The Best Bike Trails for Kids Around NYC

Approximately an eon ago, I learned to ride a bike in the driveway of my family’s ranch-style house in Western Massachusetts. My son, a native New Yorker and apartment-dweller, will be learning to ride this spring in a much different environment. Below is a list of the best spots to ride bikes with kids in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester, Rockland, and Long Island. It’s where we’ll be spinning our wheels this year.

Where to Ride Bikes with Kids in Manhattan

Central Park

Generations of New York kids have mastered bike riding on Central Park’s paths. The city’s most famous park has several car-free loops, some of which take you past iconic sights like the Reservoir and Cleopatra’s Needle. Just remember that riding your bike on a pedestrian path below 95th Street is a no-no. Note too that routes are shared with skaters, walkers, runners, and horse carriages, so always be aware of where you’re riding and who you’re riding near, especially when riding with little ones.

Hudson Valley Greenway Trail

With the completion of the Empire State Trail in late 2020, it’s now possible to ride your bike—or stroll, skip, walk, wheel, skate, or jog—from the southern tip of Manhattan up to Buffalo or Vermont. All told, the Y-shaped trail is 750 miles of car-free perfection—the longest multi-use trail in the US. The off-the-road portion of the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail (the Y’s skinny base) runs 12½ miles up the west side of Manhattan along the Hudson River, from the Battery into Inwood Hill, where it meets the road and takes you into the Bronx and beyond.

Governors Island

The fun of Governors Island starts with the short ferry through New York Harbor to the island itself. Once there, you’ll find 7 miles of biking, every inch of which is car-free. Citi Bike maintains three docks on the island, or you can rent bikes and accessories—including scooters as well as balance, multi-rider surrey, and tag-along bikes—from Blazing Saddles. When (or if) you get tired of riding, head down the longest slide in the city (57 feet!). Though it’s currently closed for the season, Governors Island plans to reopen this spring (details haven’t been announced yet.)

Highbridge Park

Washington Heights’ Highbridge Park boasts the best mountain biking in Manhattan. Mountain biking? In Manhattan? Yes, and yes. The trails, which crisscross Fort George Hill, range from less difficult to expert level, so double-check the map (and be realistic about the skills of your young rider). Keep your eyes peeled for the white-footed mouse, which has evolved into a species that’s genetically distinct from other NYC mice.

Hudson River Park

Running 4 miles up Manhattan from Tribeca to Hell’s Kitchen, Hudson River Park has a dedicated, much-loved bike lane. In fact, this bike path is thought to be among the busiest in the US, so beginners might want to tool around one of the park’s piers rather than joining the cycling fray. It has lots of playgrounds, food stands, and public bathrooms too.

Where to Ride Bikes with Kids in Brooklyn

Shore Parkway Greenway 

This scenic trail offers stunning waterfront views from start to finish. Running parallel to the Belt Parkway, the family-friendly, 5-mile trail offers views of Coney Island, Fort Hamilton, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Fort Wadsworth, the Statue of Liberty, and One World Trade Center. 

Jamaica Bay Greenway

Ambitious riders can bike a complete circle around the 18-mile loop that makes up the Jamaica Bay trail alongside the Gateway National Recreation Area. Families looking to stop for a waterfront picnic will love this trail, which passes through the beachy areas of south Queens. The greenway begins at the entrance to Marine Park, Brooklyn and runs through Canarsie Park & Pier, Fresh Creek Park, Spring Creek Park, over the Addabbo Bridge, past the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, and down to the Rockaways boardwalk. 

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