PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If the extent of your outdoor exercise is a walk to the backyard or down the block, Montgomery County planners have an idea: take a short weekend hike on one of four trails for beginners.
The hikes were identified by planners as perfect for first-timers, and they’re being promoted by the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board.
“These trails are perfect for folks who want to travel with kids or people who maybe just want to go at a slower pace, enjoy some scenery and aren’t necessarily experienced and can get them started into hiking,” said Rachel Riley, a spokeswoman for the tourism group.
She said one of the easiest of the hikes is the 2.5 mile Audubon Loop Trail, which goes through the historic property of John James Audubon in the Oaks area of Montgomery County.
“The paved trail takes you through the home of the author and wildlife artist and then Lower Perkiomen Valley Park," she said.
Riley said if you want to extend the hike, that trail connects to the Schuylkill River Trail and the Perkiomen Trail, giving you the option to make a 6-mile loop.
She said another easy trail to consider is the 3-mile Cross County Trail.
“And it’s a spur off of the Schuylkill River Trail in Conshohocken that currently heads north for about 3 miles before ending in Plymouth Meeting,” Riley said. “But there are plans to extend that. They want that to pass through Fort Washington and Willow Grove.”
Riley said another easy walk is the Skippack Trail, which runs a little over 3 miles and is a paved trail just off the Perkiomen Trail.
She said it offers hikers a chance to explore the community of Skippack, or the nearby Evansburg State Park.
As to finding parking spots at the trail heads, Riley said that’s not an issue.
“Because so many of them connect to other trails or other parks, there are plenty of places to find parking so it’s really easily accessible for most folks,” she added.