Philadelphia Again: Walking the Schuylkill

My next outing commenced from where I left off at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and followed the Schuylkill River Trail. Projected to eventually stretch 130 miles along the river, the 11.5 mile segment from Philadelphia to Valley Forge is complete and paved. I joined it at the historic Fairmont Waterworks just below the museum in Fairmont Park.

Fairmont Park is a 4,100 acre urban park along the Schuylkill River. Formed to protect the civic water supply upstream from the waterworks during the industrialization of Philadelphia in the 1860's, it was and continues to be the major outdoor playground in the City of Brotherly Love. There's a path up each side of the river. Being on foot, I wouldn't have time to walk to Valley Forge, but had to settle for a shorter hike to Strawberry Mansion Bridge and back.

The Fairmont Waterworks is an amazing classical revival veneer over a once state of the art industrial pumping operation. First steam, then water power was used to lift water from the Schuylkill to reservoirs and towers above that served the entire city. Eventually, the city water supply moved elsewhere, but the site retains its waterworks as a museum devoted to the civil engineering heritage of Philly.

The dam above the waterworks remains too and provides a perfect impoundment for rowing. Along it is Boathouse Row, the most incredible collection of rowing equipment, architecture and wealth I've ever seen. The UPenn, Drexel, and dozens of local private high schools maintain million dollar facilities for sculling here. It is one big sport. I had the pleasure of seeing them out on their afternoon training.

There are even dedicated stands and a timing building further up-river, with the race lanes marked on the adjoining bridge. This area is serious about rowing. There are also numerous short tunnels through rock outcrops along the trail, as well as heroic 1930's sculpture, massive bridges crossing the valley, and lots of parkland. It would be great for biking too, but it was a fine all day walk exploring.