picture of these archways for my husband. You come to a point where the trail seems to stop and pick up along the creek but if you peek down the trail it doesn't look like it continues. To the left you see a wooden stake which is painted green and water/sewer caps which are painted green. At first I followed this trail which leads you up a very very steep hill with a modern looking white building on the right. This is a persons private yard. I didn't realize that until I was walking down their winding drive way and knew this wasn't right. (But I did get to see some amazing houses!) So I doubled back and peeked down the trail I had before and noticed a green blaze on the stone bridge around the corner. You need to walk on the pillar under the bridge to continue along side the creek and follow the trail. This was my only mix up. The latter part of the north trail is a shared hiking/horse trail which connects to other trails in the town Penllyn.

Eventually you come to a point where you are on a residential road shortly after this sign. The trail continues a little bit down the road but I knew this was the stopping point for the northern section of the trail.

The SEPTA regional rail train station for Penllyn is about a half mile off the trail once you get to the residential area. The map that I linked earlier shows this. The walk to the station was not that bad. The worst was not having a sidewalk so you have to juggle which side of the road is better to walk on which gives you the most room away from the traffic.

It will cost you $4 if you do not have a prepaid ticket. It takes 5 minutes to return to North Wales from Penllyn. From the North Wales train station it is about a half mile to maybe a mile walk back to the trail head at Parkside place park.

My entire trip including walking about a mile to the trail head, stopping to chat with the nice man with Moose, grabbing a quick granola bar, the minor detour through the crazy neighborhood and catching a train back to North Wales, took me 3 hours.

I will certainly become a frequent hiker on this trail. I am hoping soon I can make the journey 10 miles down through the southern leg. The goal is the full 21 miles.

The trick is, after about 6 miles you come to the last town where you can catch a train back to North Wales, so other means of getting back to the trail head is necessary.