What's your favorite ride outside DC?

[Gummee]

Take a look at the route for the Rock Creek Park loop if you don't want to drive to go riding.

There's a few different loops out of The Plains on either pavement or gravel

If you want some really out of the way riding, check out Culpeper Cycling's website

The farther out you go, the less traffic you'll find

M

[skitlets]

There's some good riding east of DC too towards Patuxent/Bowie MD. The Anacostia River Trail is a gem of a MUP.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31078141

[rccardr]

Lots of good riding out in Virginia horse country. Easy start in The Plains or Haymarket. I have ride sheets.

[Smitty2k1]

Originally Posted by skitlets

There's some good riding east of DC too towards Patuxent/Bowie MD. The Anacostia River Trail is a gem of a MUP.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31078141

Thanks for this! Live in Cap Hill and ride the Anacostia out to Greenbelt all the time, but have been looking for a good route to include Pax River as I hear there is some nice gravel out that way!

[palincss]

Originally Posted by zap

You don't want to park at the Park and Ride. Too many break ins. Southern High School is a safer ride start location.

In addition, there are no restroom facilities at the Davidsonville Park & Ride, but at Southern HS there's the Harwood store 0.1 mi away. You can do most of the routes that originated at Davidsonville from Harwood just by shifting the starting point.

[palincss]

If you like riding in the mountains, the Blue Ridge and the Catoctins are for you. If you like easier rolling farm country with water views, Charles and St Marys Counties have a lot to offer. It's my personal opinion that St Marys provides the best location for a self-supported century because there are so many stores and parks with rest rooms you really don't need supported rest stops. There are many places up in Frederick County MD and out in VA Horse Country where that's no longer true, where the country stores all closed years ago and now the places where you can use a rest room or replenish water supplies are very few and far between.

[dan_hudson]

Originally Posted by Smitty2k1

Thanks for this! Live in Cap Hill and ride the Anacostia out to Greenbelt all the time, but have been looking for a good route to include Pax River as I hear there is some nice gravel out that way!

Once you get to Greenbelt-ish... explore winding thru the USDA Farm to Old Bowie. Once in Old Bowie, there is a combination of reasonably quiet roads (Highbridge to Church to Mt Oak to Queen Anne Bridge) that can get you to the MD-214 crossing of the Patuxent. That will open you up to miles + miles of great quiet roads and loops in lower Anne Arundel.

Can't help with gravel out that way - sorry. Have heard there is some legal gravel in Prince Georges in the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge on the north side of MD-197 (look for references to Tipton Airport).

[zennmotion]

Originally Posted by palincss

If you like riding in the mountains, the Blue Ridge and the Catoctins are for you. If you like easier rolling farm country with water views, Charles and St Marys Counties have a lot to offer. It's my personal opinion that St Marys provides the best location for a self-supported century because there are so many stores and parks with rest rooms you really don't need supported rest stops. There are many places up in Frederick County MD and out in VA Horse Country where that's no longer true, where the country stores all closed years ago and now the places where you can use a rest room or replenish water supplies are very few and far between.

Umm, nobody wants you to use their restrooms these days in exchange for purchase of a Gatorade and a Little Debbie. Unless you're a delivery driver or other worker without any other options it's an entitled selfish ask in a world that's changed, plan to be self sufficient, it's not that hard.

[Smitty2k1]

Originally Posted by dan_hudson

Once you get to Greenbelt-ish... explore winding thru the USDA Farm to Old Bowie. Once in Old Bowie, there is a combination of reasonably quiet roads (Highbridge to Church to Mt Oak to Queen Anne Bridge) that can get you to the MD-214 crossing of the Patuxent. That will open you up to miles + miles of great quiet roads and loops in lower Anne Arundel.

Can't help with gravel out that way - sorry. Have heard there is some legal gravel in Prince Georges in the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge on the north side of MD-197 (look for references to Tipton Airport).

Yeah I was thinking the Wildlife Refuge in particular. But I just spent the week in small town Illinois exploring quiet rural roads so your other info sounds great!

[skitlets]

Originally Posted by Smitty2k1

Thanks for this! Live in Cap Hill and ride the Anacostia out to Greenbelt all the time, but have been looking for a good route to include Pax River as I hear there is some nice gravel out that way!

If you find some gravel close to DC, please let me know!. I think there may be a few parks off the WOD as I see the occasional mountain biker pull off the paved trail.

Originally Posted by dan_hudson

Once you get to Greenbelt-ish... explore winding thru the USDA Farm to Old Bowie. Once in Old Bowie, there is a combination of reasonably quiet roads (Highbridge to Church to Mt Oak to Queen Anne Bridge) that can get you to the MD-214 crossing of the Patuxent. That will open you up to miles + miles of great quiet roads and loops in lower Anne Arundel.

Can't help with gravel out that way - sorry. Have heard there is some legal gravel in Prince Georges in the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge on the north side of MD-197 (look for references to Tipton Airport).

Thanks for expanding on more bike-friendly roads out there! The rolling hills by the USDA farm are beautiful. Something a city kid like myself very rarely get to see.

[Toeclips]

Has anyone mention in Va Prince William county Turkey Run State Park, they have a nice seven mile loop in a park setting

State championships have been held there too

[bward1028]

Originally Posted by skitlets

If you find some gravel close to DC, please let me know!. I think there may be a few parks off the WOD as I see the occasional mountain biker pull off the paved trail.



Thanks for expanding on more bike-friendly roads out there! The rolling hills by the USDA farm are beautiful. Something a city kid like myself very rarely get to see.

Prince William forest has some great roads, but it's a bit of a drive from DC. Closer to Quantico. C&O Canal is probably the best gravel option out of dc. I have friends who have some gravel rides out in PGco, but they keep them pretty closely held secrets.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by skitlets

If you find some gravel close to DC, please let me know!. I think there may be a few parks off the WOD as I see the occasional mountain biker pull off the paved trail.

I’d classify C&O towpath as gravel, and that thing stretches for as long as one would want to ride in a day.

Pretty bumpy stuff, too. Wasnt fun on 23C tires

One does have to detour around Great Falls National Park though

[palincss]

Originally Posted by zennmotion

Umm, nobody wants you to use their restrooms these days in exchange for purchase of a Gatorade and a Little Debbie. Unless you're a delivery driver or other worker without any other options it's an entitled selfish ask in a world that's changed, plan to be self sufficient, it's not that hard.

The stores I'm referring to have portolets outside the stores. That's a thing in Southern Maryland. In one case (Murphy's Town & Country in Avenue MD) they have it located under one of those portable garage awning things so it's always in the shade.

[skitlets]

Originally Posted by echappist

I’d classify C&O towpath as gravel, and that thing stretches for as long as one would want to ride in a day.

Pretty bumpy stuff, too. Wasnt fun on 23C tires

One does have to detour around Great Falls National Park though

Perhaps even worse than gravel! It was a mud fest the last time I road to Cumberland. Impressed you could go on 23.