The Ultimate Fairmount Park Bucket List

Time to conquer your fears, nature-averse Philadelphians.

Photo via Fairmount Park Conservancy

Photo via Fairmount Park Conservancy

The thought of venturing into the quiet, green, EL-less land that is Fairmount Park can seem a bit intimidating when what you’re used to traipsing around in is an environment made up of grey concrete, confidently dodging speeding SEPTA buses and those clipboard-holding people who are always, without fail, planted along Walnut Street. (You know, the ones who force you into saying awful things like “No, I don’t have a minute for dying otters. SORRY.”)

After all, what’s one to do with all that obstacle-free nature?

But it’s time to get over your fears: This summer, the Fairmount Park Conservancy put together an awesome, pretty detailed map of Fairmount Park, identifying Indego stations, key trails, bike lanes and SEPTA bus stops speckled throughout its 2,050 acres. And along with that map, they’ve compiled a list of 50 Fairmount Park activities worth experiencing — a bucket list, if you will — from fitness-related activities, like playing tennis at Chamounix’s hard courts, getting your downward dog on at Lemon Hill and running Boxers’ Trail, to more Instagram-worthy (and leisurely) activities like picnicking in the Azalea Garden and enjoying the views from the bluffs in Laurel Hill Cemetery.

And along with giving you a very long Fairmount Park bucket list to complete, the map also demystifies the giant park quite a bit for all us nature-fearing city folk. So your marching orders: Check out the map and accompanying list of activities here, print it out, tape it to your fridge and start crossing items off. We think we’ll start with number 33: Enjoy craft brews and casual fare at Parks on Tap (after we get our sweat on in one of Maha Yoga’s pay-what-you-wish classes at the traveling park, of course).

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