Schuylkill River Trail named one of top three riverwalks in U.S.
The Schuylkill River Trail is a winner in the 2021 USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Contest for Best Riverwalk.
Schuylkill River Greenways, the nonprofit organization that promotes and keeps the trail, announced the trail came in third out of 10 riverwalks in the contest.
USA Today looked at riverwalks because “in recent decades, cities across the United States have been revitalizing their river fronts, transforming them into vibrant spaces for outdoor recreation, nightlife, cultural activity and scenic views.”
The sections of the trail closer to Philadelphia have features that meet that criteria.
In Philadelphia, the section south of Fairmount Dam is known as Schuylkill Banks, a linear park that hosts a variety of entertainment and recreational events throughout the year.
Schuylkill River Trail was selected to the top 20 by a panel of urban planning experts and USA Today 10 Best editors in January. The public then had a month to vote.
On Feb. 26, the top 10 winners were announced on the USA Today 10 Best website. The Detroit International RiverWalk placed first, and the Wilmington Riverwalk in second place.
More than 75 miles of the Schuylkill River Trail exist in sections across five counties of historically rich southeastern Pennsylvania. The trail goes 30-plus miles between Philadelphia and Parker Ford. The trail breaks off in Parker Ford and picks up again in Pottstown, where it continues for about 20 miles to Reading. From there, cyclists can follow a 20-mile signed onroad route just shy of Hamburg. In Hamburg, trail users can access a scenic 7-mile stretch to Auburn in Schuylkill County.
The pathway will extend 120 miles when completed.
Reading’s section is the focus of a revitalization and safety project, after a cyclist was shot and robbed there. The area — which touches West Reading, Reading, and a disconnected section of Cumru Township — needs to have graffiti cleaned, brush cleared and cameras installed.
The initiative was announced this month, and Executive Director Elaine
Paul Schaefer said in February that it had already attracted 36 donors and 50 volunteers.
The project calls for $73,000 in improvements to a half-mile stretch of the trail from the Old Wyomissing Road intersection to the trail bridge over the Schuylkill River. It has also set a March 27 cleanup for volunteers.
In 2015, the Schuylkill River Trail took first place as the Best Urban Trail in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Contest. The trail was also selected as a top trail to visit in Pennsylvania on the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy blog.
The Schuylkill River Trail is a major spine trail in the Circuit Trails network, a developing regional network of trails in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.