Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Philadelphia area

FULL PAGE MAP

Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is located in the southeastern part of the State of Pennsylvania. The historic city is situated on the Delaware River across from New Jersey and has numerous attractions for residents and visitors alike. The city has over 215 miles of recreational trails for exercise, sight-seeing and enjoying the great outdoors.

Schuylkill River Trail

The Schuylkill River Trail is a system of trail segments that follow the Schuylkill River from Downtown Philadelphia to a point  6 miles southeast of Pottsdale. The trail is situated on both banks of the river in the area of Fairview Park and West Fairview Park. The paved trail goes past many historical points of interests, entertainment venues and museums. These points of interest include: Fairmount Park Athletic Field, Mt. Vernon Cemetery, Historic Strawberry Mansion, Dell Music Center, Centennial Arboretum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Read more about the Schuylkill River Trail

Wissahickon Valley Park Trails

Wissahickon Valley Park is located just north of the Schuykill River forming a natural area along Wissahickon Creek. The park has an area of over 1,800 acres making it one of the largest park systems in the world. Within the forested park there are numerous hiking trails. Visitors can see waterfalls along the river, beautiful stone arches for the roadways passing overhead, abundant local flora and fauna and historic colonial homesteads. It is a wonderful place for birdwatching and the creek is stocked for fishing.

Most of the trails in Wissahickon Valley Park are dirt paths and some trails are open to mountain biking. A paved pathway takes off from the Schuylkill River Trail at Ridge Avenue and Lincoln Drive. The pathway heads to the northeast as far as Wissahickon Avenue. Many of the hiking trails in the park can be accessed from this path.

Forbidden Drive is a 5-mile long wide and unpaved pathway that leads from the paved pathway on the southeast end of the park and wanders through the park alongside the creek to the northwest end at W. Northwestern Avenue. Forbidden Drive is closed to traffic and provides a great way to see many of the prettiest areas in the park.

Pennypack Trail

The Pennypack Trail is a 5.4-mile long unpaved pathway that goes through Huntingdon Valley to the northeast of Philadelphia. The trail goes through the thickly forested areas of Pennypack Trust and Lorimer Park. 

The north end of the trail is located at ByBerry Road and Reading Way in Huntington Valley. The south end of the trail is located at Rockledge Park, just south of Shady Lane in Rockledge.

Pennypack Park Trail

The Pennypack Park Trail is a 6.7-mile long pathway that follows the creek through Pennypack Park between Pine Road and Torresdale Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. The northwest end of the Pennypack Park Trail is located just off of Pine Road in Philadelphia. The trail goes past Ed Kelly Amphitheater, Father Judge High School and the Echo Chamber under Welsh Road Bridge. The southeast end is located at Torredale Avenue near Enfield Avenue.

Valley Forge National Historic Park Trails

The Valley Forge National Historic Park is located at Highway 422 and Interstate 76. There are many walking paths in the park that tour the historic setting. Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The Joseph Plumb Martin Trail is an 8.7-mile long paved pathway that wraps around the park and connects several of the historic sites. There are 18.2 miles of authorized bike trails within the park. You can also hike up to the top of Mt. Joy on the hilly wooded trail.

Valley Forge National Historic Park is located just south of the Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Trail. There is a narrow pedestrian path alongside the bridge for Highway 422 to cross the river.

Perkiomen Trail

The Perkiomen Trail is a 20-mile long paved path that follows alongside Perkiomen Creek from Oaks to Green Lane Borough. The trail connects to the Schuylkill River Trail on the south side of the community of Oaks, just west of Highway 422. It also connects to the Audubon Loop Trail in the same area.

The Perkiomen Trail goes through Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, Audubon, Arcola, Yerks, Collegville, Graterford, Schwenksville, Spring Mountain, Safford and Perkiomenville.

The north end of the Perkiomen Trail is at Upper Ridge Road east of Gravel Pike in Perkiomenville.

Chester Valley Trail

The Chester Valley Trail is a 14.5-mile long paved pathway that spans between Exton and King of Prussia on the eastern side of the Philadelphia metro area.

Read more about the Chester Valley Trail

---

Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.