The outdoor season is officially underway, and member centers are commemorating the opening of the Circuit Trails on Saturday, April 13 with a variety of mostly free events being held throughout the Delaware River watershed.
Check out everything that’s in store and start making your plans to explore the circuit trails this spring and summer.
Opening Day for Trails Events Include:
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Bring the kids out to the Wiggins Promenade along the Delaware River in Camden for an afternoon of kite flying. Kids can decorate their own kites and fly kites shaped like animals.
Explore the Circuit to the Discovery Center
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Enjoy a fun bike ride along the Schuylkill River Trail to the new Audubon Pennsylvania Discovery Center in Fairmount Park. Take time to do some birdwatching and then enjoy the gran opening of the new educational center with a tour.
Ride Circuit Trails With the Y!
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Join the staff at the YMCA’s Watershed Education by Bike program at the We Are Charter 5K/Health & Wellness Fair hosted by Camden’s Charter Network. The event will include a 5K/fun walk starting at 9:00 a.m. along the beautiful Camden waterfront, followed by organized bike rides from the school to the waterfront. Bikes and bike helmets will be provided.
Petty’s Island Spring Shoreline Clean Up
8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Petty’s Island, is in the midst of an amazing transformation into a public park. Access to the island is limited, so don’t miss this opportunity to see the island and assist in the shoreline clean up. Water and light refreshments will be provided. Registration for this event is required.
Cobbs Creek Trail Opening Trails Day
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Enjoy a morning walk along the Cobbs Creek Trail with doctors from CHOP Primary Care, Cobbs Creek. These pediatricians are promoting outdoor activity and time in nature as a way of maintaining the health and well-being of area children. Free refreshments will be provided.
11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Experience the new Markell Trail on a guided bike ride with naturalist Dakin Hewlett. Start at the Dupont Environmental Education Center, relax in Battery Park for a picnic, and explore the historic New Castle County Courthouse on a behind-the-scenes tour. The total distance is 11 miles and participants are asked to bring their own bikes, water, and a packed lunch. This is an 18+ event.
Schuylkill River Trail Opening Trails Day
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Celebrate the new entrance to the Schuylkill River Trail near Shawmont Station with a fun day of activities. Visitors can create a nature craft, participate in a trail beautification project, and learn about the health benefits of getting outdoors. This event is being held in collaboration with NaturePHL, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and the Circuit Trails. Free refreshments and coffee from High Point Cafe, will be provided.
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
This short series of classes at the Tulpehaking Nature Center at the Abbott Marshlands
will focus on bird calls with attention to tone and phrasing, arming participants with the skills to birdwatch in any light condition and “listen in” on bird communication. This event is appropriate for teens and adults and costs $5 per person. Registration is required.
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Hit the trails around the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and get up close and personal with the plants and animals in the area on this fun spring walk. Binoculars will be provided.
Opening Day for Trails at Fork & Ale
2:00-4:00 pm
This cleanup will be on the specific section of the Schuylkill River Trail that was ‘adopted’ by Fork & Ale in Union Township. This fun day of trail work and stewardship will include litter pickup, raking, and pruning to get the Schuylkill River Trail ready for the season. Cyclists runners, hikers, equestrians, trailwork veterans and first-timers are welcome!
A Vast Network of Trails
The Circuit Trails represent over 300 miles of interconnected, multi-use paths and routes in the Greater Philadelphia region, ranging from the Manayunk Bridge Trail and Schuylkill River Trail to Pennypack Trail and Forbidden Drive. It represents one of the largest trail networks in the country.
When fully complete, the Circuit will span more than 750 miles of trails across nine different counties including Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Bucks in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Gloucester, Camden and Mercer in New Jersey.