Cobbs Creek Park, once a forgotten link in the Fairmount Park system, has benefitted from renewed attention and creative funding. The park now provides opportunities for experiencing the natural beauty of the wooded Cobbs Creek in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The Cobbs Creek Environmental Education Center (CCCEEC), opened in 2001, has become a community resource where kids and young adults can learn about nature and contribute to improving and protecting streams, woods, and trails. (Its hours vary during the year, depending on scheduling of programs.)

The 700-acre, irregularly shaped park follows the meandering path of rocky Cobbs Creek from City Avenue in the Overbrook Park section of the city, southwest to Woodland Avenue in Kingsessing (at the historical Blue Bell Tavern), passing the Mount Moriah Cemetery along the way. The first mill in Philadelphia was built in 1645, along the creek near the tavern.

Seven miles of trails in the park wind through the woods. For families, the easiest way to get acquainted with the park’s trail system is to join a naturalistled walk; check the CCCEEC website or call for a current schedule. A paved 4-mile bike trail runs from 63rd and Market streets, past the bucolic cemetery (whose paths can be explored as well) to 70th Street. Plans are to extend this trail to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. The park is also home to two golf courses, three playgrounds and recreation centers, and an indoor skating rink.

Remember: Dogs must be leashed.

West Fairmount Park offers walking and biking trails, and the Please Touch Museum.

Numerous small commercial areas are in West Philadelphia. Bring a lunch or snacks to enjoy a picnic in the park.