Jump to a sectionCity paths, suburban trails and planning your outing
The best place for a bike ride isn’t necessarily the longest trail or the one with the most impressive photos. It’s somewhere that suits the people going with you, with a surface they’re comfortable on and a practical way to get back.
I’m not a cyclist myself, but many people in my family ride for fun and exercise. I’ve put this guide together from trail managers and public agencies, not from claiming to have ridden every route. The point is to make the choices easier to compare before you head out.
Philadelphia has riverfront paths and wooded routes within the city. Beyond it, there are rail-trails, a canal towpath and park routes worth considering for a separate day out. They aren’t all connected, paved or equally suitable for a casual ride.
Choose the kind of outing first
For a short city outing, start by looking at Schuylkill Banks or the Delaware River Trail. If you want woods and don’t mind gravel, look at Forbidden Drive. Outside the city, the Chester Valley Trail offers a paved option, while the Pennypack Trail’s Montgomery County section has crushed stone.
Those are starting points for planning, not a guarantee that a particular section is open or appropriate for every rider. The destination notes below link to the responsible organizations so you can check access, conditions and the route itself.
A simple out-and-back can make the first outing easier to manage. Decide where you’ll turn around before you set off. Remember that five miles away from your starting point means roughly ten miles of riding if you return the same way.
Schuylkill Banks: a city ride with river views
Schuylkill Banks is a place to look for an urban riverfront outing without committing to a long trip out of the city. Use the official access-point map to choose an entrance and a manageable section rather than entering “Schuylkill River Trail” into a map app and accepting whichever destination appears.
The Schuylkill Banks website has current information about the waterfront and its developing trail connections. Don’t assume every piece of a planned connection is already open.
If you want to continue toward Manayunk or farther upriver, use the Schuylkill River Greenways trail resources to check the specific sections. A regional trail name is not proof of uninterrupted pavement or a traffic-free route from your front door.
Delaware River Trail: waterfront stops on the other side of town
The Delaware River Trail follows Philadelphia’s Central Delaware waterfront. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation describes a 3.3-mile route between South Philadelphia and Penn Treaty Park, including interim sections. It also identifies a curb-separated asphalt bicycle path along part of the corridor.
This is worth considering if your outing is as much about spending time on the waterfront as covering distance. The official page links to the map and waterfront destinations, including Cherry Street Pier.
Check the exact segment you intend to use. Don’t read “waterfront trail” as a promise that every access point, crossing or connection is separated from traffic. Make room for other users and stop somewhere out of the way if you want to check directions or take a photo.
Forbidden Drive: woods and gravel in the Wissahickon
Forbidden Drive is the choice here for someone looking for a more wooded setting within Philadelphia. Friends of the Wissahickon describes it as a roughly five-mile gravel path along the creek, with easy grades. See its biking and activity guidance.
That surface makes it a different outing from a paved waterfront path. Check whether your bike and riding confidence suit gravel, and don’t treat the surrounding upper trails as interchangeable with Forbidden Drive.
You’ll share space with people on foot and horseback. Read the park’s rules and use only trails designated for bicycles. The park-conditions page is worth checking before a trip, particularly after bad weather or during construction.
Pennypack Trail: a Montgomery County option near the city
Be specific about which Pennypack route you mean. Montgomery County’s Pennypack Trail page describes a 6.2-mile crushed-stone trail from Rockledge Park north to County Line Road at the Bucks County border. That is not a description of every path in Philadelphia’s Pennypack Park.
The County page provides the trail map, permitted uses and crossing instructions. Follow signs and signals, including instructions to dismount at designated crossings. A rail-trail still requires attention where it meets roads or an active railway.
For someone starting around the northeastern suburbs, this is a route to investigate without automatically heading into Center City. Choose a permitted trailhead from the official map and check the County’s trail alerts before leaving. Don’t assume a bridge or access road is usable because an older map shows it.
Chester Valley Trail: pavement through Chester and Montgomery counties
The Chester County trail page describes an asphalt multi-use route with open sections in Chester and Montgomery counties and a connection to the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown.
The paved surface makes it a useful option to compare if someone in your group would rather avoid gravel. It’s still a shared route, not a private cycle track, and you’ll need to pay attention to crossings and signs.
For an access point to investigate, the County lists Exton Park at 132 Church Farm Lane, along with other official trailheads. Choose the entrance that fits your planned section and check notices before travelling. Extensions shown in planning documents aren’t necessarily open for riding.
Valley Forge: history, but don’t overlook the hills
Valley Forge National Historical Park offers a different kind of outing from a flat rail-trail. Its official trail map identifies the Joseph Plumb Martin Trail as a paved five-mile loop that connects historic sites. It also describes the route as hilly with limited shade.
That last detail matters if you’re planning for occasional riders. “Paved” doesn’t mean “easy,” and a shorter route can still be demanding.
The same map shows the Schuylkill River Trail section within the park and identifies which other trails allow bicycles. Choose your route from the map rather than assuming every walking path is open to riding. Check park alerts before making the trip.
Delaware Canal towpath: a Bucks County day out
For a canal-side outing, look at a section of the Delaware Canal towpath around places such as Washington Crossing or New Hope. Pennsylvania’s Delaware Canal State Park biking page describes the towpath corridor from Easton to Bristol and provides information about connections and permitted cycling.
You don’t need to turn the entire corridor into one ride. Choose a manageable section, a confirmed access point and a turnaround that works for your group.
Consult the state park’s current notices and maps for that section. Check surface conditions, access and any bridge arrangements rather than assuming that a suggested loop is currently passable. For a first visit, a straightforward out-and-back may require less coordination than crossing between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Ridley Creek State Park: a designated paved route in Delaware County
Ridley Creek gives Delaware County readers another place to investigate without heading into Philadelphia. DCNR’s biking page identifies the paved multi-use route along Sycamore Mills Road and Forge Road and lists the parking areas that provide access.
The distinction between that route and the park’s hiking trails is important: bikes are prohibited on Ridley Creek’s unpaved hiking trails. Use the biking map and posted signs rather than following any path that happens to look inviting.
Check the park page for current conditions and plan a distance that leaves everyone comfortable with the return. Don’t assume an entrance near another park attraction leads directly to the cycling route.
A few checks before any of these rides
Check the bike before you travel. NHTSA’s pre-ride checklist covers air, brakes and the chain, followed by a test ride. Bring a properly fitted helmet, water and a way to contact someone if plans change. Its bicycle-safety guide has more detail on visibility and riding predictably.
Look beyond the trail itself. How will you reach it from the parking lot or station? Does that connection involve traffic, steps or a hill? Where will you turn around? If you’re using an e-bike, check the rules for the specific park or trail; an event’s e-bike rules don’t automatically apply elsewhere.
For a transit-assisted trip, review SEPTA’s bicycle guidance and current service alerts. Don’t build a one-way ride around a train without checking the timetable, bicycle restrictions and what you’ll do if there’s no space.
If the event is what brought you here, the companion Philly Bike Ride 2026 Recap: Getting Ready for 2027 explains the past edition and the preparation questions to check for a future one.
If trail access matters in your next home
“Near the trail” can mean different things. A house may look close on a map but require an uncomfortable road crossing or a drive to reach an actual entrance. Check the route from the property, not just the straight-line distance.
If you’re comparing places to live around Philadelphia, tell me whether riding is an occasional weekend outing or something you want to fit into a regular routine. We can include practical trail access in the questions we investigate without assuming that proximity alone makes a location right for you.
This is a researched starting guide, not a firsthand route review, a live closure feed or a guarantee of safety or accessibility. Routes, permitted uses and access can change. Check the responsible trail manager and posted signs before riding. Sources checked October 19, 2026.
Photo credits and image details
These photographs were resized and converted to WebP for this website, with no crop or content changes. Source and license links are below. Dates describe the source photos, not current conditions or future events.
- SidewalkMD · CC BY-SA 4.0The Schuylkill River Trail and Center City, looking north from the South Street Bridge in October 2022. A location reference, not a current conditions report.
- Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0Valley Green Inn beside Forbidden Drive in October 2025. Check current park notices before choosing an entrance or route.
- Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0The Montgomery County Pennypack Trail at the former Huntingdon Valley station in June 2026.
- Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0The Delaware Canal and towpath in Solebury Township in June 2025. Check current closures and access for the section you intend to use.
- Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0A wooded section of Ridley Creek State Park’s multi-use trail in November 2025. This is not one of the park’s hiking-only paths.