Schuylkill River Trail

The only thing you could possibly say that’s negative about the trail is that it can get cramped (and that’s still a good thing to see). Without this trail, I wouldn’t know where to find some geese and a nice bike trail in Philly. For my girlfriend and I, we enjoy the availability of Wheel Fun Rentals (no we are not advertising them). Especially since they have a variety of options for different groups of people and it provides for those who don’t posses any form of cycle. The trail is a great 23 miles (I think) and it is well maintained. It has benches here and there along the trail and many other places you can rest, if needed. We felt bad riding a surrey and taking up half of the trail, but the system that the trail users have (cyclists, runners and walkers alike) works well. Overall, it is beautiful there and it is great to see the rowers. Finally, it is a great trail for everything, but you can’t forget that there is Boat House Row, Fairmount Park and Schuylkill River Park (which just makes it all the better).

Beautiful scenery, perfect place to relax or work out — Especially at night when the city is lit up :).

Athletes and nature lovers’ rejoice! The Schuylkill River Trail is a great place to walk, run or ride. As a cyclist, I spend many a spring and summer weekend embarking the various different portions of the trail.
Each portion of the trail has its own personality. The trail is tree-​lined and scenic, running alongside the Schuylkill River at most points. It’s very close to the river near Kelly Drive, however farther away as you pass from Conshohocken and Norristown. My favorite portions include the area around Spring Mill and the area around Valley Forge. They are probably the most tree-​lined portions of the trail and very peaceful.
The crowds will also vary in each portion of the trail. As a cyclist, I personally cannot stand the runner-​clogged areas that are anchored near the Art Museum, Manayunk and several other spots. The farther away from each city you get, the less congested and more tranquil it gets.
You can also use this trail to access other trails such as the Wissahickon Trail, Cross County Trail, the Audubon Loop and Perkiomen Trail.
My only main gripe with the trail is the breaks between some of the portions. To get from Kelly Drive to the Tow Path, you must pass through Main Street Manayunk. The Tow Path itself is very uneven and not as well paved (or paved at all) as some of the other portions of the trail.
All and all, I cannot underappreciate they fantastic-​ness of the Schuylkill River Trail. To be able to enjoy the beautiful sites and mostly avoid vehicular traffic is something special. As the weather grows cool and the trail becomes unmaintained for the winter, I will sorely miss my adventures in nature.

One of many of Philadelphia’s outdoor treasures, the Schuylkill River Trail gives plenty of entry and exit points for runners and bikers to allow access to whichever part of the city they desire. The trail itself offers some nice views and is well kept. Personally, I feel it is a bit better suited for runners than bikers, especially along the canal in Manayunk. Still, everyone can enjoy!

The Schuylkill River Trail is a a multi-​use trail in Southeastern Pennsylvania It currently links Philadelphia to Phoenixville, but it is projected lo be almost 130 miles when complete. It exists in a few other places too, most notably around Reading and again from Hamburg to Auburn.
And the trail was partially the reason for our budget vacation this year. I’d first heard about it when attending a union meeting in King of Prussia a couple of years ago. My husband Rick and I have wanted to ride it ever since.
So we packed our suitcases and our riding gear, lashed our bikes to the back of our Malibu, and drove cross-​state from the ‘Burgh to King of Prussia. KOP was to be the epicenter for our cycling vacation as we also sampled the Perkiomen Trail and the trail systems in Valley Forge.
The great thing about the Scuylkill River Trail is that it runs through a variety of landscapes: urban, suburban, parklike, even rustic. My train enthusiast husband liked how t runs within sight of the SEPTA and Amtrak rail lines. It’s a great, level ride that’s suitable for cyclists of any ability.

Beautiful, well-​maintained (smooth ride all the way to the Falls Bridge), incredibly scenic, and convenient. I’m out here every other day at least exploring as far out from Center City as I can get past all sorts of statues, boathouses, monuments, and small park areas. At least, as long as it’s not between the hours of 5 and 7 PM since during that period it’s a sea of people.
I’m also pretty sure this trail will be the site of the apocalypse where the various factions of bikers, joggers, and walkers unite for a winner-​takes-​all battle. The basic concept of «stick to the right, except to pass» works for 90% of people on the trail, but it’s that 10% who make a basic trail experience here a danger to others.
While we can’t change the idiots who insist on walking in groups in the center of the path with their BFFs on either side or the spandex-​clad superbikers who think 12 inches is plenty of space to pass with no warning, some more signage pointing out the trail and reminding people to pay attention might help. While most of the traffic clears up after Boathouse Row, there are still danger sections around the bridges.
The trail also gets somewhat hard to follow when you hit Manayunk with really poor signage and the boardwalks along the towpath are a pain to ride on, but past them it gets nice again.
So while it’s flawed due the stupidity of a few ignorant users, it’s still a brilliant addition to the city and the area. Highly worth seeking out, especially during the lesser-​used hours of mid-​morning.

This paved trail is great! Well traveled and fellow cyclists are always willing to help each other.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve lived in Philadelphia for 5 years and haven’t visited the Schuklkill River Trail until this spring. Now that I’ve discovered the trail, I bike it often. Also love taking my pup for a long walk to the dog park on Locust street. Be careful on the trails, there are some bicyclists that seem to think 5mph signs mean 25 mph… watch those turns.

Yo, Portland! You think you’re hot cycling stuff? Come to Philly. You’ve got streets riddled with trolley tracks and NO bike lanes. While we’ve got a trail from Philly to Phoenixville that is virtually car free. I ride from my home on 3^rd Street in Olde City, take bike lanes all the way up to the trail via Pine street, where, if you go 20 mph, it’s green lights all the way up… hop on the trail… ride MLK that’s car free on weekends and I’m off. We can do 100 miles practically carefree… you may have the STP (Seattle to Portland) once a year; but we’ve got SRT all year long.

This running trail is near and dear to my heart.
Many openings to this trail from the center city area and the trail leads to Kelly Drive so you can train with any distance without getting bored. The views are great and a ton of people out on a nice day — walkers, runners, bikers, or just people lounging about soaking up nature.

I usually run for 25 or 30 minutes outside, which is more than I can eek out on the treadmill most days. I wouldn’t consider myself a runner, per se, I just like to do it to be healthy. Well, the day I discovered this trail, I ran for over 60 minutes. That’s the highest compliment I can pay to a running trail.
I entered from Walnut Street and ran north along the river. I was planning to run up to the Market Street bridge and then turn around to head home, but I was so overcome by the beauty of it all that I kept going. I ended up getting all the way to the Art Museum, where there’s an incredible, very new looking skate park and stairs up to the parkway.
All along the way to the art museum, I enjoyed the trees, the trimmed grass along the river bank, the cool breeze blowing and the evening sun casting a soft glow on the other runners, walkers, roller bladers and artists painting and sculpting. I was impressed with the diversity out on the trail, and how clean it was. Not a bit of trash at all.
I’d love to run further up someday, since when I looked it up, it says the trail goes for almost 100 miles. My guess is I’ll never make it that far, but the fact I could run as far as I did because of such an inspiring view is pretty great. Take a walk or a run and take in the beauty of Philly from the river banks!

As you may know, this trail keeps growing. But for the purpose of this review I’ll stick to Philly because it keeps getting better there too. In the last three years (2011 – 2013) significant improvements have been made: The section from Ridge Avenue and Kelly Drive to the Falls Bridge was completely reconstructed. No more riding on a narrow, beat-​up sidewalk, at least there… The Manayunk Towpath was renovated and given a new packed cinder surface. The only caution I would advise on this stretch is the bridges and boardwalks can be slippery when wet. I found that out the hard way when I had to make a sudden stop on my bike to avoid hitting geese… And Nixon Street has now been bypassed by a new stretch of paved trail. That means there is now a virtually unbroken trail from the east end of the Towpath all the way out to Longford Road in Upper Providence Township.
This trail is an asset to the city and one of the best urban multi-​purpose trails in the country. On weekends when the trails can become congested, Martin Luther King Drive (formerly West River Drive) is closed to vehicular traffic, which is a nice option if you don’t like human obstacle courses. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) is trying to figure out a way to fill in the missing link between the east end of the Towpath and the west end of Kelly Drive, but it may be a few years before that becomes a reality.
Five or six times a year I’ll ride from Betzwood to Center City using this trail. The only thing that would make it better is if I had Jessica S’s energy because it takes every ounce I’ve got.

Such a beautiful, fulfilling nature escape! I live in Center City and do a lot of distance running, and running up and down this trail makes me flat out SMILE! Sometimes, i wonder whether people running/​biking/​driving past notice the girl who is oddly smiling out of no where. it is the nature I tell ya.
Very well maintained, gorgeous views, and extremely peaceful. Makes for a perfect distance run or bike if you are training for a long race. There are other offshoots trails that you can get to along the route as well.

Absolutely love it! I have biked the MLK Drive side and the Kelly Drive side and it is a great escape from the high rises of Center City. I biked from Philadelphia to Valley Forge recently and it was a great ride. The trail is well kept and the Center City to Manayunk section is well lit at night.

A truly ecxellent trail (still being constructed in some parts) that, once completed, will run from Pottsville, PA to Center City Philadelphia. Currently, the trail runs from Pottstown to Philadelphia.
The views from this trail can be breathtaking. 99% of the trail is paved and pretty wide. Always loaded, but not packed with cyclists, joggers and hikers.
I am an avid geocacher and a group of people have hidden over 100 caches alonf the trail spanning the length from Valley Forge National Park to Center City.
LOVE THIS TRAIL!!!