Most of my childhood was defined by one activity that we did more than anything else: biking. My dad is a serious biker he’s a man who hand washes his bib shorts and owns shoes that clip into the pedals. For as long as I can remember, he has dedicated his free afternoons to riding 50 miles or more on the roads around our house. Needless to say, our primary source of fun as a family was to go biking all over creation. We biked all through the summer from rails to trails to parks, we went everywhere. Sometimes we got to bring a friend and sometimes it was just the four of us – my parents, my sister, and me.  

To me, summer still means feeling the freedom of flying down a trail on my bicycle and eating squished sandwiches out of my backpack. I don’t think I truly appreciated how great those times together really were, but I hold many fond memories of our summers on wheels.  

One of my favorite places to bike was Oil Creek State Park. It still is to this day. The 9-mile trail is relatively flat and paved, with just a hint of moss growing along the edges. It goes straight through the forest, full of ferns and shady trees. Here and there a ruin from the past will emerge mysteriously – part of the old acid works or a capped well. Overall, the feeling is very prehistoric, as if dinosaurs should be roaming through the woods with you. The trail itself goes from the park office to the Drake Well Museum. The museum is not part of the park, but certainly is worth the trip. Both inside and out, there is much to see and learn. It’s a little far if you live in Pittsburgh, but it is completely worth it. 

Another place we used to frequent is Moraine State Park. The trail there is where I learned to ride a bike and to go up hills. Now the hills seem small to me, but when I was younger I felt like I was mountain climbing. The trail is 7.5 miles one way and certainly has its share of bumps. The middle of the trail goes through Lakeview Beach, a great place to stop with little ones and check out the water. At the very end, there used to be a restaurant on the marina. I remember sitting on the deck and eating ice cream sandwiches as we watched the sailboats on the lake. Now, the restaurant building is an education center and there are not more ice cream sandwiches, but it still holds fond memories for me.  

Finally, we liked to frequent Ohiopyle State Park. Ohiopyle’s bike trail is part of the Great Allegheny Passage, a bike trail that currently runs from McKeesport to Washington, D.C. Ohiopyle’s section of the trail is roughly 27 miles total. We would wind our way over the tree-covered trail and stop to pick berries we saw growing along the way. Afterwards, we might put on old jean shorts and slide down the natural waterslides or get ice cream in town. Ohiopyle was definitely one of my favorite places to bike. 

Of course, you don’t need to take my word for it. This summer, take your family biking at one of your local state parks. It’s free, fun, and there are plenty of other great bike paths to try in your local western PA state parks: M.K. Goddard, Keystone, Presque Isle and Cooks Forest State Parks also have great trails for family biking.  

Happy trails and I hope that your family can make as many great memories as mine did.