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Powder Mill Valley |
This interactive map shows the walking trails along Cobbs Creek in Haverford Township. Several of these trails serve as part of the Haverford Heritage Trail loop around the township.
Click or tap on the "four corners" icon (upper right) to open a larger full-screen map.
Click or tap on the small box icon (upper left) to open a list of trails.
Click or tap on a trail or its listing to see its details, length and maybe a photo.
The earthen Karakung Trail (shown in yellow), was begun in 2007 and is the most popular trail in the Powder Mill Valley. It starts near the Norristown High Speed Line overpass over Manoa Road, where a macadam path goes past the Powder Mill Valley historic monument. (Another short leg provides access from the east.) It then crosses Karakung Drive, running through the field along Cobb's Creek until it recrosses Karakung Drive and heads into the trees. It eventually passes the historic Lawrence Cabin and Nitre Hall, once the home of the Powder Master who oversaw the operation of the gunpowder mill. At the Nitre Hall driveway, it re-enters the woods until ramping down to the roadside just short of the Beechwood-Brookline railway station.
The Karakung Trail Extension (woodchip and grass, shown in orange) heads further north from the sidewalk by the station across Mill Road and generally alongside the west side of Karakung Drive. It crosses the creek on the road bridge, then heads into the Karakung Swim Club parking lot and follows alongside and below the guard rail until it ends at the top of the curves. The extension provides a safer route to reach the Karakung Swim Club and the Little League ballfield.
On the other side of Cobb's Creek, the earthen Powder Mill Trail (dark orange) runs from the back edge of the Powder Mill Park playground along the creek bank. It leads to the end of Johnson Road off of Lakeside Avenue. Farther north, the earthen Gest Tract Trail (aqua) begins at the end of Pelham Avenue and heads downhill from the back of the park to the corner of the upper parking area at the ballfields. The driveway provides access to the crosswalk to the swim club.
There are three main trails south of Manoa Road. The Grange Trail (earthen with some paving, shown in light purple), combined with the Grange Drive (light blue), connects the southern and northern parts of Grove Place, offering access to the Grange Estate, with its historic buildings and grounds. There are additional small walking trails throughout the Grange woods, as shown and described on the map. The other two main trails are both informal and in a wooded area that is part of Philadelphia's Cobbs Creek Park, even though it is located in Haverford Township. From the bottom of the Grange Drive, the earthen Cobbs Creek Park - West Trail (purple) heads downstream, ending at the Township Line Road embankment. At the east end of the Manoa Road bridge over Cobbs Creek, the earthen and rock Cobbs Creek Park - East Trail (red) also heads south, along the east bank of the creek, stopping short of Township Line Road. The initial part of this walking path has some steep areas, including steep cross slopes along the creek's edge. Access to this trail is also available from the back of the Carroll Park "Tot Lot" playgound on Farwood Road, and from the end of Carroll Road.