How we score trails
The Family Trail Guide is for parents biking with young kids. We give every bike path a kid score out of 100, based on what matters most on a family ride: a smooth surface, distance from cars, and a playground, restroom and parking close by.
The kid score
Smooth surface: up to 40 points
The share of the trail that's asphalt, concrete, pavers or fine gravel. Dirt, loose gravel and other unpaved surfaces don't count.
Away from cars: up to 40 points
The share of the trail that's separated from traffic. Off-street paths count. A path along a street counts only if there's a physical barrier between it and the cars, like flexible posts, a curb or a median. Painted lines alone don't count.
Close by: up to 20 points
Points for having each of these within half a mile of the trail:
- A playground: 8 points
- A public restroom: 6 points
- Public parking: 6 points
Restrooms inside buildings like airports, offices and stadiums, and places marked private or for customers only, don't count.
Which trails are listed
- Trails scoring 70 or higher are listed as kid-friendly.
- A city is published once it has at least 5 kid-friendly trails.
- Trails shorter than 0.5 miles are left out.
- A trail in a city includes its stretches up to 1 mile past the city line, because families don't stop at the border.
Trails we can't score yet
If the surface isn't recorded for more than 5% of a trail inside the city, we can't tell how smooth it is, so we list it separately without a score. Many of these trails are still good for kids. Check before you go.
Where the data comes from
All trail and amenity data comes from OpenStreetMap, a free map of the world built by volunteers. If something is missing or wrong, anyone can fix it there, and the fix shows up here the next time we update. Each city page shows the date of its data. Conditions change, so check closures and construction before you ride.
Disclaimer
PedalKin is for general information only. Trail scores are calculated automatically from OpenStreetMap, a map made by volunteers, and may be incomplete, out of date or wrong. A high score doesn't mean a trail is safe for your child. Trail surfaces, traffic, construction, weather and closures change, and amenities may be closed, private or not as described.
You're responsible for deciding whether a trail is right for your family and for riding safely. We make no promises about the accuracy of this information and aren't responsible for any loss or injury from using it.