Our family loves biking and we are in a hunt for an awesome trail. Funny enough we haven’t heard of schuylkill river trail until recently even though it’s only 23 miles away.
Little did we know what a gem this whole trail is. It’s a paved loop trail that stretches 7.8 miles and the best part is it’s flat and has most epic views.
If you’re looking for a flat biking trail that doesn’t have uphills then you should check out Schuylkill Trail. We love the historic vibe along the river and how easy it is to bike, especially having our toddler.
We started our day early and arrived at Lloyd Hall parking lot. It’s a free parking and located near the bathroom facilities. There’s a shaded bench where we ate our breakfast before starting to bike.
It’s also free to access the park, making it perfect for an activity that the whole family will enjoy. Make sure to bring or pack your food as there are no nearby food stalls without leaving the park.
The trail we followed is about 8 miles that looped back to Lloyd Hall parking lot. It took us about 2 hours to complete due to stopping and having snacks.
It starts at Lloyd Hall Parking and turned around at Falls Bridge which then followed the MLK Drive trail. At the time the trail is closed so we have to take the Sweetbriar Dr to Gerard Avenue in order to get back to Lloyd Hall.
As of May 2025, the trail is now open, allowing you to continue biking to Grays Ferry Crescent. We will definitely come back late Spring to check that out.
Our Gear Setup
We have two adult bikes, and my husband has the toddler/baby bike seat attached to it. We had it since he was 1 year old, and to our surprise, he still fits in it, even though he’s currently three now.
What we love about this particular bike seat is that it’s front carrier so he can see everything as we stroll. He enjoys it so much! He even falls asleep on it and we never had an issue. He uses a baby bike helmet for toddler.
What We Pack
We brought toddler-friendly snacks, such as grapes and veggie sticks, along with plenty of water. We also packed electrolyte drinks to keep us hydrated.
The weather was pretty comfortable and perfect for biking but it got really sunny around 12 noon. Biking keeps the air breeze but you would still need a sunscreen as there are no shades from time to time.
How to Make it Toddler-Friendly
- We have been on plenty of bike rides before, so our toddler is pretty good with long stretches of biking, but we usually make a pit stop to snack and have him walk around for a good 5-15 minutes
- We like to point and make a big deal of something cool he normally don’t see like a train or construction site to see excavator in action. Wild animals like wawa or ducks are also a hit.
- He likes to sing-along so we make sure to sing his favorite songs like wheels on the bus while biking
- Snacking along or drinking cold drinks to keep things interesting and refreshing
- He sometimes like to put his hands on the bike as if he’s the one driving it. This keeps him excited and also frustrates my husband! 😊
We had an awesome time going here and felt like we missed out all these years.
We also continued our biking through the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk which is a MUST stop. It’s only about 2 miles and have the best view of Philadelphia
It was a pretty long day so my toddler got tired and can’t help but to nap at the end. It was okay because we are close to the parking lot so he was able to continue napping in the car.
Tips for Moms New to Family Biking
Start short and stay close to home. Always prioritize comfort versus mileage. If your toddler is showing sign of meltdown then it’s probably best to turn around and try it for another day. Don’t stress if it’s chaotic! just laugh and snap a lot of photo and try again. 😄
If you plan on doing this trail this weekend or any other special occasions you have in the future. Please take a picture and tag me on Instagram @livelovenurture
I would love to see how your setup is and what your day look like.