Published July 3, 2026 03:05AM
Sure, there are the cheesesteaks, the Liberty Bell, and Rocky. Philly’s got its icons and they’re legit. But the actual city—the one that rewards the curious—is something that continues to punch way above its weight.
Just look at its parks: Fairmount is one of the largest landscaped parks in the country. When combined with its affiliated 60-some parks, it’s just over ten times the size of New York City’s Central Park. Most of it sits just beyond Center City, close enough to feel accessible but wild enough to make you forget you’re in the country’s sixth-largest metropolis. Head north, and you’ll find trails winding through river gorges where Edgar Allan Poe used to come for a respite. That tracks.
Then there’s the Schuylkill. Philadelphia is one of those rare American cities that actually embraces its river. Around 33,000 people show up along its banks every week—runners, cyclists, scullers, and the occasional person on their lunch break.
This is a well-rounded town. Its best restaurants have an honesty and approachability that make it one of the most pleasurable places to dine out in the country right now. The art scene overdelivers. But spend a few days here and what stays with you is the outdoors: larger, wilder, and more alive than you might expect.
Parks and Gardens
Bartram’s Garden
5400 Lindbergh Blvd.
The oldest botanic garden in the country was created when John Bartram, a Quaker farmer, started collecting every plant he could find in North America. Today, this 45-plus-acre riverside park is often missed by those who don’t venture past Center City, which means it feels like a proper escape for bird watching, fishing, or gazing upon centuries-old ginkgo trees.
Schuylkill Banks and River Trail
Access from Locust St. and Kelly Dr.
Part of the East Coast Greenway—which connects Maine to Florida—this smooth, paved path links South Philly all the way up to the Main Line suburbs, more than 30 miles’ worth of trail. It’s a scene: dog walkers, fixie riders, pregame runners, and office workers eating lunch with a direct view of the city. The farther you venture north past the iconic Kelly Drive boathouses, where you’ll see sculls slice across the river, the greener it becomes.
Fairmount Park
Various access points
All cities would be better with a Fairmount Park. At more than 2,000 acres, it’s one of the country’s largest landscaped spaces. The Belmont Plateau has a seriously underrated city view: a wide-open meadow leaves the skyline unobstructed, like a painting. Run the Boxers’ Trail, a four-mile wooded loop used by Joe Frazier and other Philly-based pugilists (but not Rocky). Don’t leave without finding Shofuso, a 17th-century-style Japanese house set in a traditional garden.
Wissahickon Valley Park
Various access points
When you’re here, you won’t believe you’re still in Philly, but you are. In 1921, locals protested banning cars from this valley’s main road, hence the name: Forbidden Drive. This gravel path is still car-free and runs five miles along a creek with bridges, the occasional bald eagle, and the legendary Valley Green Inn, a necessary breakfast pit stop after a morning in the park. More than 50 miles of trails snake their way through the gorge walls for those seeking a bit more elevation, solitude, and poetic inspiration à la Poe.
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.
Here, Philly feels downright Parisian. Walk the mile from City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and you’ll pass the Rodin Museum (the best collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris, admission by donation), the recently opened Calder Sculpture Garden—a serene outdoor space dedicated to the Philadelphia-born Alexander Calder—and the Rocky Steps, which, yes, you must run. The view from the top of the museum steps is mildly touristy but very much worth it.
Wellness and Fitness
The Sporting Club at the Bellevue
224 S. Broad St.
The Sporting Club occupies the building next to the Bellevue, one of the great Gilded Age hotels in America, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece that has anchored Broad Street since 1904. Inside the club, the facilities are legitimately excellent—a lap pool, racket courts, a full weight floor—but the real draw is feeling like you’re exercising inside a European grand hotel. Visiting hotel guests at the Bellevue have access to the club.
Ebba Sparre Sauna Collective
1900 Pattison Ave.
These three cedar barrel saunas are set up on the grounds of the American Swedish Historical Museum during the winter months, the brainchild of Philadelphia design and development practice Scout—the same people behind the Bok Building. Each session includes access to the museum’s collection. It’s open mid-December through March.
Tufas Boulder Lounge
1614 N. 5th St.
Local climbers built Tufas in Kensington with a philosophy that climbing is a civic good—an inclusive, community-minded sport that should be accessible to the whole city, not just those who can swing a road trip to the Gunks. The result: 12,700 square feet of thoughtfully set bouldering terrain with a sliding-scale pricing model and a youth scholarship program.
Food and Fuel
Irwin’s
800 Mifflin St. (8th floor, Bok Building)
South Philly never looked more romantic than from the outdoor area of Irwin’s with Sicilian-style fritto misto and a glass of natural wine as the sun sets. The Bok is a former vocational school that’s been converted into a hub for artists and restaurants, so expect some trippy flashbacks as you make your way to the roof.
Picnic
2421 Martha St.
In a former brewery boiler house in Kensington (35-foot ceilings, arched windows, 125-year-old brickwork) is a restaurant that feels like a backyard party. The menu runs from oysters to the must-have rotisserie chicken with fries and hollandaise. There’s also an on-site wine shop if you want to take your picnic elsewhere.
Honeysuckle
631 N. Broad St.
Chefs Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate lead one of the most exciting restaurants in town. On farms in the area, partner growers produce ancestral grains as a kind of living archive of Black agriculture. On the plate, that transforms into a celebration of the diaspora: hush puppies with country ham, tamales with oxtail, and barbecued sweet potato with popped sorghum.
SkyHigh Bar
Four Seasons Hotel, 1 N. 19th St.
Can’t stay at the Four Seasons? A drink here is the next best thing. Fly up the glass elevator, grab a cocktail and a truffle-and-fontina pizza (or a killer bacon cheeseburger), and orient yourself with the cityscape: the Delaware River, the stadium, the Wissahickon valley to the northwest. Then, decide where you’ll go next.
Càphê Roasters
3400 J St.
Philly’s first and only Vietnamese specialty coffee roaster is worth the trek to Kensington for the cà phê sũa đá, iced coffee dripped through a traditional phin filter over condensed milk. For the bold: the egg coffee, a rich custard-topped espresso. The crispy chicken banh mi is in the running for best sandwich in the city.
Where to Stay
Anna & Bel
1401 E. Susquehanna Ave.
This 50-room boutique hotel in the heart of Fishtown was once a women’s asylum. The original woodwork and marble floors give it true character, matching the creative energy of the neighborhood. Chef Tyler Akin’s Bastia serves Mediterranean cooking where a chapel once stood. Many rooms have balconies that face the courtyard pool. Either is where you’ll want to chill after a day of exploring. From $250
ROOST East Market
1199 Ludlow St.
For a more apartment-style room, choose the Roost. Each spacious flat features oak floors and full kitchens that you can actually cook in. Downstairs, there’s an outdoor pool, community garden, and bike share for the Schuylkill Banks run. You’re also steps from Reading Terminal Market and everything else Center City has to offer. From $210
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia
1 N. 19th St.
The 57th-floor infinity pool is its own argument for staying here. Or maybe it’s the world-class gym. Or maybe it’s simply the views: everywhere you go feels like you’re surrounded by nothing but open sky and the city below, a rare treat. Want a bit of help getting outside? The hotel connects guests with boat tours as well as guided runs. From $500
This article is from the Summer 2026 issue of Outside magazine. To receive the print magazine, become an Outside+ member here.
