WINTER’S BACK.  You might be wondering whether or not you can walk or ride the Schuylkill River Trail when snow is on the ground. People often ask us if the trail is plowed in winter. In fact, some sections are plowed after each snowfall , while others receive no winter maintenance. Below, we’ve provided a breakdown of which parts of the trail are plowed and which are not. Please be cautious when using the trail after snow or freezing conditions.

• Berks & Schuylkill Counties (Thun & Bartram Trail Sections): No winter maintenance. These sections of the Schuylkill River Trail are managed by the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, which performs limited winter maintenance. That means it is never plowed, so people use it for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing when snow is on the ground. Also, limited winter maintenance means there could be branches and even downed trees across the trail, until someone is able to clear it. Cleanup and maintenance needs may require more time to be completed during the winter.
• Riverfront Park in Pottstown: Plowed. The small piece of trail that runs along the river in Pottstown’s Riverfront Park is cleared after snow. However, heading west beyond the Keystone Boulevard Trailhead, the trail is not plowed.
• Chester County: No winter maintenance. The 5.7 mile piece of the Schuylkill River Trail in Chester County stretches from Parkerford to the Cromby Trailhead, located just above Phoenixville. It is not plowed or cleared regularly of debris.
• Montgomery County: No winter maintenance. The 18-mile stretch of the Schuylkill River Trail that traverses Montgomery County from Philadelphia’s city line to Phoenixville is not plowed. That section of trail is owned by the county. For details and updates on winter trail conditions along that section, please visit the county’s website at www.montcopa.org.
• Philadelphia: Conditions vary. In Philadelphia, some parts of the trail are plowed and some aren’t. Here’s the breakdown
  • Manayunk: Not plowed.
  • Kelly Drive: Always plowed
  • Schuylkill Banks (between  Fairmount Water Works and Locust St.): Always Plowed
  • Grays Ferry Crescent: Not plowed.

 Visit the Schuylkill River Trail Section for more information and updates.