Explore the Hidden River by Kayak 

Join Hidden River Outfitters for its second season of guided kayak tours along the Schuylkill River in Manayunk.  Tours leave from and return to the Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant at 4120 Main Street. Begin the tour with paddling instruction then head out to explore this hidden stretch of water, an interesting juxtaposition of urban and natural environments.  Finish off your adventure with a delicious meal at the Brewery. Cost is $50/person which includes equipment rental, instruction, tour and meal. Limited space with registration on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Contact Gwen Cohen, The Schuylkill Project, to reserve your space (215) 482-9565, ext. 204, or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .   

The communities of East Falls and Manayunk are neighbors along the banks of the upper Schuylkill River.  While both communities came to be because of the river, today the river lives up to its Dutch name, “Schuylkill”, meaning “Hidden River”.  Access to the river can be difficult whether it means physically getting to the river or connecting with opportunities for river-based recreation and education.  In Manayunk, the community faces away from the river with buildings obscuring it.  In East Falls, the river is visible yet difficult to get to. With the start of a new undertaking, dubbed “The Schuylkill Project”, these neighborhoods are poised to begin a new chapter in realizing the river’s potential. 

The goal of the Schuylkill Project is to not only revitalize the waterfronts, but to better connect the communities to the river by bringing people to the waterfront and providing opportunities for recreation and education.  The river is important not only for the quality of life of our neighborhoods but also for its economic impact on commercial districts.  Businesses have the opportunity to connect with the river by providing services that compliment and promote its uses.  The project will demonstrate the importance of the river and all of the opportunities it presents to our neighborhoods. 

The Schuylkill Project has been made possible primarily through a grant from the William Penn Foundation.  The grant will fund a two year effort to increase involvement, stewardship and commitment to the riverfront from East Falls through Manayunk.   It is the result of a study conducted in the summer of 2005, which included a listening campaign to understand public interest surrounding the river.  The study found significant excitement and interest in seeing the river and waterfront better serve the community.  Based on this research, the Schuylkill Project proposes a combination of planning, programming and seed money for small river access projects.  The planning will include physical planning as well as long-term management and maintenance.  Programming will include research and development of programming and activities including the development of a website. 

The project is a collaboration of the East Falls and Manayunk Development Corporations, along with the Delaware Estuary, the Schuylkill River Greenway, the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, the Philadelphia Water Department, Lower Merion Planning Commission and Fairmount Park. 

The project is funded in part through a grant from the William Penn Foundation. The foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that foster rich cultural expression, strengthen children’s futures, and deepen connections to nature and community.  In partnership with others, the Foundation works to advance a vital, just and caring community.  Learn more about the Foundation online at www.williampennfoundation.org.