Bartram’s Mile Trail
Travel the length of the Garden!
The Bartram’s Mile Trail, a 1.55-mile paved path, stretches through the Garden and extends south along the river. It’s perfect for walking, running, riding your bike, or finding a spot to fish. Depending on your pace, it takes about 35 minutes to walk the full length – and you’ll see many different sections of the Garden as you go!
The Bartram’s Mile Trail is a portion of the Schuylkill River Trail, maintained in partnership with the Schuylkill River Development Corporation.
Free Biking
Fridays and Saturdays
April to November 2022
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is hosting FREE biking days at Bartram’s Garden through the end of November. Come ride the Bartram’s Mile trail!
Check our calendar for all upcoming biking opportunities. Programs may be canceled in the event of inclement weather. Please register in advance for all biking activities.
Weekly Youth Bike Fridays
Every Friday, 3–6 pm
Free bike rentals are available to minors with the accompaniment of a guardian or with a signed waiver. Come by for free bike loans, simple repairs, tips, and tricks! Snacks provided!
Weekly Open Bike Shop
Every Saturday, 10 am–2 pm
Free walk-up bike rentals and support for simple repairs like flat tires, chains, and brake adjustments.
Monthly Adult Learn-to-Ride Classes (Ages 16+)
1st Saturday of the month, 10 am
This 2-hour class teaches participants how to ride a bicycle. This class is perfect for those who have never ridden a bike or who may need a refresher course! Staff and volunteers will teach participants how to balance, pedal, start and stop, and steer and shift gears. You can bring your own bike and helmet or rent a bike and helmet for free at the class.
Monthly Kids' Learn-to-Ride Classes (Ages 4-16)
3rd Saturday of the month, 10 am
This 2-hour class teaches participants how to ride a bicycle. This class is perfect for those who have never ridden a bike or who may need a refresher course! Staff and volunteers will teach participants how to balance, pedal, start and stop, and steer and shift gears. You can bring your own bike and helmet or rent a bike and helmet for free at the class.
Monthly Beginner Bike Tour of Bartram's Mile with Urban Riding Basics
2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, 10 am
Join us for a slow-paced, beginner ride highlighting Bartram’s Mile Trail. The ride will make a few stops, including a short info session about how to properly wear a helmet, use basic hand signals, and an overview of the trail. You can bring your own bike and helmet or rent a bike and helmet for free at the class. Various levels of experience are welcome on the tour and no one will be left behind, but participants should have some basic riding knowledge. For those with no biking experience, check out the Learn-to-Ride classes for kids (ages 4–16) or adults (ages 16+)!
Beginner Bike Maintenance: How to Fix a Flat
2nd and 4th Saturday, 12:30 pm
Want to take your biking to the next level? In this 1-hour, hands-on class, you can get practice on how to fix a flat, patch, and make a repair.
What’s along the trail?
North Mile: 51st Street to Swing Bridge
This northern section of the Bartram’s Mile Trail extends from 51st Street to the future site of the Schuylkill Crossing Swing Bridge, which will connect the trail to Grays Ferry Crescent Park for pedestrians and cyclists. The North Mile is mostly flat and includes both a riverfront segment as well as a portion moving through previously industrialized land.
The future swing bridge marks the approximate western landing of the historic Gray’s Ferry: a river ferry operated by George Gray that served as the primary river crossing in the 1700s. In the early 1780s this site also housed a famous tavern, the Gray’s Ferry Tavern and Garden, known as America’s first public pleasure park, with bowers, grottoes, waterfalls, and other attractions.
The North Mile holds other reminders of the river: an old fishing pier will soon be restored by the Schuylkill River Development Corporation for public fishing access. Enjoy a picnic or a quiet moment in one of the river rooms, boat-shaped wooden overlooks, designed by artist Stacy Levy.
A 15-foot obelisk, the Newkirk Monument, anchors the north end of the Bartram’s Mile Trail. The monument was built in 1839 to celebrate the completion of the first railroad south from Philadelphia.
The land beneath the northern section of the trail was originally two high rocky hills, which were cut down in the mid-1800s to make way for the Pennsylvania Railroad. If you stand at the Newkirk Monument and look west, beyond the railroad, you can see that the houses around Grays Ferry Avenue and 49th Street are at a much higher level—the same height the cliffs once were. Out on a boat, you can still see the lower half of the two cliffs below the water.
The North Mile also includes the future home of the Concrete Cowboys stable. This partner program teaches Southwest Philadelphia students to ride and care for horses. Their program inspires the next generation of the city’s Black cowboys to build skills and confidence.
South Mile: 56th Street to 61st Street
Accessible from the 56th Street Plaza, this segment of the trail runs south along the river to 61st Street, extending about half a mile from the Garden’s southern border. Enjoy a beautiful overlook onto the Tidal Schuylkill, or check out the fishing plaza.
