Overnights
Notes:
- All of these routes start and end at or near a Metro Station. You can take your bike on the Metro at any time.
- Routes at the top of the list are my favorites.
- Singletrack: none of the routes here include anything technical—the gnarliest bits are stream crossings, tree roots, the occasional downed tree, and a few rock-garden-y spots. If you don’t mind a few minutes of hike-a-bike now and then, there’s nothing here you can’t ride on a cross or touring bike with 32mm tires.
The best biking in Prince George’s County, but getting there is tricky. The best route option was closed by a washout in spring 2021, but it should be open again by spring of 2022. A couple of miles of riding on the shoulder of a busy road.
- Route from Largo Metro: 47 miles round trip, 2400ft elevation.
- Scenic loop from campsite, half on gravel 14 miles. (one of my top 3 rides in the whole region)
Woodsy campsites with lots of amenities in the park. Adjacent to some of the best riding in the region, both road and singletrack. Routes are from the Shady Grove Metro
- Road Route (little bits of gravel, one stream crossing) – 48 miles, 3200ft elevation
- Singletrack & Gravel Route – 61 miles round trip, 3800 ft elevation, 21 unpaved miles, several extended sections of flowy but strenuous singletrack.
Lots of family activities a short, (mostly) pleasant ride from the end of the Blue Line. Nearby singletrack at Meadowwood, and some quieter outdoor space up the trail at Mason Neck State Park. A mile or so of quiet industrial park road (Cinder Bed Rd) and another mile of bike lane on a busy road (Telegraph) but it has a sidepath as well.
- Route from Springfield Metro Station – 20 miles round trip, 900 feet elevation gain.
- Route from Alexandria Metro Station via the Mount Vernon Trail 48 miles roundtrip, 2100ft elevation, one section of busy-ish road.
- Singletrack loop from the campsite
Inside the beltway! Either of these route could be an after-work S24O. On a popular road club route (Tuckerman). Also accessible via singletrack.
- Road route – From Cleveland Park Metro, to highlight the Klingle Valley Trail (30 miles round trip, 1300 feet of elevation. This loop is a local roadie classic that just happens to have a campground at the halfway point.
- Singletrack route – From C&O Trailhead
On the way to Patuxent. Lots of fun family activities including a farm with critters, but the route isn’t all kid friendly. The first 1.5 miles are on a busy section of Lake Arbor Drive. I usually just ride on the sidewalk.
- Route from Largo Metro. 10 miles round trip. 500ft Elevation.
The C&O is the go-to for bike camping in the DC region. Campsites are free, first-come first-serve, and have potable water (except in winter) and a portajohn. The scenery is beautiful but the trail itself is a bit monotonous. My favorite option is to ride the Montgomery County Ag reserve or singletrack, then roll down to a C&O campsite, then ride back into town the next day.
- Road: Ag Reserve to Marble Quarry Route 80 miles total, 2900ft of elevation, 49 unpaved miles.
- Singletrack: Muddy Branch to Swain’s Lock Route 35 miles, 30 unpaved, 900ft of elevation. A great, low key way to try out bikepacking.
- Loudoun and MoCo Scenery: 88 miles total, 4000ft of elevation, 34 miles unpaved. This one uses a towpath campsite but doesn’t include much riding on the C&O.
Editorializing about the C&O campsites:
- Marsden Group Site (Mile 11): Closest site, permit required.
- Swain’s Lock (Mile 17): Pleasant, Easy to reach after work, but often pretty busy.
- Horsepen Branch (Mile 26): Small, right next to the trail, so not a lot of green space or privacy. Also no access to the river. If you’ve got the time and energy, it’s always worth it to go the extra 4 miles to the next one
- Chisel Branch (Mile 30), Turtle Run (Mile 34) and Marble Quarry (Mile 38) are all very pleasant.
- Canal Quarters is also a super cool option if you don’t want to carry a tent. You can rent some of the old lockhouses for the night.
Places I haven’t ridden myself
Sky Meadows State Park is at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains. It’s a popular destination for folks riding out of Loudoun County. Plenty of routes out there on Strava and RidewithGPS.
Bull Run Regional Park is theoretically bikeable but I haven’t tried it.
Cosca Regional Park – Looks nice! Didn’t know there was a campground there until just now. Will do some exploring.
Lake Fairfax Park – just off the W&OD trail. Don’t have a route yet, but will make one.
Other things that show up when you google:
- Greenbelt Park has a campground, but the park has a severe deer tick problem, to the extent that most locals don’t recommend camping there. My wife works at a school adjacent to the park, and confirms that she has to pull ticks off her students frequently.
- Cherry Hill Campground is accessible by a paved bike trail, but it’s an RV site right next to a highway.
Other things to look into and test ride:
- Regional commuter rail (MARC and VRE) now allow bikes on all of their trains. This opens up some more options at Patapsco Park, Harpers Ferry, Martinsburg WV, Prince William Forest Park.