schuylkill river, lock 60
Beginning with the construction of a canal system, the Schuylkill became the most worked-over river in the country. Opening in 1825, the Schuylkill Navigation Company carried coal to Philadelphia. Utilizing an extensive system of 92 dams and locks to make 108 miles of the river navigable, the Navigation Company brought the industrial age to the region. All that is left now are the dams, a few short canal stretches, and the locks’ ruins. The restored lock, lock keepers house, and a couple of miles of the canal below lock 60 provide a glimpse of what this system must have been like. Most of the system was filled in as part of a river reclamation project in the 1950s.
The paddler can launch into the river near Lock 60, just below the Black Rock Dam, ride the current downstream for two miles, portage to the canal, and paddle back to the lock in still water. The portage spot is an electric wire right of way and is easy to anticipate. There is also a roughly painted sign, “PORTAGE SCA.” It is a 220-yard carry, so a set of wheels might be handy.
April 2022
Before you go
- Launch into the Schuylkill from the lower parking lot at Lock 60
- There is no charge for the use of the boat ramp.
- There are porta-potties in the park.
- The portage is two miles downriver and is an electric wire right of way.
