Phillies Baseball Bike Tour

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Philadelphia, PA, US

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John in Butte

Gravel and MTB Rides around Montana, Mexico, and beyond!

531 km

2 961 m

This is a weeklong baseball-themed bike tour through PA and NJ, connecting the Philadelphia Phillies to 3 minor league teams in Reading (AA), Allentown (AAA), and Lakewood, NJ (A) along rail trails, canal towpaths, farm roads, sand roads, safe highways, and urban bike paths through an historic and industrious region.

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## Background

This is a baseball-themed bike tour through southeast Pennsylvania and south-central New Jersey, connecting the Philadelphia Phillies (MLB) to 3 minor league teams in Reading (AA), Allentown (AAA), and Lakewood, NJ (A). The route follows the generous network of bike paths, rail trails, and canal towpaths as much as possible, with periodic connections on farm roads, sandy trails, safe highways, and a sprinkling of urban adventure. Logistically it can be challening to catch a home game in each city, so check schedules and buy tickets in advance if you want to see all the games. The route was designed as a weeklong vacation based around the Philadelphia airport, and I was able to synch my ride with the week of Labor Day, which was optimal timing for baseball, weather, and the Jersey sweet corn harvest.

If Phillies baseball isn't your thing there are plenty of non-sporting attractions along the route, especially for the history buff. Within the perimeter of this loop you pass by national monuments, ancient trees, caves, and historic homesteads, along with the network of canal paths and railroads that supported the coal and steel industries of this region. There's also no shortage of great food to fuel the ride, including the famous cheesesteaks of Philly, farm-fresh fare in the Pennsylvania Dutch country, coal-fired pizzas, ocean-caught seafood, and the bounties of sweet corn and fruit from the Garden State itself. The tail end of the loop also passes through the geographically unique Pine Barrens of New Jersey, which create a defacto wilderness in the heart of the urban east coast, helping replenish the air and aquifers of this otherwise developed region.

My brother and I completed the route in 7 days, riding 35-76 miles per day with side trips for food, hotels, hosts, sight-seeing, and baseball games. We stayed at hotels, AirBnBs, and Warmshowers hosts, although limited camping is available if desired. Mileages shown reflect the shortest path, so be advised that actual mileage will typically be 10-15% higher with the necessary diversions. I rode a stout gravel bike with 2.25" tires, although a cyclocross bike with 38 mm tread could handle the route which is approximatley 60/40 pavement/gravel. The gravel portions range from  rooty single-track to wide manicured pathways, although the biggest hazard might be the massive chestnuts that can bounce you out of the saddle. I relied heavily on cycling heat maps for route planning through the pavement sections, and never felt threatened despite the reputation of east coast drivers. You will likely encounter a few construction-related diversions at some point (bridges out, culvert work on trails, etc.), so be prepared to re-route when necessary.

## The Route

The Phillies Baseball Bike Tour begins in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and home of the longest-lived sports team in the country. City Center is easily accessible from the PHL airport, and you'll find all resources to support the trip downtown, including bike shops or hosts to hold your bike boxes while out riding. Catch a game at @poi[Citizen's Bank Park](161198014) before you set out, which is an easy subway ride down Broad Street.

**Philadelphia to Reading - 80 miles (55 paved, 25 gravel)**

The route begins at @poi[Love Park](161198015), just across from the majestic City Hall. Bike lanes take you past a few iconic sights (including the inspiring @poi[Rocky statue](161198016)) before entering the popular Schuylkill River Trail. The SRT goes directly to Reading in ~65 miles, but this route includes a few side trips which add mileage and create a comfortable two-day ride. A short piece near Pottstown requires riding along road 724 @slice[(milepost 54-57)](d,87277.4,90846.9), however, this stretch experiences quite a bit of bike traffic and drivers were very courteous.

The first side trip takes you to @poi[PaperTrail Cafe](161198024), a bike/coffee shop housed in an historic building. Follow Forbidden Drive through Wissahickon Valley Park once you've topped off your tires and caffeine levels, then return to the SRT near Wissahocken Ski Hill. The next side trip (@slice[5-6 miles](d,41672.4,51152.2)) is a loop through Valley Forge National Historic Park, the winter encampment of the continental army in 1777-78, offering pleasant riding through open fields past historic structures and monuments. Do not miss the @poi[Pawling Sycamore](161198022) on the north side of the river, a massive specimen that escaped the army's axes and is now more than 300 years old. Another side option (@slice[4-5 miles](d,55791.8,61906.2)) takes you to the town of Audubon through the James Audubon Center and offers a small sampling of the Perkiomen Trail. Audubon also has great ice cream that makes the extra miles worth pedalling.

Reading, dubbed "Baseballtown", is home to @poi[First Energy Park](161198011) and the Phillies AA team the Fightin' Phils. First built in 1951, this classic stadium has housed the R-Phils since 1967, the longest minor league affiliation in baseball.

**Reading to Allentown - 65 Miles (40 paved, 25 gravel)**

Leaving Reading you'll enter verdant farmland and friendly backroads, peppered with quirky towns and attractions to keep your interest. @poi[Graffiti Bridge](161198033) and the trails of Ontelaunee Lake will brighten your morning, and make time for a 1-hr tour through @poi[Crystal Cave](161198008), one of the oldest show caves in PA. Continue through the hills of PA farm country until you reach Slatedale, the @slice[Slate Heritage Trail](d,202739,207642.8), and the town of Slatington, where you'll join the Delaware & Lehigh Trail. The D&L is part of the Delaware & Lehigh Canal National and State Heritage Corridor (DLNHC) which stretches from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol connecting the historic rail trails and canal paths of this industrious region. On this route you'll ride approximately 90 miles of the trail network beyond Slatington.

Take a leisurlely cruise down the D&L into Allentown, PA's third largest city, and catch a game at @poi[Coca-Cola Park](161198018), home of the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Depening on game schedules, one could ride directly from Reading the Allentown, but I split this section into two days due to game schedules, which also gave my legs a rest before the long stretches on the second half. New Tripoli makes a nice layover location with its historic hotel, food options, and charming BnBs.

**Allentown to Lakewood - 110 miles (40 paved, 70 gravel)**

Leaving Allentown you'll continue down the D&L past the @poi[steel stacks of Bethlehem](161198032). The route includes a short detour to the @poi[Canal Museum](161198004) in Easton, where you can learn the history and hydrology of this fascinating canal system. Easton and Philipsburg also offer excellent food options. Near the town of Frenchtown, the route joins the Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail (D&R) on the New Jersey side of the river. From here south, riders have the option of riding the PA or NJ side of the river. In general, we found the PA side to be a narrower than the NJ side, which was wider with faster riding.

The numerous small towns offer great food and coffee through this stretch, but the trail itself is the main attraction with dreamy riverside riding for miles. We broke up this section with an overnight stay in @point[Lambertville](d,320099.31), a quaint town that was home to my great uncle J. Clyde Henry, who was the minister at the Presbytarian Church from 1953-1978. Visiting this piece of family history was a nice side bar to the trip. The route crosses back into PA at New Hope so that riders can visit @poi[Washington Crossing Historic Park](161198031), where George and company crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day, 1776.

Continue down the D&R into Trenton, where you'll intersect urban bike lanes and pass the @poi[NJ State House](161198020). You'll wrap up the final piece of canal paths near Bordentown, then the route traverses the quiet farm country of the Garden State, passing the historic community of @poi[Walnford](161198030) onto a short stretch of the @slice[Union Transportation Trail](d,376048.1,379325.9). This area also touches the northern fringes of the Pinelands of New Jersey, characterized by thick pine forest and relentless sandy soils. A short stretch of this route (@slice[milepost 238-243](d,384108.3,391046.9)) utilizes one of the sand roads which may require you to hike-a-bike in the most stubborn parts, although this section could be avoided by taking paved roads through Archer's Corner. As you approach Lakewood you'll enter the suburban sprawl of the Jersey Shore. The route takes you into downtown Lakewood along a @slice[busy streth of Hwy 9](d,408415.8,413182.9), which offers the most lodging and food choices.

Lakewood is home to the Phillies single-A affiliate, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. Catch the last game of the trip at @poi[ShoreTown Ballpark](161198013), which has been home to the BlueClaws since 2001.

**Lakewood to Philadelphia - 75 miles (65 paved, 10 gravel)**

This final push brings you from Lakewood back into the urban environment of Philadelphia, but not without first passing through a unique part of the eastern US. You'll escape Lakewood via Hwy 70, which offers a comfortable shoulder despite high traffic, passing through the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. Also called the "Pinelands" or simply "the Pines", this million-acre preserve is the largest remaining example of the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barren ecosystems. The sandy soils of this area help replenish the Kirkwood–Cohansey aquifer which contains trillions of gallons of fresh water for consumption, agriculture, and industrial purposes throughout the northeast.

Roughly 20 miles out of Lakewood you'll take a scenic side-trip through the historic village of @poi[Whitesbog](161198019), an old cranberry farming community and the birthplace of the region's blueberry industry. Cruise past the cranberry bogs into Whitesbog, which has a general store that is seasonally open for thirsty travellers. Note that unfiltered well water may not be suitable for drinking in this area due to heavy tannins or agricultural impacts, so have a Coke instead. This @slice[boggy stretch](d,448544.8,461351) overlaps a portion of the [Jersey Devil Hunt](https://jerseydevilhunt.com/), a 170-mile bikepacking route that traverses the Pine Barrens from Trenton all the way to Atlantic City!

The route passes through a bit more forest and cranberry bogs before entering @slice[Sooy Place Road](d,463185.8,472729.8), which begins the long paved return to Philadelphia. The route joins the @slice[Cooper River Lake Trail](d,514118.5,520068) for a piece of nature near Camden, before crossing the Ben Franklin Bridge back into downtown Philadelphia. Close the loop at Love Park and grab a cheesesteak to celebrate the ride!

**Total Length - 330 miles (~200 paved, 130 gravel)**

Phillies Baseball Bike Tour

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