Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Explore the gophila.com Visitor Site

Releases: Expanded View

En Español

Jul 6 2009

Dear Desperately Seeking An Adrenaline Rush, Adventures Await In Philadelphia And The Countryside®

Whether By Air, Land Or River, Outdoor Adventures Rev Up Visitors To Philly

In Philadelphia and The Countryside® visitors motivated by adrenaline can attempt just about any type of active and sometimes challenging outdoor activity. Thanks to the area’s excitingly varied terrain and legendary tradition of athleticism, no matter the season, there’s a zip line, ski slope, rock wall, mountain-bike trail or white-water river ready to be conquered in the city and in the four nearby counties. Here’s a look:

By Air:

  • Tree Canopy Tours – Spring Mountain Adventures in Montgomery County is one of the only places in the country that offers treetop canopy tours—a series of zip line and rope challenges high up in the trees. Not for the faint-of-heart, the excursions keep visitors high off the ground, with nothing but their harness, a few carabineers and the cables used to land fighter jets on aircraft carriers.
  • Hot-Air Ballooning and Airplane Rides – There may be no prettier way to take in the natural sites of Southeastern Pennsylvania than by coasting over them in a hot air balloon. While several companies operate balloon flights over Philadelphia’s countryside, The United States Hot Air Balloon Team (AKA Balloon Rides Daily) is the one entity that books them all. A one-hour sunrise or sunset flight—available year-round, weather permitting—includes a pre-flight briefing, a balloon flight across the skies of Bucks, Chester, Lancaster and Montgomery Counties and a post-flight champagne toast, as well as transportation to and from Center City. For a more adrenaline-pumping ride, pilots at Van Sant Airport take guests high into the sky on a glider or a biplane.

By Land:

  • Adventure Racing – Adventure racing is a team sport that calls for running, biking and paddling over a distance of 20 to 500 miles, without the benefit of a designated course. The goal is to beat opponents to the finish line by finding the most efficient route. Races are organized by the GOALS Adventure Racing Association and typically cover large swaths of the Philadelphia region, starting in places like French Creek State Park and ending up in another county, many miles away.
  • Biking Trails – A local rider’s favorite, the 28-mile partially paved Schuylkill River Trail winds its way westward from the Philadelphia Museum of Art along the Schuylkill River and passes through both rural scenery and quaint neighborhoods on its way to Valley Forge National Historical Park and beyond. If that’s still not enough, follow the Perkiomen Trail that runs the remaining 19 miles to Green Lane Park. Another option is Delaware Canal State Park, a 60-mile linear park along the Delaware River that was once trod by mule teams pulling cargo-laden boats along the canal.
  • Mountain Biking – The 1,800-acre Wissahickon Valley Park portion of Fairmount Park draws mountain bikers from around the country who vow to vanquish its steep, woodsy inclines. The trails around Forbidden Drive are suitable for first-timers, while the upper areas are so challenging they require a park permit. In the 800-acre Central Perkiomen Valley Park northwest of the city, an old Reading Railroad right-of-way has been converted into a trail perfect for mountain bikers of all levels.
  • Camping – Nature lovers can appreciate the starry, starry nights of Chester County when they sleep under the stars at French Creek State Park, where camp sites range from au naturel to those that house modern furnished cabins that hold six and come equipped with a private bath and shower, electric heat and wall-to-wall carpeting. Bucks County-owned Tohickon Valley Park also boasts sleeping cabins—22 of them in total. Families, individuals and large groups can reserve camp sites for the evenings and spend their days hiking, swimming in a pool or fishing in the Tohickon Creek.
  • Hiking – Those who embark on a leisurely mountaintop stroll along the length of the eastern seaboard can now detour into civilization when they reach Pennsylvania with the help of the Horse-Shoe Trail, which connects the Appalachian Trail to Philadelphia. The relatively new access way runs more than 140 miles and links to Philly via Valley Forge National Historical Park, where trailblazers can continue by foot along the Schuylkill River Trail to Center City. For the slightly less ambitious, there are literally hundreds of wooded hiking trails to discover, including popular ones in John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, Evansburg State Park and Nockamixon State Park.
  • Horseback Riding – It’s one thing to have access to a horseback riding trail and quite another to have access to a horse. While hundreds of miles of trails line the city and countryside, it makes sense for horseless men and women to gallop to Haycock Stables, which provide calm mares and spirited steeds by reservation for trots through Bucks County’s Nockamixon State Park, and to Red Buffalo Ranch, where staff lead tours through Evansburg State Park. Equestrians interested in overnight encampments can head to Green Lane Park to ride 18 miles of trails that will tucker any horse out.
  • Orienteering – A compass and map are all it takes to participate in this family-favorite sport. The objective is to locate markers throughout the terrain, either in groups or working alone, and finish first by finding the most efficient and direct route through the course. The Delaware Valley Orienteering Association, the nation’s oldest orienteering group, has dubbed French Creek State Park “the orienteering capital of America” because of its self-guiding course, appropriate for all ages.
  • Rock Climbing – Rock climbing isn’t for everyone, but those who love it really love it. These are the people who climb mountains to get to Ralph Stover State Park, where a 200-foot sheer rock face is a popular draw. Within city limits, Livezey Rock on the eastern slope of the Wissahickon Valley is 35 feet high and 60 feet long. And for a supervised climb, outdoor climbing walls at Spring Mountain Adventures make for an ideal place to get a first toe hold. The four-sided rock wall is perfect for beginners and expert climbers.
  • Skiing – Eight ski and snowboard slopes, including a dedicated learning area for bunny skiers and two double diamonds, two tubing trails and 100% snowmaking capabilities, make Spring Mountain Adventures the go-to mountain for short winter day trips from Philadelphia. For those who prefer to stay horizontal, cross country ski trails weave across the landscape at Ridley Creek State Park, White Clay Creek Preserve and Tyler State Park.

By River:

  • Canoeing/Kayaking – With so many rivers and creeks, the Philly region is stocked with parks and public access points where boat owners can launch their vessels. For those wishing only to briefly sample traveling by sea, rentals abound. Water enthusiasts can rent a canoe, kayak or paddleboat from Montgomery County’s Port Providence Paddle for a full-day trip or just to knock around the Schuylkill River for a few hours. If Chester County’s Brandywine River sounds more alluring, Northbrook Canoe Company arranges individual water tours through the landscape made famous by the paintings of three generations of Wyeths. And for an urban kayaking jaunt, several day and nighttime trips leave from the Schuylkill Banks at Walnut Street and head north to the Philadelphia Museum of Art or plunge southward to Bartram’s Garden. Hidden River Outfitters guides lead all tours.
  • Tubing and White-water Rafting – Want to get wet? Raft or tube leisurely down the Delaware River with Bucks County River Country or take advantage of a free hot dog lunch and a swimming hole in the middle of a family-friendly rafting, kayaking, tubing or canoeing trip with Delaware River Tubing, which departs from Frenchtown, New Jersey. Leaving the family at home? In November and March, closed canoes and kayaks can launch in Ralph Stover State Park when bi-annual planned white water releases from Lake Nockamixon create class-three rapids.

ADDRESS BOOK

Hot-Air Ballooning and Airplane Rides:

  • Van Sant Airport, 516 Cafferty Road, Erwinna, (610) 847-8320, vansantairport.com
  • The United States Hot Air Balloon Team, Holicong Park, 5143 York Road, Holicong, (800) 592-1525, balloonridesdaily.com

Tree Canopy Tours:

Adventure Racing:

Biking Trails:

  • Schuylkill River Trail, 1 Boathouse Row (multiple access points), schuylkillriver.org
  • Perkiomen Trail, 1400 N. Outer Line Drive (access from Valley Forge National Historical Park), King of Prussia, (610) 783-1077, nps.gov/vafo
  • Delaware Canal State Park, 11 Lodi Hill Road, Upper Black Eddy, (610) 982-5560, dcnr.state.pa.us

Mountain Biking:

  • Wissahickon Valley Park, W. Bells Mills Road & Wissahickon Drive, (215) 683-0200, fairmountpark.org
  • Central Perkiomen Valley Park, 1 Plank Road, Schwenksville, (610) 287-6970, montcopa.org

Camping:

Hiking:

Horseback Riding:

Orienteering:

Rock Climbing:

Skiing, Snowboarding and Tubing:

Canoeing/Kayaking:

  • Port Providence Paddle, 264 Canal Street, Port Providence, (610) 933-9958, canoeandkayak.biz
  • Northbrook Canoe Company, 1810 Beagle Road, West Chester, (800) 898-2279, northbrookcanoe.com
  • Schuylkill Banks, 25th & Locust Streets (one of several access points), (215) 222-6030, schuylkillbanks.org

Tubing and White-Water Rafting:

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit gophila.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to Hear Philly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

Contact(s):
  • Bookmark
  • E-mail
Tagged: Outdoors

Attached Media

Schuylkill River Trail

Schuylkill River Trail

The Schuylkill River Trail, a new multi-use trail bordering the Schuylkill River, provides outdoor enthusiasts with a 1.2-mile scenic path from Locust Street to the Philadelphia Museum of Art....

Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Tags: Outdoors

Schuylkill River Rowing

Schuylkill River Rowing

On the western edge of Center City Philadelphia, the calm, sheltered waters of the Schuylkill River have made it one of the world’s most coveted regatta sites. And the view is especially beautiful in the spring when cherry blossoms line the river....

Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Tags: Outdoors, Spring

Fairmount Park Horseback Riding

Fairmount Park Horseback Riding

Equestrians can cantor along more than 50 miles of bridle trails in Fairmount Park. Varied terrains allow riders to select trails that best suit their skills....

Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Tags: Outdoors, Parks & Gardens

Northbrook Canoe

Northbrook Canoe

Northbrook Canoe Company offers canoeing, kayaking and tubing along the Brandywine Creek, just outside Philadelphia in scenic Chester County....

Credit: Photo by K. Ciappa for GPTMC

Tags: Family-friendly, Outdoors