Planning Our First Bikepacking Adventure
A few months after starting our Nomadic Bike Philly cycling group and our weekly Bike & Coffee ride from South Philly to Manayunk, we finally decided to try our first bikepacking trip. Cycling Philadelphia trails on a multi-day adventure felt like the natural next step for our group.
Our friends Marry and Dani suggested Green Lane Park Campground, located about 45 miles from Philly. The best part was that the entire route ran along a cycling trail, mixing both the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) and the Perkiomen Trail.
Setting Off from South Philly
Saturday morning, we met in front of the Bok Building in South Philly, where we checked our bikes. Some of our friends couldn’t join the full camping trip, so they decided to ride with us for part of the way instead. Others drove straight to the campground and were generous enough to handle transporting the groceries.
A Coffee Break in Manayunk
Our first stop was Artisano Café in Manayunk, where we waited for our friend Rae, who was joining us from North Philly. Honestly, it was a fairly long break, but personally, taking it easy and enjoying conversation with friends during our stops is my favorite part of long trips.
Valley Forge and a Farewell
About 20 miles outside Philly is the historic Valley Forge Park, where we stopped to refill our water bottles and grab some snacks. It was also time to say goodbye to Sharrod and Michael, who needed to head back to Philly. We’d highly recommend a day trip to Valley Forge in the King of Prussia area if you want to enjoy the SRT without committing to a longer ride.
The Phoenixville Detour and a Lucky Lunch
Phoenixville is another beautiful, lively town, and a few of us chose to take a detour there, adding 15 miles to the 45-mile ride to Green Lane Park so we could explore the town and grab some amazing Indian food. To our surprise, after a long ride and a few suburban uphill climbs, the restaurant wasn’t yet serving food. Understandably shocked (and starving), we asked, and one of the employees checked with her boss to see if they could make something for us. While we waited, she brought us free mango lassis. A few minutes later, she came back and said they’d prepare a meal for us after all. We couldn’t have been happier, especially after that detour — it turned out to be a huge spread: tikka masala, naan bread, lentils, curry, and more.
After lunch, we kept cycling along the Perkiomen Trail, which turned out to be one of the most beautiful stretches of the whole trip.
Arriving at Green Lane Park
We finally reached our destination after a total of 60 miles of riding, including the Phoenixville detour. We were thrilled to reunite with the friends who’d driven to the park, and it was time to enjoy good company, delicious food, and a bonfire. Our friend Bryan took care of dinner, starting with a Thai chicken curry and following it up with a peach cobbler for dessert. It was one of the best camping experiences we’ve had, especially since it was Nomadic Bike Philly’s first bikepacking trip together.
After a long night of sharing stories and laughter, a warm shower, and great food, it was finally time to rest.
The Ride Back to Philadelphia
The next morning, we had Tunisian-style shakshuka for breakfast, along with cinnamon rolls made by our friend Sam. Then it was time to cycle back to Philadelphia — this time a shorter, 45-mile ride with no detours. Almost back in Philly, we took one more break: Tom, Sam, and Warren grabbed pizza in Manayunk, while Eyal and I stopped for Vietnamese pho at Pho Today on Washington Street in South Philly. There couldn’t have been a better way to end this amazing weekend of cycling Philadelphia and its surrounding trails.
