Travel

Biking Escapes Through Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Posted: 11/12/2010

Credit: Scott Mabry for VFCVB River to River Heritage Bicycle Tour

(NAPSI) - Rolling hills, lush countryside and the scenic Valley Forge National Historical Park make Montgomery County, Pa., a favored destination for cyclists, both amateur and professional.

Fifty-five miles of interconnected trails and more than 20 in this park let visitors exercise their freedom to explore history and discover local lore.

The northwestern part of Montgomery County offers lightly traveled, tree-lined roads and a newly completed, nine-mile paved loop around Green Lane Park. One of several county parks, it boasts three bodies of water and an annual Scottish-Irish Festival that coincides with the Univest Grand Prix cycling race for men each September.

The 6.6-mile Joseph Plumb Martin Trail in Valley Forge National Historical Park provides the perfect, picturesque path through this Revolutionary War icon, once the site of General George Washington’s winter encampment of 1777−78. Here, he forged his ragtag troops into the fighting force that eventually won America’s independence.

The Schuylkill River Trail and the Perkiomen Trail intersect within the 3,600-acre park, where bike rentals are available from late spring to early fall. The Schuylkill Trail extends north to Oaks and winds through urban and suburban neighborhoods all the way to Center City, Philadelphia. The 2-mile Audubon Loop takes cyclists from the Perkiomen Trail, which runs along the lovely Perkiomen Creek, to the wildlife sanctuary at John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove.

Each summer, amateur riders cycle in the River to River Heritage Bicycle Tour along the scenic Route 113 corridor from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River. Courses vary among 25-, 50-, 75- or 100-mile loops, featuring hilly terrain through rural townships and quaint boroughs filled with farms, churches and businesses dating back to the 1700s.

There’s a wealth of other recreational opportunities—like guided canoe trips, kayaking expeditions, zip-lining tours, fly-fishing and golf-available in Valley Forge and Montgomery County. Turtle Creek, one of the area’s more than 40 public courses, is described by Golf Digest as having some of the best turf in the Northeast. You’ll golf on land originally owned by William Penn, the focal point of which is a 1734 Virginia-style, Colonial stone farmhouse.

For more information on both outdoor and indoor recreation in Valley Forge and Montgomery County, Pa., visit www.valleyforge.org.

Note to Editors: For additional photos of the Valley Forge area, please go to http://www.cleanpix.com/cleanpix/portal/W17nT:TAy:eAA. For additional assistance, please call (610) 834-7990.