Summer Activities Abound Along Schuylkill's Shores

It's hard to picture a better way to enjoy the lazy days of summer, than along the shores of our own Schuylkill River.

Luckily for us all, the Schuylkill River Heritage Area is located right here in Pottstown in Riverfront Park and has a number of upcoming events to appeal to the historian, padder or pedaler in your family.

• Early Bird pricing ends July 15 for the Ride for the River.

On Sept. 30 the heritage area is bringing the Ride for the River back for a second year. Take a 16- or 40-mile ride along the Schuylkill River Trail from Pottstown to Reading, beginning and ending at Sly Fox Can Jam festival where riders can enjoy eight hours of free live music

All proceeds benefit the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, which works with partners to build, maintain and promote the Schuylkill River Trail.

Click here on this link to register.

Volunteers for Ride for the River are also needed. Interested in volunteering? Email Laura at lcatalano@schuylkillriver.org

• On Friday, July 21, the heritage center will hold Schuylkill Explorers Family Day.

A free two-hour program from 9 to 11 a.m., the program gets kids outdoors and teaches the importance of protecting our natural resources.

Visit the Schuylkill River Heritage Area's River of Revolutions Interpretive Center, walk on the Pottstown RiverWalk, and participate in an environmental education activity

Appropriate for children ages 5 and up; parents must accompany children during the program

Click here on this link to register.

• The first of three popular Pedal and Paddle Tours is scheduled for Saturday, July 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will focus on water quality.

Pedal and Paddles begin with a 4.5 mile bike ride from Pottstown’s Riverfront Park to Douglassville, using yellow cruisers from the Bike Pottstown bike share program. 

Participants either take a guided tour of Morlatton Village's four 18th century buildings including the oldest home in Berks County or ride directly to Douglassville’s Ganshahawny Park for a lesson on water quality. 

Events with a water quality focus include more on-water time, with stops for water testing. 

All events include a picnic lunch(provided) and receive a brief introduction to kayaking from outfitter Doug Chapman of Take it Outdoors Adventures. 

Then, they paddle back to Pottstown via the Schuylkill River. Food, bikes, kayaks and all kayaking gear are provided. Must be 16 or older to participate.

The cost is $40 and each event is limited to 15 people.

The second Pedal and Paddle Tour takes place on Saturday, Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include a tour of Morlatton Village.

The third takes place on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again will focus on water quality.

Click on this link here to register for a Pottstown-based Pedal and Paddle Tour.

• Or maybe you would rather take a Pedal and Paddle Tour in Mont Clare along Lock 60 and the Schuylkill Canal that takes place on Saturday, Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m..

This will consist of a bike ride along the Schuylkill River Trail and a kayaking loop that begins on the river and returns via the canal. It will include a guided tour of the canal and Lock Tenders House.

Click on this link here to register for the Lock 60 Pedal and Paddle

There's no question that the Schuylkill River it itself a work of art.

• But the Schuylkill River Heritage Area loves to see it portrayed in art, which is why is sponsors an annual art show, 2017, Scenes of the Schuylkill Art Show.

Now in its 14th year, the show is hosted by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area every fall at the Montgomery County Community College West Campus gallery in Pottstown. This year's show runs

from Nov. 2-Dec. 17. 

There will be cash prizes from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and gift certificates from North Penn Art.

Best of Show winner will receive $300 cash and a $400 gift certificate; 2nd Prize: $200 cash and a $250 gift certificate; 3rd Prize: $100 cash and a $100 gift certificate; Staff Choice $50 cash and a $50 gift certificate; two honorable mentions for paintings:$50 each and $50 gift certificates; two honorable mentions for photography: $50 each and $50 gift certificates. 

The Heritage Area will collect a 20 percent commission fee from all sales that result from the show and exhibit. If your work is  sold, the 20 percent commission fee is tax-deductible.

The 2017 show will be juried by Rachel McCay, assistant curator at Woodmere Museum of Art. 

Click here on this link for more information and a registration form.

Sojourning on the Schuylkill

The Schuylkill River Sojourn is coming

As the weather warms and the Schuylkill begins to sparkle, its time to start thinking about paddling its currents and pedaling along its shores.

Registration is now open for two of the more popular recreational activities centered around the hidden river — the 17th annual Schuylkill River Sojourn and the “Pedal and Paddle” combination kayak and bicycle day-trips along the trail.

This year’s sojourn will be held from June 6 to June 12 and this year’s theme is the legacy of the

The Sojourn reaches Philadelphia

Schuylkill Canal and Navigation.

Paddlers can register for everything from just one day’s paddling or for the final four days of 112-mile odyssey which runs from the river’s headwaters in Schuylkill Haven to Boathouse Row in Philadelphia.

The first three days are already full, according to the registration site.

In addition to kayaking (or canoeing) down the river, the sojourn also features lunch and dinner, and entertainment and educational presentations at every stop, one of which will be in Riverfront Park in Pottstown on Tuesday, June 9, which will feature a “battle of the bands.”

Cost is $85 per day and $55 for children 8 to 15.

The Sojourn was recently named as “One of Five Fantastically Fun Paddles” by Canoe and Kayak magazine.

You can register by calling 484-945-0200, or sending an email to lcatalano@schuylkillriver.org.

If you’d prefer so spend some of your time along the Schuylkill on solid ground, the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area, which sponsors the Sojourn, has an alternative.

Increasing popular, the area’s “Pedal and Paddle” trips involve a half-day pedaling upstream on the Schuylkill River Trail, and the second half kayaking back.

Pedal and Paddles include a 4.5 mile guided bike ride on the Schuylkill River Trail, a tour of Morlatton Village in Amity; and a return trip to Pottstown via kayak on the Schuylkill River.

The cost is $35 per person, according to the registration site. Lunch, bikes, kayaks and all gear are provided. All dates are limited to 15 participants.

This year’s dates are Saturday, May 16 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Thursday, June 25 (3:30 to 8:30 p.m.); Saturday, July 25 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Saturday, Aug. 29 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Saturday, Sept. 12 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.);

There will also be a Hike and Paddle on Saturday, Aug. 8 (9 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Also, a “Birding Hike and Paddle” also will be held on Sat., Aug. 8 at Schuylkill Canal Park, in Mont Clare.

You can get more information on both activities on the heritage area web site at www.schuylkillriver.org

And if you really want to spend time in the water, there is always the Delaware Sojourn, one of the oldest river sojourns in the nation, from June 20 to June 27.

“The Delaware River is one of our nation’s most important waterways, and this year’s theme, ‘Birthplace of America,’ will celebrate the river and region’s rich history,” said Ian Kindle, Environmental Educator with Delaware Canal State Park, co-chair of the 2015 Sojourn steering committee.

The cost for sojourners who register by June 13 is $80 per day for adults and $60 per day for children (ages 15 and under).

You can get more information and register at www.delawareriversojourn.org

Pedal and Paddle

First comes the pedal, which leaves Pottstown's
Riverfront park at 9 a.m...

The schedule for the increasingly popular "Pedal and Paddle" bike and kayak trips from Pottstown to Douglassville and back has been announced.

The first will be held Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Now, you can register on-line by clicking here.

Registration can occur up to one-week before the event, but space is limited to 15 people and these trips often fill up quickly. (You must be 16 or older to participate).

If the May 17 date does not work for you, the other dates are June 28, July 26, Aug. 23 and Sept. 13.

The trips include:

• 4.5 mile bike ride using Bike Pottstown's yellow cruisers along the Schuylkill River Trail from Pottstown's Riverfront Park to Historic Morlatton Village in Douglassville.
• Guided tour of Historic Morlatton Village.
• Boxed picnic lunch at Ganshahawny Park in Douglassville
• Brief introduction to kayaking



...then the visit to Morlattan Village....

• Paddle back to Riverfront Park

The cost is only $25 and includes the bikes, the kayaks, the kayaking gear and the lunch.

Each event begins with a 4.5 mile bike ride from Pottstown’s Riverfront Park to Historic Morlatton Village in Douglassville, using yellow cruisers from the Bike Pottstown bike share program. 

Participants are given a guided tour of Morlatton Village, a historic village consisting of four 18th century buildings that have been restored or are in the process of being restored, one of which is the oldest home in Berks County. 

...then lunch and kayak lessons at Ganshahawny
Park 

in Douglassville....

The village is located directly off the trail and is owned by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County, which provides a tour guide during the event. 

The buildings are only open to the public during special events. 

From there, participants take a short bike ride to Douglassville’s Ganshahawny Park where they eat a picnic lunch (provided) and receive a brief introduction to kayaking from outfitter Doug Chapman of Take it Outdoors Adventure Group. 

Then, they paddle back to Pottstown in kayaks along the Schuylkill River.

To begin, the group always meets at the Schuylkill River Heritage Area offices, located beside Riverfront Park, at 140 College Drive in Pottstown.

Registrants are asked to arrive a few minutes early, so they can sign a waiver and spend time in the

...and finally a leisurely paddle back to Pottstown.

River of Revolutions Interpretive Center, which is open during the event.

The tours are held rain or shine, however, if heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast the event may be canceled. If it becomes necessary to cancel, participants will be notified by email by early Saturday morning and a full refund.

All equipment, including bikes, helmets, kayaks, paddles and PFDs are provided. However, it is recommended that you bring the following items: water bottle, sunscreen, insect repellent, hat, water shoes and bike helmet, if you prefer to use your own. 

For more information call the Schuylkill River Heritage Area at 484-945-0200, or email ckott@schuylkillriver.org.

Rolling on the River

There is fun to be found all along the Schuylkill River.

The Schuylkill River is more than just something you cross on a bridge.

In addition to being the water supply for more than one million people, it is also a vastly under-appreciated recreational resource.

In the coming months, there will be plenty of opportunity to discover this resource.

What follows are three examples.

Pedal and Paddle

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area is bringing back its popular Pedal and Paddle events for 2013, with a total of five dates planned -- more than ever before.

Bicycles will be provided by Bike Pottstown.

All will take participants on a round-trip biking/kayaking adventure from Pottstown to Douglassville.

Each Pedal and Paddle will begin with a 4.5 mile bike ride from Pottstown’s Riverfront Park to Historic Morlatton Village in Douglassville, using yellow cruisers from the Bike Pottstown bike share program.

Participants will be given a guided tour of Morlatton Village, which includes four 18th century buildings, one of which is the oldest home in Berks County.

From there, they take a short bike ride to Douglassville’s Ganshahawny Park where they will eat lunch and receive a brief introduction to kayaking from outfitter Doug Chapman of Take it Outdoors Adventure Group.

Kayaks are provided and you enter at Ganshahawny Park
in Douglassville.

Then, they will paddle back to Pottstown in kayaks along the Schuylkill River.

Lunch, bikes, kayaks and all kayaking gear will be provided. Cost is $25 per person. All Pedals and Paddles take place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m.

To register call 484-945-0200; or email ckott@schuylkillriver.org.

The 2013 dates planned are: May 11, June 22, July 20, Aug. 17 and Sept. 7.

Space is limited. Advance registration required. Register no later than one week prior to the date of the event.

Schuylkill River Sojourn

If you would like to make a bigger commitment to paddling and less to pedaling, consider signing up for the the Schuylkill River Sojourn, which I can personally recommend as a great time. 

The Sojourn has you passing UNDER bridges on the
Schuylkill, like this one in Berks County, rather than
OVER the Schuylkill.

The sojourn is an annual 112-mile guided canoe/kayak trip on the Schuylkill River that begins in Schuylkill Haven and ends seven days later in Philadelphia's Boathouse Row.

Participants paddle 14-18 miles per day and can register for the entire trip or as little as one day.

Sometimes it is wet and wild.

At other times it is peaceful and inspiring.

There are a few rapids, calm water, plenty of laughs, songs at the campsites, and celebrations in the river towns.

A Sojourn traffic jam going through Lock 60 in Mont Clare.

There is a little bit of everything for paddlers throughout the week-long sojourn that begins the first weekend of June.

And though the same route is paddled every year, a different river greets sojourners every June.

But don't just take my word for it.

Check out this most excellent blog kept by former Mercury reporter Brandie Kessler last year when she paddled the entire length.

This year, it will occur from June 1 through 7 and the theme is "The Schuylkill During the Civil War."

You can check out the itinerary for each day by clicking here.

If you would like a fuller explanation of what happens on each day of the sojourn, check out the Schuylkill Heritage Association's blog on the subject.

Father's Day in the Big Woods

If you're looking to spend some quality time with Dad for Father's Day, why not consider the Eco-Tour being offered in the Hopewell Big Woods by the folks at ?

French Creek State Park

This 73,000-acre expanse includes some of the best regional trails, waterways, and scenic lunch spots in the area.

Float down the Schuylkill River, enjoy lunch on a boulder by the French Creek, and look for hidden treasure in the forest. Learn how regional trails and preserved open spaces impact our health and economy in a beneficial way, while enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the Big Woods in summer.

Activities include hiking, bicycling, kayaking, geocaching and more. Overnight accommodations will be provided in the rustic cabins in one of French Creek State Park’s historic group camps (tent camping is also an option).

A cabin at French Creek State Park.

The total cost for the weekend is $175/person and includes meals, activities and lodging.  The deadline to register is June 1.

Contact Lisa Miller at FrenchCreekEnvEd@pa.gov or 610-582-9680 for a brochure and registration form.

Participants must be at least 14 years of age, in reasonably good shape (able to hike, paddle, and bike over easy terrain for 3 or more hours at a stretch), and dress appropriately for the activities (a list of clothing needs will be supplied).  This event may be cancelled in the event of severe weather.