The last roadblock on the Schuylkill River Trail was moved out of the way last week, just in time for a stampede of attention unleashed by USA Today’s designation of the 26-mile stretch from Phoenixville to Philadelphia as the best urban trail in America.

“Summer is the perfect season go get active in the great outdoors, and thanks to an ever-growing network of urban recreational trails, staying active this season is easier than ever!” the USA Today article stated.

The 200-year-old Schuylkill River Trail, first trodden by mules pulling canal boats between Schuylkill County’s coal mines and Philadelphia in the early 1800s, recently reopened a 1.5-mile Montgomery County link with a new pedestrian bridge, a Route 29 underpass, restoration of the historic 8-foot-wide gravel trail, a new red bridge, riverbank stabilization and canal dredging, according to a report on Main Line Media News.

“In the weeks, months and years to come, thousands will spend an enjoyable day along the canal fishing, bird watching, picnicking, walking or riding their bike on the tow path or paddling the most unique 5-mile waterway loop in the Philadelphia area,” Commissioner Bruce L. Castor, Jr. said in the article.

Read much more about the history and the two-phase, $1.73 million restoration project along the Schuylkill River Trail on Main Line Media News here.