Outward Bound in Wissahickon Park

Tucked into the woods of Wissahickon Valley Park, the Philadelphia Outward Bound School’s original course site at 726 Wigard Avenue offers a quiet, immersive nature experience in the northwest corner of the city.

Wigard Avenue is one of several entrances to Wissahickon Park, the second largest park in Philadelphia (after Fairmount Park), with roughly 50 miles of trails.

This secluded location, now serving as a secondary course site to the organization’s main campus at The Discovery Center, continues to play a vital role in POBS programming. With space to host up to 120 participants at a time, the site supports full-day Insight programs, overnight events, and alumni gatherings.

Surrounded by towering trees, open sky, and wildlife like deer, ducks, geese, rabbits, hawks, woodpeckers and countless other birds, the Wigard Avenue site brings 2,000 to 3,500 students annually into this green oasis - often introducing them to the park for the very first time.

In addition to the course elements located in the woods, our Wissahickon location also has a large open area ideal for group initiatives, community-building, and reflection.

The Wigard Avenue site blends natural beauty with thoughtfully designed programming space. While the land itself is part of the city's Wissahickon Valley Park, the challenge course elements are privately owned and operated by POBS.

The grounds at our Wissahickon location include a campfire ring ideal for overnight experiences.

The Treehouse and Zipline

The site's centerpiece is the iconic treehouse - built in 1997 and modeled to scale after the original Outward Bound pulling boats - which doubles as a shelter for expedition crews who overnight at Wigard and features an attached zipline.

A student begins their zipline experience from the POBS treehouse in Wissahickon Park. Ziplining pushes students beyond their comfort zones and into moments of courage, confidence, and growth.

Additional challenge elements, like two 30-foot Goal Poles, a Vertical Play Gym, and the High-Y, offer a dynamic and engaging progression of activities designed to build confidence, communication, and teamwork.

The Goal Pole

The Goal Pole is the ultimate “leap of faith” where the climber jumps from the top of a 30 foot pole out into thin air, with the added goal of tagging a rope. The rest of the group belays the jumper from the ground.

The Vertical Play Gym

The Vertical Play Gym (or VPG) is a climbing playground in the sky, packed with variety, fun, and teamwork. Students can go solo or team up with a partner, and the mix of challenges keeps things exciting.

The High Y

The High-Y is a two-person challenge that takes teamwork to finish. Participants start by climbing to separate cables that will meet in a Y formation.

Partners meet at the Y and cross the final stretch together with support and trust.

The Trail and Wissahickon Creek

The nearby Yellow Trail - part of Wissahickon’s extensive trail network - is often incorporated into day programs, giving students the chance to explore local ecology and practice trail navigation alongside their team-building activities.

Despite the shift of many programs to The Discovery Center, the Wigard Avenue site remains a cherished part of the POBS experience. It provides a tranquil, wooded environment for students to step outside their everyday surroundings and into a place of growth, discovery, and adventure.