Fort Washington

A Pennsylvania Recreational Guide for Fort Washington State Park Fort Washington State Park Rich in modern recreational facilities and historical significance, Fort Washington blossoms with flowering dogwood in the spring. The park takes its name from the temporary fort built by George Washington’s troops in the fall of 1777, before heading to Valley Forge. The park is popular with hikers and picnickers. Birders enjoy the seasonal migration of raptors from the Observation Deck. NO HUNTING: Hunting is prohibited in all areas of Fort Washington State Park. FISHING: Wissahickon Creek passes through the park offering trout fishing in the spring. During the summer, it offers warmwater fishing for carp, catfish, panfish, and suckers. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations and laws apply. Directions Fort Washington State Park consists of 493 acres in eastern Montgomery County. The park lies between the towns of Fort Washington and Flourtown along the Bethlehem Pike. It is about two miles from PA Turnpike Exit 339. Flourtown Day Use Area: 44 West Mill Road, Flourtown, PA 19031 Militia Hill Day Use Area: 447 Militia Hill Road, Fort Washington, PA 19034 6036 Joshua Road, Fort Washington, PA 19034 Reservations Make online reservations at www.visitPAparks.com or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. Recreational Opportunities HAWK WATCH OBSERVATION DECKS: The lower deck is ADA accessible. All 16 species of raptors that migrate on the east coast can be seen here. The “Watch” begins on September 1 and lasts through October 31. Volunteer compilers are on duty every day, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, counting raptors that migrate past the deck. For more information, or to bring a group to the observation deck, call the park office at 215-591-5250. The deck provides a scenic overlook year round, and also great views of the butterfly garden. HIKING: 4.2 miles of trails Moderate difficulty trails wander through forest and open fields. Fort Washinton State Park 500 South Bethlehem Pike Fort Washington, PA 19034 215-591-5250 email: fortwashingtonsp@pa.gov GPS DD: Lat. 40.13027 Long. -75.21764 Make online reservations at www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks visitPAparks PICNICKING: Flourtown Day Use Area and Militia Hill Day Use Area provide over 300 picnic tables. Three picnic pavilions are available for year-round use, weather conditions permitting. The pavilions are available for rental with advance reservations. If not reserved, they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Large playfields offer ample room for group or individual picnic activities. The entire park is a carry-in/carry-out trash disposal area. There are no trash collection or recycling facilities. Visitors are asked to limit the amount of disposable items brought to the park and to take all trash, garbage, and recyclables home to be disposed of properly. ADA accessible picnic tables and parking spaces have been designated throughout the park. Militia Hill Day Use Area has two ADA accessible picnic pavilions, a minipavilion, a playground, and restrooms. The Flourtown Day Use Area Pavilion and restroom are also ADA accessible. SOFTBALL FIELD: The softball field in the Flourtown Day Use Area is available on a first-come, first-served basis. An Equal Opportunity Employer 2018 ORGANIZED GROUP TENTING: This rustic area is open year round and has a maximum capacity of 220 people. Groups must call the reservation system to reserve a site. Green Ribbon Trail: This 2.5-mile multi-use trail provides opportunities for biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing along Wissahickon Creek. It connects the Militia Hill and Flourtown day use areas via Montgomery County park land. Plans are underway to extend the trail through local communities to the south and connect with Fairmount Park’s Forbidden Drive in Chestnut Hill. History Fort Washington State Park and the community of Fort Washington take their name from the temporary fort built here by soldiers of the American Revolution in the fall of 1777. Formerly known as Whitemarsh, the area saw the encampment of 12,000 soldiers of General Washington’s army from November 2 until December 11, 1777. Following the unsuccessful battle of Germantown, Washington chose the heights of the Whitemarsh Valley as an easily defendable position. From here he pondered the possibility of launching an attack against General Howe’s British army in Philadelphia. Although Washington decided against an attack, the British marched out from Philadelphia on December 5 in order to engage the Americans in battle. Because of Washington’s strong position, only local skirmishes took place. After much marching back and forth, Howe led his army back to Philadelphia on December 8. Knowing his poorly clad men needed better quarters, and also to protect the iron forges and foundries in the Schuylkill Valley, Washington left Whitemarsh on December 11, 1777, and marched the Continental Army to Valley Forge. There the American spirit had its first rendezvous with destiny. Although Fort Washington State Park is beyond the boundaries of Philadelphia, the city’s famous Fairmount Park Commission began acquiring land here in the early 1920s. The commission, with the assistance of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, administered the park until 1953 when an act by the state legislature turned the park over to the former Department of Forests and Waters, now the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. FORT HILL: This hill was the western end of the Continental troop positions and was the site of the fort. All traces of the original fort have been lost. MILITIA HILL: The Pennsylvania Militia, under the command of generals Armstrong, Cadwalader, and Irvine, held positions along this ridge. DOG WALKING: Pets are permitted in Fort Washington State Park. All pets must be controlled and attended at all times and on a leash or otherwise safely restrained. Be considerate when walking your dog and carry a container to clean up after your pet. Also, please stay outside playfields, ball fields, picnic areas, and the organized group tenting area. DISC GOLF: The wooded, 9-hole course begins in Lot 2 in the Militia Hill Day Use Area at a kiosk with a map of the course. Winter Activities SLEDDING AND TOBOGGANING: Near Lot 5 in the Militia Hill Day Use Area is a 400-foot slope for sledding. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Both beginner and expert skiers can enjoy the 1.7-mile loop trail in the Militia Hill Day Use Area and the 2.5-mile Green Ribbon Trail. Nearby Attractions Information on nearby attractions is available from the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, 610-834-1550. www.valleyforge.org Just south of Fort Hill on Bethlehem Pike is Hope Lodge, a fine example of early Georgian Colonial Architecture. Built circa 1750, Hope Lodge is managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and is periodically open to the public. 215-646-1595 Valley Forge National Historical Park is 15 miles to the south and provides the visitor with an understanding of the winter encampment of General Washington’s forces. 610-783-1099. https://www.nps.gov/vafo/index.htm Protect and Preserve Our Parks Please make your visit safe and enjoyable. Obey all posted rules and regulations and respect fellow visitors and the resources of the park. • Be prepared and bring the proper equipment. Natural areas may possess hazards. You are responsible for your and your family’s safety. • Alcoholic beverages are prohibited. • Because uncontrolled pets may chase wildlife or frighten visitors, pets must be physically controlled, attended at all times, and on a leash, caged, or crated. Electronic fences and leashes are prohibited. • Do your part to keep wildlife wild! Enjoy wildlife from a safe distance and do not feed or approach wild animals. • Park only in designated areas and obey all traffic regulations. • Share the road. Drive slowly and watch for walkers, bicyclists, and children. Access for People with Disabilities This symbol indicates facilities and activities that are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible for people with disabilities. This publication text is available in alternative formats. If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit. In an Emergency Call 911 and contact a park employee. Directions to the nearest hospital are posted on bulletin boards and at the park office. CLIFTON HOUSE: Built in 1801, Clifton House lies just north of Fort Hill on Bethlehem Pike. Formerly the Sandy Run Tavern, it now houses a valuable library and museum of local importance. It is operated by the Fort Washington Historical Society and is periodically open to the public. For more information regarding the Clifton House contact: Fort Washington Historical Society, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034, 215-646-6065. http://historicalsocietyfw.wixsite.com/fwhistory NEAREST HOSPITAL Chestnut Hill Hospital 8835 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118 215-248-8200 Road a Joshu Mi MILITIA HILL DAY USE AREA Philadelphia 0 Hil Lot #5 Par k MHL-1 Lot #3 Pik e Bet hle hem Road n Roa d L UA Playfield Morris AREA Historic Site 25 PA HISTORICAL & MUSEUM COMMISSION SITE Pen nsy SANDY RUN AREA Limited Access lvan Hope Lodge ia 309 0 Disc Golf Course Mather's Mill erce Comm n 0 150 0 Ru 20 ill D M il i t i a H 20 UN CO FORT HILL Clifton House 600 Drive Lot #4 Lot #1 TY Road l e Pik Historical Society Bldg. e Avenu a 200 ee a Sta te Sandy liti 25 300 Road To Conshohocken, 4 Mi., I-476, 5 Mi. 276 em p Ave. To Allentown, 30 Mi. on Madis nia sylva oo To Fort Washington Expo Center MHL-3 o Lot #2 o p Tr. Ave. it Summ LAND ad p .L Joshu Gr 0 AE NEW JERSEY 20 Ro Loo 0 Ave. tte Lafaye Penn CHE STE R 0 20 l est LD Rib Pike 3 0 Ave. 0 20 95 611 ke Hil 30 PHILADELPHIA 30 npi AW 1 76 1 LD Willow Grove Tur itia Jenkintown Benjamin Rush 73 Conshohocken DELAWARE Mil 532 FORT 276 WASHINGTON 25 Ave. 363 Norristown Farm Norristown 73 Creek Trail 0 202 n hicko e eserv n Pr Wissa bo 250 Warminster 309 N 250 20 Evansburg 332 152 nia ack 0 Tyler S lva eh 611 Lansdale 20 BUCKS 263 n nto SteAve. 20 heaff Skipp 476 73 nsy Buckingham Road To Ambler, 1 Mi. To Butler Pike, 1 Mi. 0 Pen 202 Road Sheaff thl Chalfont MONTGOMERY 0 Be Doylestown 30 To Evansburg State Park, 12 Mi. 250 ct Prospe N To Butler Pike, 1 Mi. ing Spr To Norristown Mi liti a Hil l Rd 150 200 200 50 0 10 0 ND 0 ai 0 Tr 25 300 200 1600 FEET Stenton bo n Pik e Rib eh em thl . Ave 800 Ave. 400 METERS d FLOURTOWN East Mill Road 750 700 To Chestnut Hill, 2 Mi. Multi-use Trail: Hiking and as Designated Picnic Pavilion Parking Playground Hawk Watching Deck Organized Group Tent Camping Area Parking Unpaved Sledding State Park No Hunting CONTOURS ARE ON 50 FT. INTERVALS County Land To Chestnut Hill, 2 Mi. Parking ADA Gate 200 Unpaved Road 200 To Chestnut Hill, 2 Mi. 0 200 Be Cree k on ick sah 800 0 Roa Picnicking 300 200 73 Water Cross-county Skiing Recommended Hiking Trail 0 20 e 0 Biking nue Grov 309 Park Office Blue Symbols Mean ADA Accessible Modern Restrooms Road Hill Camp 250 Wes 0 Ave t Road Mill a l i an Mil 20 Road 20 lv sy 150 Green nyb rook nn Volleyball Court Ballfields Sun Pe 150 0 FLOURTOWN DAY USE AREA 150 y Valle Road N e atur Tr. Road 20 V 0 ch alley Green Roa Green 25 Chur Run Valley Gr e en Roa d West Wis Exit 339 ine rra 0 200 Y NT Preserve d West 150 W. ke 20 Lo t Road 20 Road l 0 Ave. cke Flou To P A Ent Turnp ran ike ce npi U CO 0 Cri Road Tur 276 LA 15 20 rtown Hill 150 on Stent FORT WASHINGTON STATE PARK MONTGOMERY COUNTY To Joshua Road, .25 Mi. Camp WHITEMARSH 20 To Jenkintown, 4.5 Mi. Rev. 12/04/18