Hike to the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge
Rate this Adventure Wissahickon Creek Gorge: Orange Trailhead
1 Miles
Chillin, Photography, Hiking
Beginner
Year Round
Out-and-Back
Take a short hike and photograph the only covered bridge in Philadelphia/ the only covered bridge in a major U.S. city.
Built in 1855, the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge is an 85 foot long Howe-truss bridge located about 1/2 mile from the nearest road in Wissahickon Valley Park.
Hiking to the bridge is easy and there are two routes to choose from. Start at either of the parking areas on Bells Mill Road. You can either hike south on Forbidden Drive, the flat and wide multi-use walking/bike path that follows the Wissahickon Creek for 8 miles or take the Orange Trail (which I used) and is a hiking path (but also used by mountain bikers) on the other side of the creek.
Either route will get you to the bridge in roughly .6 miles from Bells Mill Road, about a 10 minute walk. There are lots of vantage points to photograph from on both sides of the bridge. Be sure to explore them all.
There are lots of options to extend your hike in the Wissahickon from the bridge as well. Hike further south to the Tedyuscung statue or the Rex Avenue Bridge or even on to Valley Green and Devil's Pool. Hike up into Houston Meadow, west of the bridge. Or do it all in one hike, one of my favorite hikes in the Wissahickon.
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
