It protects 2,042 acres (8.26 km2)[1] of woodland surrounding the Wissahickon Creek between the Montgomery County border and the Schuylkill River.

For several miles, the creek winds through a dramatic wooded gorge known as the Wissahickon Valley, a National Natural Landmark.

[3] While logging and industrialization occurred in some parts of the valley in the late 18th and early 19th century, the gorge itself was known for its natural environment, inspiring religious mystics like Johannes Kelpius,[5] writers like Edgar Allan Poe, John Greenleaf Whittier, George Lippard, and William Cobbett; and artists like Thomas Moran, James Peale, William Trost Richards, and Currier and Ives.

[6] In 1964, a 1,250-acre (5.1 km2) area of the park known as the Wissahickon Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark.

Every year, the Wissahickon Day Parade is held to celebrate the anniversary of this protest.