Considering where the Schuylkill River flows through, most wouldn’t think to give it the title of a sanctuary. That thought will surely change though once you experience the beauty, freedom, and tranquility that it offers. With over 30 miles of trail starting in Philly and going north to Parker Ford, it feels like an endless amount to explore. To start, you can take a stroll down Kelly Drive, passing Boat House Row and continuing north bound for a few miles all the way to Manayunk. While on the drive, it would be a great idea to
pack a picnic on a calmer weekday and enjoy one of the huge lawns bordering the river and the drive on a warm, beautifully sunset-lit evening, or look out for the more populated regattas on the weekends where hundreds of students and parents come to cheer on their schools. During the warmer months it is most popular to take a stroll up the drive for some exercise or to just let your mind loose with the scenery surrounding the area in the sunny weather of summer. Although, this stroll is especially beautiful in the fall with the changing colors and the cooler breezes. The entire length of Kelly Drive is also great for fishing where the water is readily accessible with how it butts right up to the big lawns. Day or night, there are always people and often parents with children just enjoying the serenity of relaxing on the lawns with a rod or two next to them.
The next stop, or first depending if you choose to begin in Philly, on your Schuylkill River tour should be stopping at Fairmount Dam. This is my favorite location on the entire river because of the views of the river and boathouse row right above the dam, the city skyline when walking over the MLK bridge which sits right next to Fairmount, the marine life and nature surrounding this area, and the tours offered on the historical culture of the area. You can enter the Fairmount Waterworks Museum and take the tour on the pump house and learn how and why the dam generated power for the locals back in the day. You can even take a kayak tour and explore the tidal Schuylkill at a waters eye view. If you want to see the Philly skyline lit up, you can even take the midnight kayak tour and explore the rivers beauty under the moon and lights of the city. This is also regarded as one of the most popular fishing spots on the entire length of the river because how the abundance and variety of marine life below the falls of the dam. No matter the location on the river you decide to visit, it will definitely make you want to visit a second, and most likely a third time at the least.
https://www.schuylkillbanks.org/events/community-events/fairmount-water-works-inside-out
https://www.schuylkillbanks.org/events/kayak-tours/kayak-tour-54