Outdoors
Kernsville Dam Recreational Area · Hamburg, PA
A 252-acre state-owned wilderness and wetland preserve along two miles of the scenic Schuylkill River just northwest of Hamburg — and the trailhead for the John Bartram Trail. Stewarded by the all-volunteer nonprofit Blue Mountain Wildlife.
Known locally as "the Kerny," Kernsville Dam Recreation Area is 252 acres of wilderness and wetlands stretching two miles along the scenic Schuylkill River just northwest of Hamburg. The state-owned land is managed by Blue Mountain Wildlife, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed in 2001 to prevent development and restore the site — before then, parts had been used for motocross or as dumps.
It is a day-use recreation area and the trailhead for the John Bartram Trail, a 9.6-mile segment of the Schuylkill River Trail. The southern portion has over a mile of walking and biking paths, many running right along the river. Visitors come to fish, kayak, hike, and bike, and it is one of the best birdwatching spots in Berks County. The corridor has been a transportation route since pre-Colonial times — foot, canal, rail, and road traffic for over 200 years — and the New Kernsville Dam was built in 1949 to capture coal silt from upstream mining.
Plans for the area: The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection plans to remove the New Kernsville Dam and return the river to a more natural state — reopening fish migration (shad and other species), turning roughly 40–50 acres of reservoir back into forest, meadow, and wetland, reducing safety and liability concerns, and potentially repurposing the area as a state park. The dam was closed in 2016 and the dredging-and-removal project is under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review. Separately, Blue Mountain Wildlife's 2026 Master Plan lays out 22 improvements — better trails and connections, invasive-species eradication, native-species protection, and watercraft access — with possible adoption at the group's 25th Anniversary Open House on June 27, 2026.
Hours
| Mon | 5 AM–10 PM |
|---|---|
| Tue | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Wed | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Thu | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Fri | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Sat | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Sun | 5 AM–10 PM |
Hours can change. Ask Hey Hamburg to check before you head out.
Details
- Address
- 25 Kernsville Dam Road, Hamburg, PA 19526
- Website
- bluemountainwildlife.com