Schuylkill River Trail - Hamburg to Auburn

Yesterday, we traveled to the Kernsville Dam, just north of Hamburg. Here, there is a section of the Schuylkill River Trail referred to as the John B. Bartram Section. It's 6 miles long and ends abruptly at the banks of the Schuylkill River where a rail bridge is in a state of decay. This is a great trail to ride on a hot day because the entire trail is shaded (except for a very short section near Auburn). Early on, there are benches, picnic tables, and educational stations. The Appalachian Trail, crosses the trail at Port Clinton. The surface of the trail is crushed stone and the ride is generally flat. The trail is wide enough to ride side by side. All in all, a very enjoyable ride.

Keep on Trekkin'

Schuylkill River Trail - Brentwood to Gibraltar

Saturday, July 10th, we decided to do our regular "Loop" with a twist. When we got to the Brentwood Trailhead we went south to Gibraltar and then back again. This is about 4 miles each way and an easy ride. There are 2 bridges over the Schuylkill River which give you beautiful vistas in both directions. Sometimes when we get to Gibraltar we stop at Scoupe DeVille for ice cream, but not today. We were riding in the morning, to avoid the heat, and they don't open until later in the day. This turned our regular 9 mile loop into 17 miles.

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Perkiomen Trail - Part 1 - Oaks to Hollywood

Sunday, June 27th, 2010, we set out on a new adventure; this time to a section of the Perkiomen Trail. There is a large parking lot in Oaks, just off of Rt 422, where many people gather to enjoy the trails in this area. Riding one way takes you to Valley Forge and Philadelphia. The other direction goes to Green Lane. Last year we had ridden part of the trail to Norristown so we decided to try the opposite direction on this day.

We rode about 9 miles to the Hollywood trail head where we turned around and headed back. This trail is very popular. It's a beautiful ride and most of the trail is shaded. You do cross public roads at several points and there is a bridge that crosses the creek that gives you a wonderful view. The terrain is not all railroad beds and so the trail does have it's ups and downs and bends. Nothing too difficult, but if you're used to riding rail trails this will be a bit more challenging. All in all, we had a great ride.

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Schuylkill River Trail - Birdsboro to Pottstown

Last Saturday, July 3rd, 2010, my wife and I made our way to Birdsboro where we unloaded our bikes and rode to Pottstown. This part of the Schuylkill River Trail is about 9 miles, one way, and very beautiful and peaceful for most of the ride. Several times you must cross public roads, with 1 steep grade where you are warned to dismount your bicycle to cross the road but for the most part it's a very pleasant experience. The trail is shaded for the better part of the ride and at one point you cross the Schuykill River on the old railroad bridge which gives you a great view of the river in both directions. We have done this portion of the trail several times in the past and it's just as lovely now as we remembered it.

Keep on Trekkin'