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Discovery Day: Sunset Paddle and Creatures of the Night

Fri, Jul 24 · 5:00pm–9:30pm

Recurring

Strawberry Mansion·outdoor·Free

A 37-acre reservoir most Philadelphians have never seen, open free for a sunset paddle.

At a glance

Price
Free
Ages
8+ years
Location
Strawberry Mansion
Setting
outdoor
Time
~2h 30m
Effort
Some planning
Signup
Drop-in

Get there early · canoes are first come first served from 5, and the evening walk needs registration

What to know

  • •Bug spray, closed-toe shoes, and a layer for after sunset.
  • •There is a parking lot on site.

Our experience

There is a 37-acre reservoir tucked into East Fairmount Park with a bird sanctuary around it, and plenty of people who have lived here for years have never laid eyes on it. Friday evening the Discovery Center opens it up for free. Philadelphia Outward Bound runs canoes from 5 to 8, ages 8 and up, first come first served, so get there early if paddling is the point. Then from 7:30 Audubon leads a walk to survey bats, birds, and insects, binoculars handed out at the start. The paddle is walk-up; the walk needs registration.

More details

Free sunset canoeing on a hidden Fairmount Park reservoir, then a bat and bird survey after dark

The Discovery Center sits on the old East Park Reservoir in Strawberry Mansion, a 37-acre body of water that was fenced off from the public for most of a century and is now a bird sanctuary. Audubon Mid-Atlantic and the Philadelphia Outward Bound School share the site and run free monthly Discovery Days open to anyone. The July edition runs Friday evening. From 5 to 8 PM, Outward Bound puts canoes on the water and teaches basic paddling and canoe safety; that part is ages 8 and up and runs first come, first served, so arriving early matters. From 7:30 to 9:30 PM, Audubon and Glen Foerd lead an evening survey walk looking for bats, birds, and insects as the light goes, with binoculars and identification tools provided. The walk requires registration in advance. Both pieces are free. The site is a short drive from the Please Touch end of Fairmount Park and has its own parking lot.

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Getting there

at The Discovery Center

3401 Reservoir Dr, Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia