C&O CANAL TOWPATH BIKEPACKING INTRO OVERNIGHT
A sub-24-hour overnight (S24O) so gear requirements are minimal and the riding distance is short.
Trip Dates: April 29-30, 2023 (Saturday/Sunday)
Planning Meeting Date: March 29, 2023 (Wednesday evening)
We will meet in Brunswick, MD at 1 pm on Saturday, April 29, and head out for an 8-mile ride to the Huckleberry Hill Hiker/Bike Campsite. (Route link: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42182529)
Interested? Sign up here: https://forms.gle/LCHPfC6MMLtakKQd6
Are you someone…
- Who is new to bikepacking and wants to try it out without a major time or equipment commitment?
- Who wants to try bikepacking out with your kids?
- Who is a seasoned adventure cyclist looking for a 2023 shakeout ride to test new equipment?
- Who simply enjoys the company of fellow cyclists and enjoys the outdoors?
- Who is looking for a bikepacking trip with minimal cycling effort required?
Then this adventure was designed specifically with you in mind!
There is ample overnight parking in the Brunswick commuter lot where our ride will begin. We will take a leisurely approach to load up our bikes making sure everyone has their equipment ready to roll. Along our route, we will ride a part of the Appalachian Trail (where it overlaps with the C&O Canal Towpath), pass alongside Harpers Ferry & Maryland Heights, and pass two canal locks. Once we reach our destination at Huckleberry Hill H/B campsite, we will set up camp and enjoy the afternoon, have a camp meal, and gather around a campfire (smores anyone?). Huckleberry Hill is a large H/B campsite with plenty of room to spread out and we should arrive early enough in the afternoon to grab it since H/B sites are first-come, first-serve.
We will plan to cook two camp meals – dinner Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning. Brunswick has many possibilities for lunch beforehand on Saturday and post-ride on Sunday.
Hiker/Biker sites along the C&O Canal Towpath have porta-johns, fire rings, a water pump with treated water, and a picnic table.
We will also have a small planning meeting at the Patuxent Adventure Center on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 5 pm. We will go over logistics, meal planning, what to bring, what you have, and possibly pooling some resources to help lighten the load.