Schuylkill River Trail Beckons: See Drone Images Of Autumn From Above

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — A wonder in the works, the Schuylkill River Trail is a living monument to repurposing old infrastructure in usable ways that make life better all along the trail.

The Schuylkill River Trail exists as 75 miles of completed trail, in sections. A 30-mile recreational path runs along the Schuylkill River from Center City Philadelphia, through Valley Forge National Historical Park in Montgomery County, and ends in Parker Ford. It picks up again in Pottstown where it continues for about 20 miles to Reading.

The miles of trail built mostly over old railroads provide exercise, enjoyment, and appreciation for the urban, rural, small-town, and suburban life that is forever changing along the Schuylkill River. The trail brings cyclists through small townscapes, cornfields, industrial backyards, and along the riverbank, as seen in the drone photography with this story.

Work is ongoing to connect the trail sections around the region that when complete will make up a single, uninterrupted 120-mile trail.

A project to close the gap of trail between Linfield Road in Parker Ford and the U.S. 422 bridge over the Schuylkill River in Pottstown is in Phase 2 now. Read that Patch story here.

Chester County Commissioners along with PennDOT, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Schuylkill River Greenways, and the Circuit Trails gathered in April 2021 to break ground on Chester County’s latest extension to the Schuylkill River Trail.

"This four-mile extension of the Schuylkill River Trail is also important because it will complete one of the priority 'puzzle pieces', helping to fill a gap in the nearly 60 miles of trail connecting Reading to Philadelphia," Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline said in April.

On Sept. 20 a new pedestrian bridge opened over Route 724 in Union Township along the Schuylkill River Trail. On July 26, contractors installed three 100-foot, concrete beams to the abutments of what is becoming the Richard P. Whittaker, M.D. Memorial Bridge. The bridge will be a part of the Schuylkill River Trail and will allow users to safely cross over Route 724 in Union County.

The Schuylkill River Trail was built and is managed by a group of connected organizations and municipalities. These include the Schuylkill River Development Corp. (Schuylkill Banks), Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, East Falls Development Corp., Manayunk Development Corp., Montgomery County, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Borough of Pottstown, Chester County, Borough of Phoenixville, Berks County, Schuylkill River Greenways NHA, Borough of Hamburg, and Schuylkill County.

The work has happened in local sections that have only recently been getting connected in the larger plan to create longer trails and an envisioned circuit of connected trails all around Philadelphia and its suburbs.

Schuylkill River Greenways said, "Enormous efforts have been made to connect these sections, close gaps, create a unified sign system, and promote the trail as a single entity. This work continues with plans to close several remaining gaps and to extend the trail in Philadelphia at the lower end and in Schuylkill County at the upper end."

There are several ongoing projects that will continue the extension of the trail in Schuylkill County. This includes a 1.7-mile trail gap between Auburn and Landingville and a 3-mile gap from Mount Carbon to Schuylkill Haven, according to Schuylkill River Greenways.

The trail section beyond Reading to Hamburg is now a 20-mile route on roads with signage, that enabling cyclists to ride from Reading — where the trail currently breaks off — to Hamburg, where it can be accessed again from the State Street Trailhead. An off-road trail is envisioned but awaits property and funding.

Enthusiasm for the trail is high in the communities it crosses and bypasses. Sly Fox Brewery in Pottstown produces SRT Ale to benefit the Schuylkill River Trail. The brewery donates from its sales and holds an annual event which to date has brought in about $26,000 from the sale of SRT Ale. The proceeds support the trail's Safe Crossing program for signs and road markings where the trail intersects major roadways.

The Schuylkill River Trail is part of The Circuit, a trail network around Greater Philadelphia that will have a trail network unlike any other in the country when its 750 miles are eventually all connected, bringing together urban, suburban and rural communities around Philly.

Make sure you know what's happening in your town. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss any local news: https://patch.com/subscribe.