The Schuylkill River Trail: Why Local Trails Matter 

There is something about fall that makes getting outside especially inviting. As the summer heat gives way to cooler temperatures and the leaves begin to turn shades of red, orange, and gold, it’s an ideal time to lace up your walking shoes or grab a bike and spend some time on a local trail.  

Here in Berks County, we’re lucky to have thirty-plus miles to explore on the Schuylkill River Trail – with 80 total miles stretching from Schuylkill County to the city of Philadelphia.  

Local trails give us a different way to experience our communities. Instead of simply driving through a familiar area, walking or biking allows us to slow down and notice the river, trees, wildlife, and changing seasons that are easy to overlook. When we regularly walk beside a river, through a forest or across an open landscape, those places become familiar. We notice when the water is high, when wildflowers appear, when birds return, and when leaves begin to change. That familiarity can help build a connection and appreciation for protecting the natural resources surrounding our communities. 

The Schuylkill River Trail is a local gem, with routes passing through rural, agricultural, suburban, urban, and industrial landscapes. The trail and surrounding National Heritage Area have transformed how residents and visitors experience one of Pennsylvania’s most important natural resources. The trail plays an important role in preserving history while expanding recreational access and protecting the environment for future generations.  

As the trail grows in length and popularity, and as increasingly severe storms blow through our region, so do the costs of caring for the trail.  

In Berks County, the Schuylkill River Trail was built and continues to be maintained by Schuylkill River Greenways (SRG) National Heritage Area. When a sinkhole or a logjam happens, or a catastrophic storm hits our region, SRG is responsible for returning the trail to the safe and accessible resource our community depends on.  

Anyone who loves the trail can be part of its future by donating to SRG’s Stewardship Fund. The Stewardship Fund is designed to tackle the major repairs that come with owning and maintaining a growing trail network, particularly projects that are too large for routine maintenance budgets and often ineligible for traditional grants.  SRG is currently in the last year of the five-year fundraising campaign to raise $5 million to provide sustainable funding for these challenges and currently has $1.5 million left to raise over the next nine months. 

You do not have to travel far to enjoy the outdoors this season. The more we use and appreciate our local trails, the more we recognize what valuable community resources they are. Our trails connect us not only to destinations, but to nature, history, our neighbors and the places we call home.