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Family-friendly: Sports and Outdoors
Everything from hiking and biking to blading, boating and floating
Luscious Parks
For visitors to Philadelphia who are passionate about the great outdoors, a visit to Fairmount Park, the world’s largest municipal park, is just the beginning. Opportunities for everything from hiking and biking to blading, boating and floating are all within easy reach of Center City.
Fairmount Park boasts over 8,900 acres of parks, jam-packed with activities from rowing and biking to rollerblading and running. Take a walk along Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive (formerly West River Drive) and over the Schuylkill River to Kelly Drive and Boathouse Row (lit up in splendor every night). Valley Green offers lush woods for picnicking or walking.
Take your bikes (or rent some at Drive Sports) and follow the Manayunk Towpath to Valley Forge National Historic Park. Nockamixon State Park in Bucks County also offers great jogging paths, beautiful walks and even places to fly a kite.
Most state parks offer blading, walking/hiking and biking trails, including Delaware Canal State Park, which follows the Delaware River from Easton to Bristol; Ridley Creek State Park; and French Creek State Park, located in Berks and Chester counties. For more information about state parks, call (888) PA-PARKS, or visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us.
Cool off on the Water
As the mercury rises, grab the kids and head to one of Philadelphia’s rivers or creeks for a day of canoeing, rafting, tubing, kayaking or fishing. Bucks County River Country offers rafting, tubing, canoeing and kayaking trips on the Delaware River. In Chester County, Marsh Creek State Park provides boat, kayak and canoe rentals on the lake.
From April through September, Brandywine Outfitters Inc. rents canoes and kayaks for scenic trips down the Brandywine River. A picnic area is located along the canoe route. Northbrook Canoe Company also offers canoe trips and rentals along the tranquil Brandywine River. The Wissahickon Creek, home to more than 18,000 trout, is a popular location for fishing in Fairmount Park.
Visit the Ballpark
For a great summer treat, take the kids out to the ballgame — both Citizens Bank Park, home to the Philadelphia Phillies, and Campbell’s Field, home to the Camden Riversharks, are extremely kid-friendly and are great ideas for a summer afternoon or evening. At the Phanatic Fun Zone at Citizens Bank Park, youngsters can enjoy the largest play area for kids in the Major Leagues. Kids can also enjoy dollar dogs and soft drinks all game long.
Across the Delaware River at Camden’s riverfront park, the Riversharks boast one of the most family-friendly ballparks in the country. With the Philadelphia skyline and Benjamin Franklin Bridge as a breathtaking backdrop, you can enjoy a game, visit the Utz Fun Zone, picnic beyond Left Field, run the bases and marvel at post-game fireworks (after every Friday home game).
Don't Stop There
There’s plenty more fun to be had outdoors in the Philadelphia region. Here are a few more suggestions: saddle up a horse and hit the trails at the Gateway Stables and Riding Center; scale the walls at the Philadelphia Rock Gym; fly up, up and away in a hot-air balloon; or enjoy a spectacular view of the city during a Sterling Helicopter ride.
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