PedalKın

Kid-friendly bike paths in Traverse City, MI

Each trail gets a kid score out of 100 for a smooth surface, staying away from cars, and having a playground, restroom and parking within half a mile. How we score trails

Scores are based on OpenStreetMap data and may be out of date or wrong. Always check trail conditions, closures and your child's readiness before you ride. Disclaimer

All trails on the map

Tap a trail for its name and score.

Best trails for kids

Mall Trail

100

2.1 mi · 100% smooth surface · 100% away from cars

  • Playground along the trail
  • Restroom 0.4 mi away
  • Parking along the trail
See it on the map

Buffalo Ridge Trail

93

2.3 mi · 97% smooth surface · 86% away from cars

  • Playground along the trail
  • Restroom 0.2 mi away
  • Parking along the trail
See it on the map

Traverse Area Recreational Trail

85

6.8 mi · 100% smooth surface · 62% away from cars

  • Playground along the trail
  • Restroom along the trail
  • Parking along the trail
See it on the map

Trails we can't score yet

OpenStreetMap doesn't record the surface for more than 5% of these trails, so we can't say how smooth they are. Some may be great for kids. Check before you go.

Boardman Lake Trail

?

5.9 mi · 94% away from cars

  • Playground 0.1 mi away
  • Restroom along the trail
  • Parking along the trail
See it on the map

Questions parents ask

What are the best bike trails for kids in Traverse City?

The top-scoring kid-friendly bike trails in Traverse City are Mall Trail (100 out of 100), Buffalo Ridge Trail (93 out of 100) and Traverse Area Recreational Trail (85 out of 100). 3 trails score 70 or higher.

Mall Trail · Buffalo Ridge Trail · Traverse Area Recreational Trail

Which kid-friendly bike trails in Traverse City have restrooms?

These trails have restrooms right along the trail: Traverse Area Recreational Trail.

Traverse Area Recreational Trail

Which kid-friendly bike trails in Traverse City have playgrounds?

These trails have playgrounds right along the trail: Mall Trail, Buffalo Ridge Trail and Traverse Area Recreational Trail.

Mall Trail · Buffalo Ridge Trail · Traverse Area Recreational Trail

What's the longest kid-friendly bike trail in Traverse City?

Traverse Area Recreational Trail is the longest, at 6.8 miles, with a kid score of 85 out of 100.

Traverse Area Recreational Trail

How are the trails scored?

Each trail gets up to 40 points for a smooth surface, 40 for staying away from cars, and 20 for a playground, restroom and parking within half a mile. The data comes from OpenStreetMap.

How we score trails

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Trail data from OpenStreetMap as of 2026-10-30.