Glendinning Rock Garden

If you are looking for a little zen time, adventure or a just a nice afternoon in uncomplicated nature then this is the place.
Stay at ground level for the pretty. Venture up the back stone staircases and perch yourself on a rock wall for some zen or venture further up the path for adventure. Be careful. Go with a friend. Somedays vagrants like to camp up there and build fires and stare weirdly at you like you just crawled into their hobbit hole, kinda like today when I was adventuring up past the stairs. Also, Some nights you may find yourself at that same very spot in a drum circle, dancing and howling at the moon. Either way, this spot offers it all :)

I love this semi secret little garden. SO GREEN! Great for dogs playing, picnic having, wine drinking, summer relaxing, bocce balling, frisbee throwing, you get the idea… It’s also very beautiful all covered in snow

I’ve been calling this the Girard Rock for about two years. Oops, didn’t know it had an actual name.
This park is perhaps my favorite part of living in Brewerytown. It’s a vastly under-​used haven away from the typical toils of city life. A beautiful magnolia tree is the highlight of the remarkably litter-​free park that borders Kelly Drive. It’s wonderful for picnics, reading, or just a few moments of contemplation. The more adventurous can find a system of trails that lead to various overlooks and knolls. Generally these paths are deserted, but occasionally you’ll stumble upon a character or even a drum circle. I’ve met some very interesting folks in these woods.

This is a charming little park that house reminents of it’s past. This use to be the home of the «Spring Garden Water Works’ created in the mid 1840’s, so that the fine citizens of Philadelphia could have access to clean water.
It has since been converted into a beautiful oasis away from the throngs of runners/​cyclists/​walkers and activity on Kelly Drive. Some of the foundation still stands, now overgrown and mysterious. There are some steps that take you into the woods adjacent to the park.
It’s very peaceful and a nice retreat from the daily grind of the city. We have come here with a picnic lunches with our dogs in tow to enjoy the green space. They love the all of the room they have to run and play and we love that we can throw a blanket down and relax. I can tell that they enjoy it as much as I do.
I like to sit by the pond further into the park and listen to the sounds of the babbling waterfall and climb the rocks. There is a stream that runs the length of the park that empties into another pond closer to the road. I takes me back to my childhood when I would explore the woods and creeks near my house.
Take the steps beyond the wall and there is a little bike trail where mountain bikes love to go.
At night fall, you can watch the bats (as creepy as they are) do their nightly dance across the park in search of food, it’s a truly fascinating sight to see.
This is a great place to bring the family or friends and relax. It is definitely a hidden gem in Philadelphia, drive too fast on Kelly and you will completely miss it. Although, I’m ok with that because I’d like to keep it a secret!

We set out from boathouse row to have a picnic at Belmont Plateau, but after being previously led astray by the Fairmount Farmer’s Market for 45 minutes, we were ready to relax and have some apricots!
There is a beautiful, very quiet, very sweet park just under the West Girard Overpass.
We were happy to have peace and quiet, and shared a lovely picnic there. I felt very safe, and there’s more room to breathe. There is a man-​made stream, a rolling fountain, quiet nook under a tree across a cute little bridge, lots of birds, lots of wineberries, and lots of sunshine. It’s a great place to take your dogs, play frisbee, take your kids for a wide open space to run around, have a nice quiet day to oneself without all the traffic of Kelly Drive.
It’s so nice to be able to have so many parks to choose from! And it’s really quiet. Also, the best thing is that it was donated by Philadelpha’s own Robert and Elizabeth Glendinning, true long-​time supporters of the arts (look them up!). So beautiful…
Easy to get there by car — but! The best way to get there by bike is not to race across Kelly Dr. — you might meet your fate! Travel up Lemon Hill until you meet Girard — you can either cross there and go down N. Brewery Drive, or walk up the street near the ZOO and cross there. Walk down the winding Drive and soon you’ll find your little oasis.