A Snowy And Windy Hike In The Marshes Of The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

I decided to return to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in  Philadelphia  last  week.    It is March.  And  in Pennsylvania,   March  means the migratory geese and water fowl  on the East Coast are moving north  through our Commonwealth  to their breeding grounds in northern forests and tundra.  And  they often stop to feed and rest  in the marshes  in the John  Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.  Many species of water fowl will remain and breed here.

There was  over a 1/2  foot of snow with  frigid temperatures on my last visit here in early February.   I  was hoping for some nicer weather this time.  Unfortunately, as I drove  near  Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, I  was surprised to encounter  wet snow and sleet.  I checked into the Spring Hill Suites Hotel  near   in Tinicum near the refuge around 2 p.m.   I waited for  the snow and sleet to  stop.  It didn’t, so  after about an hour, I decided to  drive to the   Tinicum Park entrance to the  John Heinz refuge. . I hadn’t  hiked in this part of  the refuge before.   I  began my hike on the Woodlands Trail.  It was windy   with a  mixture of snow, sleet  and rain.  It wasn’t a pleasant hike, but, I still enjoyed exploring the   the woods and trails.

As I wrote  in my blogs  from my previous visits to the John Heinz refuge , this fresh  water tidal marsh once  expanded over 6000 acres. Only 2oo acres remain of this unique habitat which  is home to so many diverse types of plants and wildlife. The entire refuge now protects about 1000 acres of wetlands, woodlands and the remaining marsh. The area was once a favorite fishing  hunting, gathering area of the Native Americans, This was the homeland of the Turtle Clan of the Lenni Lenape. They called it Tennakon Minquas or “islands of the marsh”. The first settlers in the area named it the Tinicum Marsh

The marsh was almost completely lost  to a landfill and the construction of Interstate 95 in the 1950’s and 1960’s. A group of residents  and  conservationists fought against these developments and in 1972 Congress passed legislation creating the Tinicum National Environmental Center. It was later renamed the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.  I parked at the Tinicum Park entrance on Wanamaker Avenue  near the city limits of Philadelphia. The sound of the heavy  traffic on Interstate 95 could be heard as I walked through the wooded trail through the wetlands .

The trial took me through some wetlands  were many large and old silver maple and  black willow grew.  White ash, box elder, American sycamore and pin cherry trees  were  also growing  along the trail.

I followed the trail in the snow, rain and wind  to  banks  the Darby Creek.   The water level in the creek was low and mud, dead trees and debris was exposed. .  I thought it may be from a lack of rain, but I later learned it was  because it was low tide.   The Native American  Lenni Lenape were forced to leave  the Darby Creek   in the 1600’s when it was  colonized,  first by the Swiss, then  the Dutch, and finally the English.  There is a lot of history in this area.

As I walked along the creek I saw there were houses on the other side of the creek. As I often do, I wondered about the first folks to live  in the homes.  When where they built?  Who lived in them when they were built?  Who lives in them now?  Where did   they work?  Where were they born? Where did they die?  What did the creek look like from their homes on Christmas,  Easter, the 4th of July, Halloween?  I love exploring new towns and places. 

I will admit  it t was not very scenic    hiking  along the dirty and polluted  creek.

Although I was disappointed  there were  no water fowl on the waters  of the creek  or any other  birds  in the trees along the shore,  I did enjoy  seeing walking  along the ancient sycamores and other trees along the trail.  The banks of the creek were once heavily forested.  It was timbered by the first settlors and  and there were many saw mill   above    the tidal line  of the creek.

I followed the trail along creek  back to the Woodland Trail  then I95 Trail. Despite the snow there were signs of Spring along the trail.

The first green leaves of the garlic mustard,

and  bitter dock, both invasive and  edible,  wild plants were sprouting  along the wet trail.

Invasive Japanese honeysuckle leaves also sprouted along the trail.

And the native  silver maple , or “water maple” trees were sprouting  there  first buds.

I followed the trail  and took me to a  point in the Darby Creek Trail where the creek widened,

and here  I saw some American herring gulls,

flying above the creek in the snow,

They were feeding on something in the murky waters of the creek.

I followed the Darby Creek Trail along the creek through common reeds,

and the many species  of trees growing  on it’s banks.

I saw a few common merganser, and

bufflehead ducks, these are both males,  in the creek. It was hard to photograph them in the snow and sleet. 

It wasn’t pleasant  walking into the cold, wind blown snow but I  continued on the trail  along the creek ,

wondering what these old wooden ruins were and why  were  built here.

The snow ended and there was more bird activity on the creek. I saw a few wood ducks swimming on the water and was able to get a few photo these elusive birds flew away.

There were also some  mallard ducks, 

which also flew away as I approached ,

and a large flock of ring-billed gulls on a small island in the creek,

and flying over the creek.

The trail left the creek,

and   met up with the I95 Trail again , where I saw trailor along the  trail,

with some beautuful murals  painted on it.

I followed the trail along  heavily trafficed Interstate 95.  The scenery was beautiful as skies beganto clear,

as I walked along the marshes.

However,  the loud noise of the traffic did not make for a peaceful hike. I would not recommend this trail if you are looking for peace and quiet.

Despite the noise I did see a few birds, American robins,

and red winged catbirds.   This is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on my 4 1/2  mile hike in the refuge. John Heinz National Wildlife refuge birds March 13, 2026.

I also saw a few more signs of Spring , the first leaves on the blackberry brambles.

and  nodding thistles.

I continued on the trail as the sun was setting in the west.

It took me right along Interstate 95

and it’s rush hour trafffic.

It was almost 7 p.m. when I returned to the parking lot.  I had hiked 4 1/2 miles, and was out a lot longer than I planned.  It was not a pleasant walk, I was soaked and cold from the wind, snow and sleet. I was shivering and very hungry.  I was disappointed I didn’t see more wild  water fowl and other wild life but I was still glad I made trip and explored this scenic wildlife refuge. I was hoping the weather and wildlife would be more co-operative for my hike in the morning.  This is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my 4 1/2 mile hike in the refuge. John Hines national wildlife refuge hike March 13, 2026.

I left the John Heinz refuge and drove to a favorite  Vietnamese restauraunt.  Unfortunately, it closed at 7 p.m. So  I  drove to the nearby Coaches Bar and Grille where I had a nice meal starting with a  fresh garden salad,

and  fried flounder and fries as my main course.   After my late meal returned to my hotel, changed my wet cloths and edited photos until I fell asleep looking forward to another hike in the marshes of the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in the morning.

“Thoreau the “Patron Saint of Swamps” because he enjoyed being in them and writing about them said, “my temple is the swamp… When I would recreate myself, I seek the darkest wood, the thickest and most impenetrable and to the citizen, most dismal, swamp. I enter a swamp as a sacred place, a sanctum sanctorum… I seemed to have reached a new world, so wild a place…far away from human society. What’s the need of visiting far-off mountains and bogs, if a half-hour’s walk will carry me into such wildness and novelty.”
― Henry David Thoreau