Johannes Kelpius settled in Philadelphia in 1694 after leaving his home of Romania. Kelpius found his way to Philadelphia by reading the bible, in the Book of Revelation, that descries listening to the woman of the wilderness. He discovered that he needed to wait for God, and the end of the world, in the beautiful wilderness of the Wissahickon Park. Kelpius built a home in the park as well as a cave! The cave was used by Kelpius as a place to meditate and pray. Kris Soffa is an ambassador for the Friends of the Wissahickon. She says recently you can hear chanting from rituals that may be taking place in the cave at night. The trees surrounding the area are over 200 feet tall, and you can hear the wind in the tree instead of cars.

 

The Friends of the Wissahickon hold events all year long at the trails. This past October, they held different Halloween events as well as events for Bat Week. Soffa believes that the park provides opportunities to have many different experiences at these events and hikes.