The Pathway of the Patriots project planned 250 commemorative trees along Philadelphia's Schuylkill River Trail.
The tree-planting project was introduced in 2018 through a partnership involving the Daughters of the American Revolution and the United States Semiquincentennial Commission. Organizers envisioned a symbolic route connecting Philadelphia with Valley Forge.
The number of trees directly mirrors the anniversary being commemorated. Valley Forge is associated with George Washington's Continental Army winter encampment during the Revolutionary War, while Philadelphia was the meeting place of the Continental Congress and the city where the Declaration was adopted.
This project is distinct from another Philadelphia tree initiative involving 76 trees at Independence National Historical Park. The 76-tree plan referred to the year 1776, whereas the Pathway of the Patriots plan used 250 to represent the 2026 anniversary.