The Prospect Park Loop with a stroller

If you have a baby in Brooklyn, the Prospect Park Loop is probably already part of your life, or about to be. It’s wide, paved, car-free and just the right length for a nap. Here’s our complete guide to walking it with a stroller, from where to start to where to pee.

The loop runs along the Park Drive, the road that circles the inside of Prospect Park, through Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Prospect Heights. It passes the Long Meadow, the lake, the Boathouse and the zoo, with benches, shade and playgrounds along the way.

At a glance

• Distance3.35-mile loop
• SurfaceSmooth, paved
• CarsCar-free
• HillsRolling, one long climb
• StrollerAny stroller works
• CostFree

One full loop at an easy stroller pace takes most people about an hour, with stops. Short on time? The Center Drive cuts across the middle of the park, so you can do half the loop and still end up back where you started.

Map

Open in Google Maps

For mileage between landmarks, the Prospect Park Alliance publishes an official Park Drive mileage map. It’s worth saving to your phone.

Getting there

By subway

• 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza. Puts you at the north end of the park by the arch and the main entrance to the loop.
• B/Q/S to Prospect Park. Best for the east side, near the zoo, Lincoln Road and the Boathouse.
• Q to Parkside Avenue. Closest to the southeast corner, the lake and the LeFrak Center at Lakeside.
• F/G to 15 St–Prospect Park. Best for the southwest side and Bartel-Pritchard Square.

A stroller warning: many subway stations near the park have stairs and no elevator. Check the MTA’s list of accessible stations before you go, and plan on carrying the stroller (or bringing a helper) if your station isn’t on it.

By bus or bike

Several bus lines run around the park, including the B41 along Flatbush Avenue on the east side, and buses are often easier than the subway with a full-size stroller. Citi Bike has stations near Grand Army Plaza and other park entrances if you’re riding in without the baby.

By car

Honestly, we’d skip it on weekends. There’s no big public lot for the loop and street parking around the park fills up fast, especially on sunny Saturdays and during events. If you drive, look along Prospect Park West, Prospect Park Southwest and the streets near Parkside Avenue, read the signs carefully (alternate-side rules apply) and remember that NYC parking meters are free on Sundays. A drop-off at Grand Army Plaza or Bartel-Pritchard Square is another option.

Where to start

You can join the loop from almost any entrance. Our favorite starting points with a stroller:

• Grand Army Plaza (north). The classic start, with the arch, the Saturday Greenmarket and a straight shot onto the West Drive.
• Bartel-Pritchard Square (southwest). Easy from the F/G and the south end of Park Slope, with Windsor Terrace cafés nearby.
• Lincoln Road or Ocean Avenue (east). Closest to the Audubon Center, Lincoln Road playground and the lake.
• Parkside and Ocean (southeast). Near the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, with coffee and restrooms right there.

The loop, step by step

Most people walk the loop counterclockwise, the same direction as bike traffic, so that’s how we’ll describe it. Starting at Grand Army Plaza:

1. West Drive and the Long Meadow. Head south with the huge, open Long Meadow on your left. This stretch is gently rolling, sunny in the morning and full of dogs and picnics.
2. Picnic House and the Bandshell area. About halfway down the west side, you’ll pass the Picnic House and the area near the Lena Horne Bandshell, with playgrounds just off the drive.
3. Bartel-Pritchard Square to Park Circle. The drive curves around the southwest corner. A good spot to turn around if you only want a short out-and-back.
4. Along the lake. The south end of the loop follows Prospect Park Lake, one of the prettiest and flattest stretches, with water views and ducks.
5. LeFrak Center at Lakeside. On the southeast side, a good stop for coffee, a snack and restrooms.
6. The big hill. Heading north on the East Drive toward the Boathouse and the zoo, you’ll hit the loop’s long climb. Take it slow, and count it as your strength workout for the day.
7. Back to Grand Army Plaza. The final stretch passes the zoo and carousel area before returning to the north end.

Want a flatter walk? Skip the east side: start at Grand Army Plaza, walk the West Drive to the lake and turn around.

Lanes and etiquette

The Park Drive is divided into lanes, and following them keeps everyone safe. Bikes and skaters travel counterclockwise in the center lanes. Walkers and runners use the marked pedestrian lanes along the edges. Lane setups have changed over the years, so follow the painted markings and signs you see that day.

• Stay in the walking lane and keep the stroller to the side, especially in groups.
• Look both ways before crossing the drive. Bikes can be fast and quiet.
• Walk two across, not four, so runners can pass.
• Pull off the drive to stop, feed or change the baby.

Restrooms

Bathrooms are the question every stroller walker asks. Some reliable options around the loop:

• Prospect Park Audubon Center at the Boathouse (east side). Wheelchair accessible.
• The Wellhouse (west side, near the Long Meadow). One of the park’s oldest buildings, now home to the city’s first compostable restrooms in a public park.
• LeFrak Center at Lakeside (southeast).
• Playground restrooms, including Lincoln Road Playground near Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue.
• Parade Ground (just south of the park) if you’re walking the outer edge.

Most NYC park restrooms are open about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with longer hours in season, and some close for repairs. Check NYC Parks’ restroom list before you head out, and bring a portable changing pad, since not every restroom has a changing table.

Feeding and nap stops

Prospect Park is full of good places to pull off the drive:

• The Long Meadow. Spread a blanket under a tree and let the baby watch the dogs go by.
• By the lake. Benches near the water on the south end, with ducks and swans for entertainment.
• The Audubon Center at the Boathouse. A calm, pretty spot with restrooms close by.

Feeding in public is your right in New York, and you’ll see plenty of families doing it here.

Accessibility

The Park Drive is wide, paved and car-free, which makes it one of the more accessible long walks in Brooklyn. A few notes:

• The east side hill. The long climb on the East Drive is the hardest part. Walking the West Drive to the lake and back avoids it.
• Subway access. Many nearby stations have stairs only. Check the MTA’s accessible station list, or take a bus.
• Restrooms. The Audubon Center at the Boathouse is wheelchair accessible. Check NYC Parks for others.

Coffee and food

• Greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza. Every Saturday, year-round, from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Grab coffee, fruit and pastries and start your loop from there.
• Wednesday Greenmarket at Bartel-Pritchard Square. A smaller seasonal market at the southwest entrance.
• Duck Island Café at the LeFrak Center. Coffee and snacks on the southeast side.
• Park Slope and Windsor Terrace. Dozens of cafés and bakeries are a block or two from the west-side entrances.
• Prospect Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Great coffee near the north and east entrances, too.

Pack water and a snack for you, not just the baby. A full loop with a stroller is real exercise.

Playgrounds along the way

If you have a toddler, plan your loop around a playground stop. A few near the drive:

• Harmony Playground on the west side, near the Bandshell.
• Third Street Playground near the Third Street entrance on the west side.
• Vanderbilt Playground near Prospect Park Southwest.
• Lincoln Road Playground on the east side, with restrooms.
• The Carousel and the Prospect Park Zoo at the northeast corner (the zoo has an admission fee).

A little history

Prospect Park is one of the great designed landscapes in the country.

• 🌳
  1867Olmsted and Vaux

  After Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Prospect Park, and its first sections opened in 1867. They reportedly considered it even better than Central Park.

• 🌾
  90 acresThe Long Meadow

  About a mile long, the Long Meadow is one of the largest meadows in any city park in the country.

• 🌊
  60 acresBrooklyn’s only lake

  Prospect Park Lake is the only lake in Brooklyn, part of a designed watercourse with streams and waterfalls.

• 🌲
  ForestThe Ravine

  The park is home to Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, a quiet woodland worth exploring on foot (with a carrier).

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch at Grand Army Plaza, completed in 1892, still makes the grandest entrance to the park.

Nearby family stops

Prospect Park sits in the middle of one of Brooklyn’s best clusters of family outings:

• The Central Library at Grand Army Plaza. Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch, with a big children’s area. A perfect rainy day backup.
• The Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Both just east of the park on Eastern Parkway and Washington Avenue. Check hours and admission.
• Lefferts Historic House. Inside the park near the zoo, with exhibits on Brooklyn’s early history.
• The Carousel and Prospect Park Zoo. On the east side, great for toddlers. The zoo charges admission.

Seasons and events

• SpringBlossoms everywhere and the start of the Prospect Park Stroller Walks: free, Alliance-led walks for parents and caregivers on Thursday mornings in season, leaving from the Audubon Center. RSVP on the Alliance website.
• SummerWalk early for shade and cooler air. Summer evenings bring BRIC’s Celebrate Brooklyn! concerts at the Lena Horne Bandshell and roller skating at the LeFrak Center.
• FallThe best walking season. Stroller walks usually run through October, and the leaves around the lake are gorgeous.
• WinterThe loop is usually walkable after snow, but icy patches can linger. Bundle up, use a stroller footmuff, and watch the ice skaters at the LeFrak Center. On snow days, the slope near Endale Arch is a favorite first sledding hill.

Event schedules change every year, so check the Prospect Park Alliance events calendar for current dates. Free outdoor yoga and weekend nature programs at the Audubon Center are also worth looking for.

Safety and heat

The loop is busy and well used, but still plan ahead.

• Watch the heat. New York’s health department notes that babies and children up to age 4 are more sensitive to heat. During heat advisories, walk early, keep it short and look for shade and water.
• Know the signs of overheating. For you: dizziness, heavy sweating, nausea or weakness. For your baby: flushed skin, unusual fussiness or sleepiness and fewer wet diapers. Get to shade or air conditioning, offer fluids as your pediatrician advises and call 911 if anyone seems confused or faint.
• Never cover the stroller with a blanket. It traps heat. Use a ventilated sunshade and a clip-on fan instead.
• Check air quality. On ozone or wildfire smoke days, the city issues air quality health advisories. Consider a shorter walk or an indoor backup.
• Sign up for Notify NYC. The city’s free alert system sends heat, storm and air quality warnings, and the city’s Cool It! NYC map shows spray showers, fountains and cooling options.
• Walk with a friend. Share your route, keep your phone charged and call 911 in an emergency.

On the drive, the biggest risk is fast bikes. Stay in the walking lane and look both ways before every crossing.

A sample morning

An easy first loop with a baby:

• 8:00 a.m.Coffee at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket (Saturdays) or a cafe in Park Slope.
• 8:15 a.m.Walk the West Drive along the Long Meadow.
• 8:45 a.m.Feed or rest on the meadow or by the lake.
• 9:10 a.m.Walk back up the West Drive, skipping the big hill.
• 9:40 a.m.Playground stop near your exit, then home before nap time.

That’s about two and a half to three miles, flat to gently rolling.

What to pack

Our short list for the Prospect Park Loop with a baby:

• Water for you, plus whatever your baby needs for feeds.
• A ventilated sunshade and a clip-on fan, for summer.
• A warm stroller bag or footmuff, for fall and winter walks by the wind.
• A portable changing pad and wipes, since changing tables aren’t guaranteed.
• A MetroCard or tap-to-pay card, for the ride home if little legs (or yours) are done.
• A charged phone, with your route shared with a friend.
• A blanket, for the Long Meadow.

Keep it light. A packed-full stroller basket is harder to push, harder to carry up subway stairs and harder to fold at the end.

Pro tips

• ⏰
  TimingGo early on weekends

  Before 9 a.m., the loop is calm. By late morning on a sunny Saturday it’s packed.

• ⛏️
  RouteUse the Center Drive

  Cut the loop in half when nap time ends early or the weather turns.

• 💪
  WorkoutMake the hill count

  Push steadily up the east-side climb. It’s the best free stroller workout in Brooklyn.

• 🌞
  ShadeWest side for morning sun

  The east side and the lake have more shade on hot days.

• 📍
  Meeting upPick a landmark

  The arch at Grand Army Plaza and the Boathouse are easy places to meet friends.

• 🐶
  DogsKnow off-leash hours

  Dogs can be off-leash in parts of the park early and late in the day, so expect lots of happy pups on the Long Meadow.

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 has a simple place to start.

Walk the loop with us

The Prospect Park Loop is one of the places we expect our first New York walk clubs to start. We’re taking signups now, and founding members help choose the first times and meeting spots.

Here’s what a Pink in Progress walk looks like: an easy, regular walk with strollers and sneakers welcome, a pace where everyone can talk, and coffee after when the babies cooperate. No one gets left behind, and there’s no fancy gear required. In a city this big, it’s one of the simplest ways to find mom friends a few blocks from home.

In the meantime, you can start 1:1 coaching or join a virtual circle this week. See everything we’re building in New York City, or read our guide to starting a stroller walk club on your own block. In Manhattan? Try our guide to the Hudson River Greenway.

More stroller walks in New York City

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