Bicycling – Easy Local Tours
By Leslie Tierstein, AMC Member
Many people took up or resumed bicycling during the pandemic. Now, hopefully, some of those new bicyclists will extend their range and do some exploring by bicycle. The Potomac region is a great place to do that. You can pick out attractions within the city and usually (usually!) get there via bike paths, on-road bike lanes, or low-traffic streets. There is also an extensive network of trails. For example, new bicyclists discovered the W&OD Trail, the Mount Vernon Trail, and the Capital Crescent Trail, and have been using them for recreational rides as well as, increasingly, commuting. But those are only the most popular. My personal favorite of trails within the city is the Sligo Creek Trail, which happens to run right by the Kemp Mill Shopping Center, the location of one of my favorite supermarkets as well as an excellent deli and pizza place.
As bicyclists get more experienced and familiar with their bicycles, they may want to try more extended tours. An easy place to start is with an overnight tour, not camping, but spending the night indoors. Your bicycle will still have to carry a change of clothes and toiletries (as well as the usual bicycle repair stuff), but it's an easier start than trying camping on your first tour. (There are various ways to carry gear on a bicycle, to be discussed in another article.)
One such tour goes to Loudoun county VA on the W&OD Trail. You can take the trail from Milepost 0 (in Arlington) to its end in Purcellville, Milepost 45, or stop a few miles before that in Leesburg (more sleep options in Leesburg). The terrain is (mostly gentle), some of the trail is sheltered by woods, but suburbia is encroaching. Definitely worth a trip, especially for beginners, since there are many facilities, including convenience stores and bicycle shops, along the way, and even some bail out points with public transportation back to DC, if needed (but not past Herndon).
A 2-day tour that I love is a bit farther afield, which is probably one reason I love it. There is a bike trail that runs from Hunt Valley MD (a suburb northwest of Baltimore) to York PA. This is a rail-trail conversion. The MD portion of the trail originally named after the railroad, the NCR (North Central Railroad), but is now named the Torrey C Brown Trail. The PA portion is the York County Heritage Trail. The trail goes through Gunpowder Falls State on the Maryland side. The highest elevation on the trail is almost smack dab on the Mason Dixon line, so whichever direction you're going, there's a slight uphill for the first half of the ride and a slight downhill on the second half. In the first part of the 20th century, when the passenger trains were still running, this area used to be a vacation destination (!!), so you will see grand hotels. You will also see some commercial buildings, some dating back to the 19th century.
One of my favorite places is Hanover Junction, where the trail office/museum is. It's Hanover "Junction" because another rail line used to go through there. Abraham Lincoln took the train from DC to Gettysburg to give the Gettysburg Address and stopped at Hanover Junction on the way.
The city of York is a good destination for an overnight. I didn't know before my first visit that it was the capital of the US in 1777-1778! Enjoy dinner and breakfast at a local restaurant, take a walk downtown to visit the historic sites, then head back to the trail. In the city and along the trail, you will see many intriguing public art works.
There are a few rest stops spread out on the trail but bring some snacks and water. You can stop at one of the picnic areas or benches along the trail. Enjoy the ride through the woods. The trail is not paved, but it's fairly smooth dirt, especially in Pennsylvania.
