National and State Parks - Recreational Areas
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Fort Washington State Park
State Park Information
State Park Overview
Picnicking
Flourtown Day Use Area and Militia Hill Day Use Area provide over 300 picnic tables. Two picnic pavilions are available for year-round use, weather conditions permitting. The pavilions are available for rental with advance reservations. If not reserved, they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Large playfields offer ample room for group or individual picnic activities.
Flourtown Day Use Area is a carry-in/carry-out trash disposal area. There are no trash collection or recycling facilities. Visitors are asked to limit the amount of disposable items brought to the park and to take all trash, garbage and
recyclables home.
Fishing and Hunting
Fishing Wissahickon Creek passes through the park offering trout fishing in the spring. During the summer, it offers warm water fishing for carp, catfish, panfish and suckers.
No Hunting Area Hunting is prohibited at Fort Washington State Park.
History of the Area
Fort Washington State Park and the community of Fort Washington take their name from the temporary fort built here by soldiers of the American Revolution in the fall of 1777. Whitemarsh -s the area was called then, was the scene of the encampment of 12,000 soldiers of General Washington?s army from November 2 until December 11, 1777.
Following the unsuccessful battle of Germantown, Washington chose the heights of the Whitemarsh Valley as an easily defendable position. From here he pondered the possibility of launching an attack against General Howe?s British army in Philadelphia.
Although Washington decided against an attack, the British marched out from Philadelphia on December 5 to try to engage the Americans in battle. Because of Washington?s strong position, only local skirmishes took place. After much marching back and forth, Howe led his army back to Philadelphia on December 8.
Knowing his poorly clad men needed better quarters and
also to protect the iron forges and foundries in the Schuylkill Valley, Washington left Whitemarsh on December 11, 1777 and
marched the Continental Army to Valley Forge. There the American spirit had its first rendezvous with destiny.
Although Fort Washington State Park is beyond the boundaries of Philadelphia, the city?s famous Fairmount Park Commission began acquiring land here in the early 1920s. The commission, with the assistance of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters -dministered the park until 1953 when an act by the state legislature turned the park over to the former Department of Forests and Waters, now the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.