Food After a Hike in Wissahickon Valley Park

Food after a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia has one obvious answer on the trail and two good ones at either end. On the trail, a historic roadhouse sits beside Forbidden Drive. At the top, Chestnut Hill has Cake and McNally's Tavern. At the bottom, Manayunk has Taqueria Amor.

Where do you find food after a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park?

The park is a long, wooded gorge with Forbidden Drive running through its center, and there are three practical places to eat: inside the park, at the Chestnut Hill end or at the Manayunk end. Which one suits you depends on where you finished and how muddy your boots are.

Forbidden Drive is a wide gravel path, closed to cars, that follows Wissahickon Creek. Most walkers join it near Valley Green, near the top or near the bottom, so choose the end that matches your route and plan the meal there.

Is there a sit-down lunch stop on Forbidden Drive?

Yes. A historic roadhouse sits beside the creek on Valley Green Road, and it is the natural stop for a sit-down meal.

The inn's own website describes New American cuisine, with lunch, dinner and a Sunday brunch, and it suggests reservations on weekends. Dress is smart casual, so a muddy trail look may stand out. Check current hours before you go, because the season changes what is open.

Older guides also list a few snack stops inside the park, so do not plan a meal around one without checking that it is open.

Should you pack a Wissahickon picnic instead?

A picnic is the simplest plan, and it costs nothing in waiting time. Buy sandwiches, fruit and something sweet on the way, and eat at a bench or a clearing along the creek. Pack out everything you bring, because the park has few bins, and read the park's posted rules on picnics and fires before you set up.

For ideas, the Philadelphia farmers markets guide covers where to buy produce, and the Reading Terminal Market guide covers a big indoor market for picnic supplies.

What about food in Chestnut Hill after a hike?

If you finish at the northern end, Chestnut Hill is a short trip from the park, with Germantown Avenue as its main street. Two places are well documented. Cake is a bakery and cafe in a converted Victorian greenhouse, according to The Infatuation, and Philadelphia Magazine lists it for Sunday brunch. McNally's Tavern is an old neighborhood tavern known for the Schmitter, a salami, steak and cheese sandwich.

Cake suits a lighter, brighter meal, and McNally's suits a hungry group that wants a sandwich. The full neighborhood is in the Chestnut Hill guide.

What about Manayunk after a hike?

If you end at the Schuylkill River side, Manayunk's Main Street is the place for a bigger meal. Taqueria Amor is a colorful Mexican spot on Main Street that the Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine both describe, with tacos, enchiladas and fish taco bowls. The fuller street guide is the Manayunk Main Street guide.

A taco meal fits a tired hiker: it comes quickly, it shares well and it is easy to eat with clean hands only if you wash up first.

How do you plan the day?

Decide the finish line first. If you start at Valley Green and want a sit-down lunch, you can eat at the roadhouse and walk out. If you start in Chestnut Hill, eat at Cake or McNally's afterward. If you start at the Manayunk end, finish on Main Street.

Allow more time than the trail alone needs, because weekend meals can involve a wait. Bring a spare layer, since the valley is cooler than the street. If your group is large, call ahead where a place takes reservations and note the result for the next trip.

The weather matters here. On a hot day, a shaded porch or a cold dish is welcome, and on a cold day a soup or a hot sandwich is the reward. After rain the gravel and the trails can be muddy, so pack a pair of dry shoes for the car if you plan to sit down indoors. Bring water on the trail itself, because the park has few places to buy it. If you are bringing children, ask about portions and seating when you arrive, and plan the meal for the end of the walk when everyone is hungry rather than the start. If the day is long, a snack in your bag keeps the trail pleasant until you reach the table, and a shared list of the stops lets everyone in the group see where you are heading next.

Where next in Philadelphia?

The Pennsylvania hub links the state's towns, and the US food guides hold the rest of the country.

How can Mosey help after a hike?

After a trail-side meal, rate the plate in the Mosey app by the dish rather than the whole place, and add a tag so your note says what you actually ate. A rating of the dish itself tells the next reader more than a star for the room.

At the end of the walk, open the Mosey app, rate your trail-side meal by the dish and save the place to a list for your next hike.