Central Park’s drives with a stroller

Central Park might be the most famous stroller walk in the world, and for good reason. The drives are wide, paved and car-free, and you can make your walk almost any length. Here’s how to choose a loop, skip the hills if you want to and find a bathroom when you need one.

The park drives circle the inside of Central Park from 59th Street to 110th Street. Cross drives at 72nd Street and 102nd Street let you cut the big loop into smaller ones, so it’s easy to match your walk to nap time, weather and energy.

At a glance

• Full loopAbout 6 miles
• Lower loopAbout 1.7 miles
• SurfaceSmooth, paved
• CarsCar-free drives
• HillsTwo big ones, both skippable
• CostFree

At an easy stroller pace, plan on roughly 20 to 25 minutes per mile with a few stops. The Conservancy posts mile markers along the drives, so you always know how far you’ve gone.

Map

Open in Google Maps

The Central Park Conservancy publishes a free running map with the drives, mile markers and drinking fountains. Save it to your phone.

Pick your loop

• 🍃
  About 1.7 milesThe lower loop

  Our top pick for strollers. Loop the south end using the drive at 72nd Street. Mostly gentle, with Bethesda Terrace, the Mall and lots of playgrounds.

• 🌳
  About 4 milesThe middle loop

  Use both the 72nd and 102nd Street cross drives. You’ll pass the Reservoir and the Great Lawn area and skip both ends of the park.

• 💪
  About 5 milesThe “skip Harlem Hill” loop

  Do the full loop but cut across at 102nd Street. You get the whole south end without the park’s biggest climb.

• 🏆
  About 6 milesThe full loop

  The whole thing, including Harlem Hill. A real workout with a stroller. Save it for when you’re feeling strong.

Getting there

By subway

• South end: the 1, A, B, C or D to 59 St–Columbus Circle, the N, R or W to 5 Av/59 St, or the F to 57 St.
• West side: the B and C stop along Central Park West at 72nd, 81st, 86th, 96th, 103rd and 110th Streets.
• North end: the 2/3 to 110 St–Central Park North.
• East side: the 4/5/6 along Lexington Avenue, a few long blocks east of the park.

A stroller warning: lots of these stations have stairs only. Check the MTA’s accessibility page for elevators before you go. Crosstown and avenue buses are often easier with a full-size stroller.

By car

Skip it if you can. Street parking near the park is very hard to find, and garages nearby are expensive. If you drive, plan on a garage on the Upper West or Upper East Side and check rates first.

The hills (and how to skip them)

Central Park has two hills every stroller walker should know about:

• Harlem Hill at the north end, between roughly 102nd and 110th Streets on the west side. It’s the park’s biggest climb. Skip it by using the 102nd Street cross drive.
• Cedar Hill (often called Cat Hill) on the East Drive in the mid-70s. Shorter, but steep enough to feel with a stroller. The lower loop avoids most of it.

The rest of the park rolls gently, with a few shorter climbs along the west side near the Reservoir. If you want a strength workout, push steadily up the hills, take short breaks and keep your posture tall.

Lanes and etiquette

The drives are shared by walkers, runners, cyclists, skaters, pedicabs and horse carriages, and the Conservancy has repainted them with wider pedestrian lanes. A few rules keep everyone safe:

• Stay in the pedestrian lane and keep the stroller out of the bike lane.
• Bikes go counterclockwise only. Walkers can go either way, but going with the flow makes passing easier.
• Pedestrians have the right of way at crosswalks, but always look both ways. Bikes can be fast and quiet.
• Pull onto a path or lawn to stop, feed or change the baby.
• Watch for horse carriages in the south end, especially near 59th Street.

Restrooms

Central Park has around 20 public restrooms, and many are open year-round. Reliable ones near the drives include:

• Heckscher Playground (West 62nd Street, between West and Center Drives). Open year-round.
• The Arsenal (Fifth Avenue and 64th Street). Open year-round.
• Sheep Meadow at Mineral Springs (mid-park at 69th Street). Wheelchair accessible.
• Bethesda Terrace (mid-park at 72nd Street). Seasonal.
• The Central Park Boathouse (East Side between 74th and 75th Streets). Open year-round.
• Ancient Playground (Fifth Avenue and 85th Street). Open year-round and accessible.
• North Meadow Recreation Center (mid-park at 97th Street) and Robert Bendheim Playground (Fifth Avenue and 100th Street). Both accessible.

Some restrooms close for winter or repairs, so check the Conservancy’s restroom list before you go, and bring a portable changing pad.

Playgrounds

Central Park has more than 20 playgrounds, so it’s easy to end your walk with play. A few favorites close to the drives:

• Heckscher Playground near 62nd Street, one of the park’s biggest, with restrooms.
• Billy Johnson Playground near East 67th Street, famous for its granite slide.
• Ancient Playground at Fifth Avenue and 85th Street, with restrooms.
• Diana Ross Playground near West 81st Street.
• Robert Bendheim Playground at Fifth Avenue and 100th Street, designed to be accessible for kids of all abilities.

The Central Park Zoo, the Tisch Children’s Zoo and the Carousel are all in the south end if you want a bigger outing (they charge admission).

Coffee and food

• Inside the park: seasonal food kiosks and carts near the main entrances and landmarks, plus the restaurant at the Central Park Boathouse.
• Upper West Side: cafés and bakeries along Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, a block or two from the park.
• Upper East Side: coffee along Madison and Lexington Avenues.
• Columbus Circle: lots of options right at the southwest corner.

The Conservancy’s map shows drinking fountains along the drives, but many shut off in winter, so carry water.

Seasons and events

• SpringCherry blossoms and magnolias everywhere. The lower loop near the Mall and Cherry Hill is especially pretty.
• SummerWalk early for shade and space. Summer brings free concerts and Shakespeare in the Park. Find shade along the West Drive and the Mall.
• FallPeak walking season and gorgeous foliage. Heads up: the NYC Marathon finishes in Central Park in early November, and parts of the drives close for races on many weekend mornings.
• WinterShorter, bundled-up walks. Ice skating in the south end is fun to watch, and many restrooms and fountains close for the season.

Check the Central Park Conservancy’s website for current events, closures and free programs before you go.

Pro tips

• ⏰
  TimingGo early on weekends

  Before 9 a.m. the drives are calm. By late morning the south end is packed with tourists and bikes.

• 🏃
  RacesCheck race days

  Weekend races close parts of the drives. Look at the Conservancy or race calendars before a long loop.

• 📍
  Meeting upUse mile markers

  “Meet at the Bethesda Fountain” or a mile marker beats “by the big tree.”

• ⛏️
  RouteKnow your cut-throughs

  The 72nd and 102nd Street cross drives are your escape hatches when nap time ends early.

• 👟
  SurfaceStick to pavement

  The bridle path and Reservoir track are soft and busy with runners. The drives are easier.

• 🌬️
  WeatherUse the trees

  The West Drive and the Mall are shadier on hot days than the open lawns.

If you’re postpartum, check with your provider before adding long walks or hills, and build up gradually. Our guide to postpartum exercise once you’re cleared is a good place to start.

Walk Central Park with us

Central Park is one of the places we expect our first Manhattan walk clubs to start, likely on the Upper West and Upper East Sides. We’re taking signups now, and founding members help choose the first loops and times.

See everything we’re building in New York City.

More stroller walks in New York City

• Prospect Park LoopBrooklyn · our full stroller guide
• Hudson River GreenwayWest Side, Manhattan · our full stroller guide
• Brooklyn Bridge ParkBrooklyn · our full stroller guide