The community garden at 25th and Spruce has about 70 plots. A few blocks south of it, the trail in Schuylkill River Park drops toward the South Street Bridge and keeps going. Two years ago, that was close to where an easy riverside walk ended. As of this fall, you can stay on a dedicated path from the park's dog runs all the way to a skatepark and fishing pier at Grays Ferry, with no traffic signal on the way.
From there, Bartram's Garden sits right across the water. The path still can't take you there, because the swing bridge built to close that gap hasn't opened. Everything else on the route from Fitler Square is already in place. The bridge is the last piece, and until it opens, getting to the garden means about 1.4 miles of riding or walking on city streets.
The off-road part is longer than most people think
Here's the trail heading south from the neighborhood, in the order you reach each piece. Each length comes from the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, the nonprofit that builds and runs Schuylkill Banks.
| Segment | Length | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Schuylkill River Park | Starting point | Fenced dog runs for small and large dogs, lawns, community garden, Markward Playground and O'Connor Pool |
| South Street to Christian | 1,400 feet | Connects to the Boardwalk and a stair tower up to the South Street Bridge |
| Christian to Crescent | 2,812 feet, about half a mile | 650-foot cable-stayed bridge, 34th Street ramp, tunnel into the Crescent |
| Grays Ferry Crescent | About three-quarters of a mile | 12.3 acres of meadow and lawn, three fishing spots, a skatepark |
The newest of these is the Christian-to-Crescent connector, which opened in May 2025. Before it opened, the trail south of Christian Street ended, and getting to the Crescent meant leaving the river. The City called it a $48-million project that added more than 2,800 feet of trail along with lighting, benches, trees and flowering perennials. There's seating and an overlook at each tower of the cable bridge, so it's a natural place to stop and turn around if you don't want to go all the way to the Crescent. SRDC says the connector's trail lighting is there for nighttime use and safety, which helps once the clocks change.
Once you're through the tunnel, you're at Grays Ferry Crescent. Its finished build includes more than 4,000 feet of bike and pedestrian trail, another 2,171 feet of walking paths, native meadows and riverfront plazas. The Grays Ferry Fishing Pier was once an abandoned fire-protection pier, and the 34th Street switchback ramp on the west side is the closest trail access to it.
All of that is continuous, off-road riverfront that starts a short walk from Fitler Square. It ends at the Crescent's southern tip, and Bartram's Garden is on the opposite bank.
The 1.4 miles that the bridge will replace
Until the new bridge opens, SRDC sends trail users over the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge. Here's the posted route:
- Start at the Grays Ferry Avenue access point and cross the bridge using the bike lanes on its south side.
- Turn left at the first light onto Paschall Avenue.
- Turn left at the next intersection onto 49th Street.
- Follow 49th Street as it curves right and becomes Grays Avenue, which has bike lanes.
- Where Grays Avenue splits, bear slightly left onto Lindbergh Boulevard.
- Turn left onto the Bartram's Garden driveway, Harley Avenue, at 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, and continue to the looped parking lot at the end.
For the trip home, the route runs in reverse. Coming off the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge, turn right onto the trail just before the light at the FedEx parking lot. SRDC puts the route at about 1.4 miles in each direction.
The distance is easy. The difference is that this stretch is on streets with traffic signals, while the rest of the way from Spruce Street is a dedicated path. If you're on foot or riding with kids, plan your day around this section.
Why the bridge missed summer
The new crossing is a working swing bridge. It sits on the site of an old railroad crossing just south of the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge, and it's meant to meet ADA requirements. PhillyVoice reported in July 2025 that the span rotates horizontally around a vertical axis to let boats through. The same report put the Streets Department's original construction contract at $15 million, with the final total still being worked out after cost increases.
The timeline has already moved once:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| July 15, 2025 | First truss section set into place |
| July 18, 2025 | Last truss section set; work moves to joining sections and pouring the deck |
| May 15, 2026 | Bicycle Coalition reports the Streets Department announced a summer opening, after supply-chain and structural-design delays |
| June 18, 2026 | Accent lighting installed on the truss |
| As of mid-October 2026 | SRDC lists the bridge as under construction, with a projected opening in fall 2026 |
SRDC hasn't posted an opening date. Before you head out, check the Schuylkill Crossing project page to see whether the detour still applies.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia explains why such a short span matters. There are nearly 15 miles of existing Circuit Trails west of the bridge and 25 miles to the east and north of it in Philadelphia. When the bridge opens, it will connect them into one continuous multi-use trail from Bartram's Garden to Manayunk. PhillyVoice reported that it will also extend the Schuylkill River Trail another 1.5 miles south, nearly to 61st Street. For Fitler Square, the trail by Schuylkill River Park would then be about midway along a single unbroken route, with Bartram's Garden at one end and Manayunk at the other.
What's waiting at Bartram's Garden as November starts
If you make the trip this season, plan around the garden's late-fall schedule, which starts November 1.
- Grounds: free and open to pedestrians daily from sunrise to sunset.
- Vehicle gates: open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through October 31, then 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting November 1. Gates close on city holidays.
- Welcome Center: open Thursday through Monday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., through the first weekend in December. It sells snacks and drinks and is closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thanksgiving and the day after.
- Restrooms: open daily 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through the first weekend in December, closed November 26 and 27.
Thursday is the best day for the ride. The Sankofa Farm Stand sets up at the Welcome Center every Thursday through November. On publication day, Thursday, October 29, the garden's free We Walk PHL group holds the last session of its fall series, 5 to 6 p.m. If you'd like to help out, Bartram's lists a Horticulture Volunteer Day for Saturday, October 31, at 9:30 a.m.
You can keep going past the garden on Bartram's Mile, the trail segment on the west bank, where you'll pass the Newkirk Viaduct Monument and the 56th Street Plaza. The garden's free boating program ended its 2026 season on September 26. The dock is still public, though, and anyone can launch a non-motorized boat from one of its three accessible launches without a permit, as long as they carry it in.
Back at the north end of the route
Things are quieter at the Fitler Square end of the trail now too. The Schuylkill River Park Farmers Market finished its 2026 season on Sunday, October 25. The Friends of Schuylkill River Park Tuesday T'ai Chi fall session runs through November 24. The dog runs and lawns stay open, and the trail south of the park now goes all the way to Grays Ferry. If you're new to the area, our Fitler Square neighborhood guide covers the blocks between the park and the river.
When the swing bridge does open, the street detour goes away and the path from Spruce Street reaches the garden without leaving the river. Until then, you can ride out to the Crescent, take the six turns over the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge, and still be at the Bartram's Garden farm stand on Thursday.
How close a home sits to the trail can be a big part of what makes Fitler Square appealing. If you're wondering how riverfront access figures into what your place is worth, or you want to look at homes within walking distance of Schuylkill River Park, Connor Gorman Real Estate can help. Start with a free home valuation or a quick conversation.
