Jet skis are personal recreational watercraft that enable one or two people to ride, often at high speeds, across the surface of a lake, river or ocean. Users can race them in competitions or perform various tricks and jumps. While two rivers—the Schuylkill and the Delaware—border Philadelphia, only the Delaware permits jet skiing. However, there area a few nearby waterways that also allow individuals to indulge in this leisure activity.
The Delaware River forms Philadelphia’s border to the South and East, and also separates Philadelphia from the neighboring city of Camden, New Jersey. About one-hundred miles south of Philadelphia, the Delaware River connects to the Atlantic Ocean. Many ships, both commercial and private, dock at Penn’s Landing, whose Maritime Museum also serves as a popular destination for tourists. The Philadelphia Spirit anchors here, and provides tours up and down the Delaware.
Croydon, Pennsylvania’s Neshaminy State Park provides jet ski enthusiasts with a launch into the Delaware River at the park’s marina, and also offers picnic tables and recreational activities in the park’s 339 acres of land. Guests can also engage in fishing and hiking or go swimming in an in-ground pool.
Lake Nockamixon sits in nearby Bucks County, a half-hour drive northwest of Philadelphia. The 1,450 acre lake complements a 5,283 acre park of rolling hills, forests and fields that offer birding, fishing, picnicking, hunting, trapping and swimming in an in-ground pool. Trails for horses, bicycles and pedestrians offer hiking across 22 miles worth of winding paths. Guests can race jet skis across the lake by launching at one of four docks, all of which remain open 24 hours a day. Cabins and a campground provide lodging if you want to stay overnight.
Marsh Creek State Park permits individuals to launch electric powered jet skis from one of two docks and ride them across its 535 acre lake. This 1,705 acre park sits in Chester County, about a twenty-five minute drive southeast of Philadelphia. Guests can lounge by the pool or lake, hike or ride horseback through trails, fish, sail or during licensed season, hunt in the designated areas. The park does not provide campgrounds for overnight stays.
