Recreation & Open Spaces

Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

While Greater Philadelphia is a sanctuary for professional and collegiate sports, there are also plenty of recreational activities in which you can participate. The region makes lifetime fitness an attainable reality, whether you’re playing in a league, strolling through the city, hiking in wooded parks, shooting hoops, hitting the links, headed for the slopes or running the Philadelphia Marathon. Get out there and work up a sweat or just enjoy the fresh air and scenery — we’ve got everything you need right here.

Recreation

Sports & Social Clubs

If you’re looking for a little friendly competition, join the Philadelphia Sports and Social Club. It’s the region’s largest organizer of recreational adult sports leagues and social events. It offers coed and single-sex sports like soccer, flag football, basketball, volleyball, softball, floor hockey and kickball. Best of all, there’s a strong social emphasis, so it’s a great way to team up with old friends or make new ones. You can also join the Manayunk Sports and Social Club, which offers a wide array of recreational sports as well.

Parks, Trails & Events

After re-enacting Rocky Balboa’s famous run up the Art Museum steps, perhaps you’ll be warmed up and ready to go for a jog. Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park has multiple trails for running, walking and biking. The five-mile long Wissahickon Trail, locally known as “Forbidden Drive” because it’s closed to cars, provides a wonderful scenic escape. The Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Drive loop that runs along the Schuylkill River is also scenic and widely accommodating; Martin Luther King Drive is even closed to traffic on weekends from April through September.

On the Jersey side, Camden County’s Cooper River Park is another top destination. A flat, tree-lined, paved path circles Cooper River and is exactly 3.65 miles around, with mile markers and marked 5K and 10K courses.

Start training now and you just might be ready for the annual Philadelphia Marathon, which takes place each November.

Golf

Feel like hitting the greens? Greater Philadelphia has an array of public and private golf courses throughout the region, with six public courses right in the city. Check out philadelphia.com/golf to locate area courses.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get to test your skills at New Jersey’s Pine Valley golf course or the Merion East golf course in Pennsylvania. In its 2009–2010 ranking of “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses,” Golf Digest placed Pine Valley at No. 2 and Merion at No. 7. If you prefer miniature golf, then head over to the newly renovated Fairmont Park on 6th and Race streets. You might also want to try a round of disc golf, a game played much like golf but with a disc, or Frisbee®, rather than a golf ball. The Sedgley Woods Disc Golf Course in East Fairmount Park is a great place to play, and best of all, it’s free!

Water Recreation

In seasonal weather, the region has waterways ideal for canoeing, rafting, tubing, kayaking or fishing.

Tubing down the Delaware River is a fun day trip. Float down six miles of the river, stopping for lunch at the Hot Dog Man, who sets up shop on a private island in the middle of the river. If you’re a dedicated canoeist or kayaker, consider contacting the Philadelphia Canoe Club — you can meet up with others who share your passion.

Rock Climbing

If you’re looking for a little adventure, there are several full-service indoor rock climbing facilities in the region. For instance, the Philadelphia Rock Gym in Montgomery County is an excellent place to spend the day. For an outdoor climbing excursion, Livezey Rock in the Wissahickon Valley section of Fairmount Park is a popular destination.

Public Facilities

Free outdoor public tennis courts and basketball courts are available in most Greater Philadelphia area municipal parks, and there are also indoor courts in many private athletic and racquet clubs. The region has a great number of public swimming pools you can splash around in. Throughout area suburbs, there are many neighborhood swim clubs, and you may be able to find one within walking distance that offers reasonable membership fees. A number of Pennsylvania State Parks also have swimming pools open during summer months.

Bicycling

Have aspirations of becoming the next Lance Armstrong? Or maybe you just like to bike around with friends? Either way, The Bicycle Club of Philadelphia has a wide variety of options for levels of cycling ability. Take part in their Sunday Morning Breakfast Ride, or enjoy a leisurely ride through Fairmount Park. Anyone is welcome; just remember — helmets are required on all rides.

Winter Recreation

On cold days, head over to the Blue Cross RiverRink in Penn’s Landing for outdoor ice skating. The rink generally opens Thanksgiving weekend and runs through February. Check their website for season dates and hours of operation.

Winter weather is also perfect for skiing! The Pocono Mountains are just a short drive from Greater Philadelphia and are perfect for the snow bunny in all of us. You can compare ski lodges or get an update on snow conditions online.

If you’ve got that competitive edge or if you just like to have fun, Greater Philadelphia offers enough recreational activities that satisfy the weekend warrior in everyone!

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Open Space

Get out of the office. Turn off the television. Put away the cell phone. Whatever it takes, just get outside and savor the fresh air and open space!

Despite being a major metropolitan area and a hub of economic activity, the Greater Philadelphia region has a large number of parks, wooded areas and designated open spaces. Greenways and conservation areas always keep nature close at hand. With over 60 neighborhood parks in Philadelphia, no city resident lives more than a mile from open space. There is so much green land that it’s easy to forget you’re in the heart of the bustling Northeastern Corridor.

Fairmount Park

When William Penn founded Philadelphia in 1682, he envisioned the city as a “Green Countrie Towne.” Well, he would no doubt be pleased with the natural wonders preserved in Philadelphia’s famous Fairmount Park today. The park system accounts for more than 9,200 acres of parkland with over 215 miles of recreational trails and 34 miles of waterways — all of it right in the city. With woods, streams, meadows, wetlands, trails, picnic sites and athletic fields, it ranks as the largest landscaped park in the United States. Visit the park’s website for more detailed information , such as details on history, recreational uses, trails, public transportation access and other amenities.

New Jersey Pine Barrens/Pinelands

Across the river, the New Jersey Pine Barrens, also called the Pinelands, add even more opportunities for area residents to get in touch with nature. Our country’s first National Reserve, the Pine Barrens is also the largest body of open space on the East Coast between Richmond and Boston. It extends throughout portions of New Jersey, including Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties. The Pine Barrens has a 17 trillion-gallon underground water supply of some of the purest water in the United States and is an ideal location for outdoor recreation and nature studies. Whether you’re horseback riding, fishing, hunting, picnicking, camping, hiking or just enjoying the shade of a dense forest, the Pinelands offer a natural refuge right in the midst of our developed region.

Other Recreational Facilities & Opportunities

There are over 30 state parks spread through our 11 counties. You can find more information at www.visitphilly.com/outdoor-activities/nature-parks-and-gardens.

Whatever you do, make sure you take the time to enjoy the great outdoors! Try horseback riding in Valley Forge National Historic Park or go rollerblading along Kelly Drive. Cool off in a neighborhood swimming pool or kayak in the Delaware River. You can even float in a hot air balloon with the U.S. Hot Air Balloon Company for a bird’s eye view of the region!

In the mood for a laid-back afternoon? Stroll through the countryside to catch a glimpse of soaring birds, prancing deer and playful rabbits. Tour the cranberry bogs of the New Jersey Pine Barrens or pick fresh fruits and vegetables at any number of the working farms in Greater Philadelphia. And the rolling countryside is the perfect backdrop for sharpening your photography skills or painting scenic landscapes.

With so much green land and open space, your recreation opportunities are endless in Greater Philadelphia. For more information on recreation and open space in the region visit www.visitphilly.com/outdoor-activities.