Northeast - Schuykill Valley Trail to Mont Clare

Does anyone here know if the SVT from VF to Mont Clare is a paved surface (as it is from Manyunk to VF) or is it similar to the gravel trail past Oaks?

Thanks

It is paved to where it comes to Longford Road. Then use Longford Road into Mont Clare.

Be prepared. The gnats are unbelievable in numbers.

It is paved to where it comes to Longford Road. Then use Longford Road into Mont Clare.

Be prepared. The gnats are unbelievable in numbers.


You may want to use a dust mask, or a bandanna.


I breathe through my nose, and keep my head down, but still get a couple of em up my nose or in my mouth.

They seem to be worst in the late afternoon. Early morning is not so bad.

Thanks for the info (and the quick replies:thumb:

Rode out there today. A real nice ride..and NO GNATs :D...though it was about 90 F.

I was hoping to find a nice place for lunch and was thrilled to find the Fitzwater Station. Had a great crab cake, out on the deck, overlooking the canal, watching kayakers.

I am sure all the regulars know about it, but this was my first time along this section and I really enojyed it.

All in all, a great day.

I neglected to mention Fitzwater Station. Didn't know if you stop for chow on a ride. We found that place last year before they completed that section of the trail. We had heard about Fitzwater Station one day while taking a break at the Outbound Station in Conshocken. Tried it and that became a regular stop for us whenever we would load the bikes up on the car at the end of the day.

The gnats were UNBELIEVABLE tonight about 5:00. From the dog park all the way to the Valley Forge bridge over the river. Yuk! Other than that a great ride. Thanks for the info on Fitzwater Station. My wife and I pass it frequently and will have to stop in.

Fitzwater Station: Found that the other day as I was trying the newly paved section and decided to go to Monte Claire. Looked like a neat place. So, the food is pretty good?

Gnats: Holy cow, I was wondering if I was the only one who was having problems with them. A couple of days the 1.5 mile section through the trees by Betzwood was solid gnats. When I emerged out the other end the front of my fluorescent yellow shell was 50% black! :)

Randy

I haven't ridden the Schuylkill for a number of years. My wife and I last stopped there on our way home to New York from Virginia around 1999-2000. At the time, people warned us not to go more than a few miles past the museum, as they said the area gets kind of seedy at some point.

Now it sounds as if people are riding miles and miles beyond where we turned around (some steel bridge near a delicatessen). So, if we go back this year, can someone recommend a good 20-25 ride starting at the museum?

I haven't ridden the Schuylkill for a number of years. My wife and I last stopped there on our way home to New York from Virginia around 1999-2000. At the time, people warned us not to go more than a few miles past the museum, as they said the area gets kind of seedy at some point.

Now it sounds as if people are riding miles and miles beyond where we turned around (some steel bridge near a delicatessen). So, if we go back this year, can someone recommend a good 20-25 ride starting at the museum?

You might want to consider starting the ride at Valley Forge and then head down through Norristown and Conshohocken into Manayunk.
We use the Betzwood Access Area off Trooper Road (Rt 363).

With warm weather Fairmont Park gets rather crowded. On weekends the entire trail can get a bit crowded. On weekdays we usually see very few riders on the section of trail above Manayunk.

It is a most pleasant ride from Valley Forge down into Manayunk and back and that would give you the mileage you want. There are a lot of good eating places in Manayunk. Since we are not on road bikes we use the dirt and gravel canal towpath from Shawmont into Manayunk.

When we first started riding the Schuylkill River Trail in 2003 there were sections we were not comfortable in. Drug dealing, prostitution, etc. That has changed dramatically. At first we saw police on bikes, including PA State Police.
Then the bikers themselves waded in. Anything out of line would result in cell phone calls to the police. In the past few years we have seen none of that nonsense.

>>>>When we first started riding the Schuylkill River Trail in 2003 there were sections we were not comfortable in. Drug dealing, prostitution, etc. That has changed dramatically. <<<<<

Cool. Maybe we'll AMTRAK it down there and give it another shot. Is your start point far from downtown Philly? If not, can anybody direct me from the Philly AMTRAK station to the trail?

It is paved to where it comes to Longford Road. Then use Longford Road into Mont Clare.

Be prepared. The gnats are unbelievable in numbers.


Looks to be about 4 miles of paved trail past the VF bridge on 422, does that sound about right?

Looks to be about 4 miles of paved trail past the VF bridge on 422, does that sound about right?

That is about right. The Betzwood access is a bit fun to get into off Trooper Road. If you are not in the left lane that cuts down into the park you can end up on the Schuylkill Expressway heading towards Philadelphia.
If you are hauling the bikes on a car you might consider using the Lower Perkiomen Valley Park as access to the Schuylkill River Trail. Ample parking, etc. Right at an off ramp from the Expressway. Finding Longford Road and Port Providence can be a bit of fun if you are not familiar with the area.

Looks to be about 4 miles of paved trail past the VF bridge on 422, does that sound about right?

From Betzwood to the new Longford trailhead and back is about 9.1 miles. That's my typical lunchtime ride.

Randy

Looks to be about 4 miles of paved trail past the VF bridge on 422, does that sound about right?

I just looked at the Montgomery County Parks Dept. web site. They have a new brochure posted in pdf format. The older one you see at places along the trail do not have the section of the trail from Oaks to Port Providence and then Mont Clare. The new brochure has a mileage chart a little easier to read than the old brochure.

>>>>When we first started riding the Schuylkill River Trail in 2003 there were sections we were not comfortable in. Drug dealing, prostitution, etc. That has changed dramatically. <<<<<

Cool. Maybe we'll AMTRAK it down there and give it another shot. Is your start point far from downtown Philly? If not, can anybody direct me from the Philly AMTRAK station to the trail?

Sure, but keep in mind that you can't take bikes (unpacked, that is) on Amtrak- at least the Northeast Corridor trains. Anyway, it's a snap getting on the lower end of the SRT from 30th St. Station- come out the 29th Street entrance and turn right to get on Market Street. Turn left on Market and walk across the Market St. bridge (there's a wide sidewalk, and it's just a short walk- about 100 yards. After you cross the river, you'll see steps and a ramp leading down to the SRT- take either down and head west! You might check out the BCP web site (phillybikeclub.org) and here's a cue sheet to get you to VF: http://phillybikeclub.org/newbcp/cnt/rides/myra/bike-path.html

septa bus route 99 can take you to/from phoenixville (with connections to other buses at king of prussia mall and 69th street) which is just a little ways past mont clare (west over a bridge out of mont clare)...

did the whole trail and then past it to phoenixville two thursdays ago; it's lengthy but Very pleasant once you get past historical (read: not-in-service) shawmont station which is just past the manayunk canal tow path. the path through valley forge, oaks, perkiomen creek, and through the little ville of mont clare is all quite comfortable.

the only really not-so-comfy parts are the narrow sidewalk you have to share with cyclists/runners in both directions (i recommend just stopping and letting folks pass, this is leisure riding not a marathon, people) leading up from falls bridge through to manayunk, and some stretches of the manayunk tow path (gravel and boardwalks, sometimes gravel On boardwalks)... once you get past shawmont station (the turn onto nixon street then continuing on the bike path) it's smooth sailin'

i guess i got lucky, not many gnats/flies that day.

good starting-off points for the schuylkill river trail are the art museum and the very start of the trail at locust street on the east side of the river...

behind the museum gets you to the east banks at kelly drive, across the street and down under the bridge/overpass gets you to the west banks - you can take the west trail up to falls bridge then you'll have to cross that and continue up the east side...

or, the lower banks of the trail which you can get to at 30th street and chestnut; if you're standing on the chestnut street bridge you'll see long ramps leading down... alternatively you can walk right up to it via locust street... this is the very beginning of the trail, and you'll see a short loop-around/col du sac which people use to run in a circle and start all over again... starting there you can stay on the east banks of the river alllll the way to manayunk then onto main street manayunk for a few blocks then onto the tow path whereafter you'll pretty much be out there on your own in the woods all through valley forge, with occasional interruptions in conshohocken and norristown to cross some railroad tracks... the whole path is really an amazing testament to your tax dollars at work.

i would say that if you're traveling from out of town and starting out near 30th street station (amtrak/bolt bus, etc.) then the access point at the chestnut street bridge will be the easiest to locate right away - just point yourself onto 30th street and walk down to chestnut and you'll see those long ramps leading down.

my whole ride from kensington to phoenixville was something like 45 miles; took about 4 hours on my 20" 3-speed vintage folding bike... so if you've got larger wheels and more speeds, it'll be a cakewalk.

in terms of 'being prepared' a lesson i learned the hard way just on sunday is this: have some basic first-aid supplies with you in addition to your bike tools, spare inner tube, etc... i would say a roll of gauze/wrap, bactine, and cloth tape is enough to do a decent field dressing of a wound as a result of, god forbid (but it does happen) being thrown off your bike after your chain pops, or your internally geared hub slips, or your wheel catches some large debris you didn't streer clear of fast enough ETC. falls, spills happen, and if you've got the supplies you can patch yourself up and keep going. but if you don't, you'll be begging a friend or worse, a cab dispatch, over the phone for a ride home, with you feeling defeated and unaccomplished - Not fun.

also, for the same reason as above, wear gloves that offer full finger protection. you'll be utterly injured/useless if you've skinned the tips of two or more fingers from a fall... a skinned knee, elbow - easy to handle if you've got bandaging supplies... sheared/skinned fingertips - another matter entirely!

The gnats were UNBELIEVABLE tonight about 5:00. From the dog park all the way to the Valley Forge bridge over the river. Yuk! Other than that a great ride. Thanks for the info on Fitzwater Station. My wife and I pass it frequently and will have to stop in.

Where is the Dog Park you are talking about?

Where is the Dog Park you are talking about?

The dog park is next to/part of the public park at Port Providence, which is where the off-road trail ends before Mont Clare.

A nice ride yesterday.
Pawling Road to the Art Museum and back. A total of 49 miles.
The trail is in decent shape. Only a few vines hanging down where you would hit them.
Early morning showers. The ride down the cobbles at Shawmont was fun with the cobbles wet.
A snack at the deli on Fairmont Ave.
The azalea garden at the Art Museum was nice but a little past peak in colors.

The ride down the cobbles at Shawmont was fun with the cobbles wet.

either you are being sarcastic or have a twisted sense of 'fun' :)

either you are being sarcastic or have a twisted sense of 'fun' :)

I have a twisted sense of fun.
My wife will not ride the cobbles. I think they are fun.
There was a light drizzle yesterday morning when we dropped down off Nixon Street. I have watched a bunch of "spring classic" DVD's and could not resist the wet cobbles. Just to see how much the wheels would slide on them. Two years ago I climbed the wet cobbles just to see what the difference was between pedaling standing and sitting.
Of course it was with the Trek Navigator with the Continental Town and Country tires we use on the "fat tire" bikes.

The dog park is next to/part of the public park at Port Providence, which is where the off-road trail ends before Mont Clare.

Thanks Zoste. Appreciate the info. I've fished the Schuylkill from Phoenixville down to Conshohocken and I didn't know there was a dog park there. I'll have to bike up there and check it out.

For additional info and ongoing rider reports about the Schuykill Valley Trail check out this thread:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=107566



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this has me more than a little worried:
http://www.trailreporter.com/incident/show/ag10cmFpbHJlcG9ydGVychgLEhFpbmNpZGVudF9pbmNpZGVudBihHww

Very scary, indeed.

The incident list also notes police activity tonight. There was similar activity last night when sometime after 6PM an unmarked car drove up the access ramp near the bridge, stopping near the Hawes Ave access point. Two police officers on bikes were also present to provide support. By the time I passed the car, the policeman was patting down a teenage boy while a woman (perhaps his mother?) was standing by, making comments to one or both of them.

I was starting to worry that the police patrols had tapered off post the aftermath of the recent assaults. Apparently, that is not the case.