If you’re not too daunted by heights, this detour off the Delaware River Trail offers about three miles of inclined running by travelling to the Camden side and back, along with spectacular views of both the Philadelphia and Camden riverfronts.
The pedestrian walkway is open daily, weather and events permitting, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m, from May 1 to Sept 30 (it closes at 8 p.m. the rest of the year). The entrance to the bridge on the Philly side is at 5th and Race streets, and it lets out at 4th and Pearl streets in Camden. You can find live travel advisories about whether the walkway is closed at the Delaware River Port Authority’s website.
Want to throw some extra miles in? You can easily add the Camden Riverfront or the DRT to your route.
For a change of scenery, you head down Broad Street a little to get to the Navy Yard for some waterfront views as you run.
The city’s biggest park has plenty of space to explore on either side of the Schuylkill River.
If you want to try a 10-mile run through both sides of the park, the Fairmount Park Conservancy has mapped one out , as well as a 10-mile route around South Philly.
In Fairmount Park West, Montgomery Drive isn’t easy to cross so it splits access between the north and south options of the park. South of the drive, there are roads and trails that take you to scenic spots like the Shofuso Japanese Gardens, The Mann Center and the park’s Horticultural Center. West Philly Runners founder Alon Abramson recommends the Please Touch Museum of West Philly Park as a good starting point with parking. North of Montgomery Drive, there’s the Belmont Plateau and the four-mile long Trolley Trail .
MLK Drive offers another way to run along the Schuylkill, and is often closed off from motor vehicles in the warmer months. You can check the schedule for that on the City’s website .
In East Fairmount, there are options, including the Boxer’s Trail , Lemon Hill Park, Strawberry Mansion and easy access to the Kelly Drive SRT paths.
Near University City and West Philadelphia is a 54 acres of 18th century English pleasure gardens, active cemetery and green space where you can run a roughly one-mile loop around the grounds.
The gates to the Woodlands are open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, and there are bathrooms available during business hours.
Cyclists in Bartram’s Garden. (File photo/Billy Penn) Credit: Courtesy Bartram’s Garden Bartram’s Gardens
Another historic site out west, Bartram’s Mile will soon be connected to the Schuylkill River Trail . Till then you can run it from the Greys Ferry Bridge to around the overlook at South 61st Street, just under two miles. The Garden is open every day from sunrise to sunset .
Cobb’s Creek Park
At the edge of West Philadelphia is 3.7 miles of paved and unpaved trail along Cobb’s Creek, kept clean and beautified by members of the neighborhood’s community.
If you want to add a few miles to your run, Abramson suggested Haddington Woods north of 63rd and Market streets as a hidden gem. The ecological restoration project has a one-mile natural trail along the creek and dam.
Editor’s note: You’re probably going to start needing a car, or some extra patience on public transport, for the next few.
An entrance to Wissahickon Valley Park in Northwest Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 2024. (Meir Rinde/Billy Penn) In Northwest Philly, there’s over 50 trails in the 2,000 acres for runners, hikers, cyclists and horseback riders. Friends of the Wissahickon have a list of the major trails as well as travel advice, volunteer opportunities and even an app on their website . The park has a curfew from 1 to 6 a.m. from April through November, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Dec.1 to March 31.
Further up in Northeast Philly is over 1,600 acres of beautiful woodlands, wetlands and meadows, and fields. You can take the almost-10-mile trail along Pennypack Creek from the Delaware River to the border of Montgomery County, where it carries on for another six-plus miles. The park is open every day from 8 a.m. to dusk.
Near Philadelphia International Airport, America’s first urban refuge is a haven for birders and fans of other flora and fauna. It also has over 10 miles of trails to explore at your preferred pace. The park is open every day from sunrise to sundown, with free parking at the Lindbergh Boulevard entrance and the Route 420 entrance.
