Schuylkill River Trail

The Schuylkill River Trail is a multi-use trail under construction for expansion along the banks of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania. Large stretches of the trail are rail trails.

When complete, the trail is planned to run from the river's headwaters in Schuylkill County to Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, a distance of about 140 miles (230 km). as of 2007, several complete portions of trail exist, including a section from Auburn to Hamburg, a 19.5-mile (31.4 km) portion from Reading to Pottstown and a 23.2-mile (37.3 km) portion from Oaks to Locust Street in Center City, Philadelphia.^[1]

On many maps and street atlases, and on some of the trail's signage, the segment between Philadelphia and Valley Forge is still identified by the older name Philadelphia–Valley Forge Trail.^[2]

Trail description

Auburn to Hamburg

The trailhead is located at Kernsville Dam above Hamburg. In the reference section below there is a link to a trail map.

Reading to Pottstown

In lower Berks County, the trail follows the existing Thun Trail, named after industrialist Ferdinand Thun, who founded the Textile Machine Works in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1892 (later moved to the borough of Wyomissing, a suburb of Reading, in 1896).^[3][4] Plans are underway for a connection from Reading, North to Hamburg. The current northern edge links the trail with the Union Canal towpath.

The trail begins in North Reading, along Riverview Drive, then quickly crosses an old railroad bridge into West Reading. It then continues as a mixed surface path of macadam, gravel, coarse stone or chalk to Gibraltar where it becomes a poorly marked on-road bicycle route following Old River Road and Schuylkill Road to Birdsboro. From there, the trail follows the old concrete industrial collector, Armorcrast Road, to the rear entrance of a ballfield. The trail then goes off road as a gravel path to the county line where it meets the paved Schuylkill River Trail, which currently terminates in Pottstown.

Pottstown to Phoenixville / Mont Clare

Two routes have been proposed for this stretch. One would come down the right bank (Chester County side) and end near Cromby Generating Station, above Phoenixville, then use borough streets and the Mont Clare Bridge (PA29) to connect with the trail section along the Canal in Mont Clare. The other plan would bring the trail down the left bank to Mont Clare. It appears that both options may eventually be built, with the Chester County trail proceeding first and carrying the main SRT designation.

In April 2011, the Spring City to Cromby segment opened on the Chester County side. This segment includes a new trail head on Township Line Road, near the Cromby Power Plant.

Mont Clare to Oaks

The stretch of trail from Mont Clare to the Perkiomen Creek, near Oaks opened in the spring of 2008. In the first phase of construction, the southern section of the trail between Longford Road, at the present watered end of the Oakes Reach of the Schuylkill Canal, and the Oaks intersection with the Perkiomen Trail was constructed. This section follows much of the filled portion of the Oakes Reach and is paved except for a gravel segment of about half a mile (which also includes a short trail detour). To cross the three streams in this section, two new culverts were constructed and the trail temporarily routed over a historical aqueduct from the Canal at Crossman's Run. A new bridge was built across Crossman's Run for the trail, and the paving was completed.

For phase 1, the northern section, upstream of Longford Road, is signed along the low volume Port Providence Road and Walnut Streets, which run along the left bank of the Canal, to reach Mont Clare. In a second phase of construction for the northern segment, the Canal towpath on the canal right bank will be refurbished, and a small bridge constructed over a spillway near Port Providence. On 14 February 2008, a meeting was held to announce the survey work for the Phase 2 extension. This would provide an off road alternative between Longford Road and Mont Clare. It was expected that the towpath restoration itself would commence in the fall of 2010,^[5] however Montgomery County put the project on hold due to budget constraints. In early 2013, construction was started on the towpath portion of the trail, with improvements to the Route 29 underpass and construction of a new spillway and foot bridge, opposite Port Providence.

Oaks to Philadelphia

The next segment of the trail begins in Oaks, at the southern end of the Perkiomen Trail and a trailhead at Pawlings Road. This paved segment runs along the abandoned trackbed of the former Schuylkill Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It runs beside U.S. Route 422 for a short distance, then runs through Valley Forge National Historical Park. After leaving the park at Betzwood, it continues along the river to Norristown, where it crosses over U.S. Route 202 and runs through the middle of Norristown Transportation Center.

The trail continues eastwards, now parallel to the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown rail line. On entering Conshohocken, it passes through industrial areas, under Interstate 476, and intersects the local Cross-County Trail.

Philadelphia

Shortly after crossing into the city of Philadelphia, the trail segment ends. Trail traffic is briefly directed onto Nixon and Shawmont Streets, crossing the Manayunk/Norristown Line at the discontinued Shawmont Station.

The trail continues southeastward, unpaved, along the former Manayunk Canal^[6] towpath of the Schuylkill Navigation System, passing through the neighborhood of Manayunk to the end of the towpath at Lock Street. Trail traffic is then directed onto the sidewalk of Main Street and Ridge Avenue to Fairmount Park, where the trail meets the southern end of the Wissahickon Trail. Trail traffic then continues on the bike path of Kelly Drive, which widens into another section of paved multi-use trail.

The trail then winds alongside the bank of the Schuylkill through the park, passing under many railroad and highway bridges and past several monuments. It runs through Boathouse Row and the Azalea Garden behind the Philadelphia Art Museum, and next to the Fairmount Water Works. After that, the trail runs along the riverbank on the west edge of Center City Philadelphia as a waterfront park, which ends at Locust Street. Eventually (within 2010 - 2011) the trail will enter Schuylkill River Park^[7] and over the long-term extend beyond South Street.

On May 20, 2009, as one of its last acts, the Fairmount Park Commission approved the acquisition of 12 acres (49,000 m²) of land along the Schuylkill River to extend the river trail.^[8]

History

Many current and proposed sections of the Schuylkill River Trail, including the Thun Trail and the Oaks to Philadelphia portion, are rail trails, following the right-of-way of the former Schuylkill Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Live catenary wires are still in place above the trail between Norristown and Philadelphia, providing power for what is now SEPTA's Manayunk/Norristown Line.

The Shawmont to Manayunk portion of the trail runs along the towpath of the historic Schuylkill Canal (Schuylkill Navigation System).

2008

Several portions of trail are expected to be completed by 2008, including Pottsville to Auburn, Hamburg to Shoemakersville, and Cromby to Parkerford. Pottstown to Mont Clare will be "built in successive years". The remaining sections, from Shoemakersville to Reading and from Locust Street to Fort Mifflin, do not yet have a definite timeframe.^[9]

See also

• List of crossings of the Schuylkill River

References

• Map with connecting trails
• Bartram Trail map

External links

• Schuylkill River Trail Council web site
• Chester County SRT web page
• Montgomery County SRT web page
• Schuylkill River Heritage Area: Schuylkill River Trail
• Schuylkill Banks

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