09.20.11
Philadelphia John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum covers a freshwater tidal marsh area on the boundary of Philadelphia and Delaware Counties very close to Philadelphia International Airport. It has several miles of well maintained pedestrian trails and is quite popular with local runners and walkers. You can do an out-and-back trip of up to nine miles, and can introduce some variation by taking different trail segments in the two directions.
The best way to get here is by driving. You can get here by Regional Rail to Eastwick Station or SEPTA bus 37 or 108, but will need to do some hiking along the road.
The trails are mostly well maintained gravel trails, suitable for cycling (not all trails), running, and walking. Dogs are permitted on a leash. There is a pleasant 3.4-mile loop trail, starting and finishing at the visitor center. You can alternatively proceed the length of the reserve to the second parking area at Route 420 and beyond a short distance, for a roundtrip of 8.2-to-9.0 miles. The best route choices are those away from the highway, which tends to be quite noisy. See our more detailed article and route map with distances at www.funonfoot.com/philadelphia.html.
This is a very pleasant place to train if you live nearby or are seeking a change of environment.
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