New Map App Aims To Help You Navigate Wissahickon Valley Park

PHILADELPHIA — A new way to explore Wissahickon Valley Park is now available on smartphones.

Friends of the Wissahickon Thursday announced the launch of its new digital Map App, an interactive map of Wissahickon Valley Park and more.

The app features information on trails, park amenities, and points of interest (in both English and Spanish), as well as tips for an enjoyable park visit.

Additionallt, the app also offers self-guided park “Walks and Talks” curated by Friends of the Wissahickon's Trail Ambassadors and staff.

"Walks and Talks" cover a variety of topics, including habitat, geology, and early history of the Wissahickon to access anytime, whether you’re in the park or on a walk around your neighborhood.

Friends of Wissahickon traditionally used information tables at popular trailheads and the distribution of paper maps to reach out to park visitors, but with the ongoing pandemic the approach put Friends of Wissahickon's volunteers and staff at risk. Also, the thousands of paper maps the organization distributed every year are detrimental to the environment.

"Applying technology to FOW’s outreach, development, and stewardship enables us to more efficiently use our resources and at the same time connect with more park visitors than ever before," Friends of Wissahickon Executive Director Ruffian Tittmann said.

The free app is available to download on Apple devices here. While an Android-capable version of the app is still in development, Android users can access a web version on your phone’s browser, here.