Martin Fernandez - Mountain Biking the Washington, D.C./Baltimore Area: An Atlas of Northern Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.s Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides

HELP US KEEP THIS GUIDE UP TO DATE

Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, techniques evolve, facilities come under new management, etc.

We would appreciate hearing from you concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, well take them to heart, and well also make certain to share them with the authors. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:

FalconGuides

Reader Response/Editorial Department

246 Goose Lane

Guilford, CT 06437

Or you may e-mail us at: editorial@falcon.com

Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

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Copyright 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield

Photos by Martn Fernndez unless otherwise noted.

Maps by Trailhead Graphics Inc. Rowman & Littlefield

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN 978-1-4930-0601-4 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-1490-3 (e-book)

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The authors and Rowman & Littlefield assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

This edition is dedicated to the memory of Uncle Scott Scudamore. May his indomitable spirit live within all of us and his legacy endure forever. Learn more about Scott at scudfries.org.

Without my wife, Courtney, this book would not be possible. Her encouragement and support have helped me every step of the way. To my viejos, my brother and sisters. To Ari, and all the rides ahead of us; Im glad shes here for this fifth edition. A special thanks to MORE and all of the regional mountain bike groups and all of their volunteers for the efforts they make to ensure that we have places like these to enjoy our sport. And to you, the reader, for taking the plunge and getting this trail guide. See you on the trail!

Martn Fernndez

A special thanks to all the folks who have ever supported my efforts and desires to get to this point. It goes without saying that I would be hard-pressed to manage my ideas and dreams without all of the regular and unending encouragement, extra helping hands, and borrowed elbow grease from those around me and from those who believe in me. Thanks.

Scott Adams

I am fortunate in my work for the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) to be able to sample trails all over the world. You might think my regular travel to Washington, D.C. would lack good mountain biking. But its quite the opposite. The D.C. area has some very desirable mountain biking given the years of great advocacy and trails stewardship by IMBAs local chapter, the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE).

Mountain Biking the Washington, D.C./Baltimore Area author Martin Fernandez has been an active volunteer for MORE for twenty years. And that means two things: first, he knows best where the choice riding is in the area, and second, he knows how to piece together the best trails in a manner that only a professional guide service could replicate. Martins book is like having your own professional guide. And because MORE has helped to add and expand so many new trails in the area, this new edition ensures you have current quality trail information to make for a great ride for all abilities.

And remember as you are enjoying your next D.C.-area ride, there are no Trail Fairies. Trails, especially quality trails like those featured in this book, are the result of ongoing advocacy and stewardship. And thanks to a very well-organized local group like MORE, the D.C. area can boast a continual expansion and addition of quality trails. I urge you to be a part of this stewardship effort. At IMBA we call it Trail Love.

Mike Van Abel, President & USA Executive Director

I appreciate the opportunity to encourage your readers to join a local organization such as the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE), the Fredericksburg Area Mountain Bike Enthusiasts (FAMBE), Eastern Shore IMBA (ESIMBA), and Southern Maryland Mountain Bike (SMMB). I encourage readers to join one of these organizations to continue working behind the scenes to assure we are able to ride our bikes on regional trails. I would also encourage readers to work with other organizations such as hikers, runners, equestrians, and friends of groups, as we all value and respect public lands and their availability for recreation.

It is our responsibility to be good stewards of our natural resources and provide recreational access to future generations. Please consider how you can give back.

Ernest Ernie Rodriguez, MORE President

Youll find that this guide contains just about everything youll ever need to choose, plan for, enjoy, and survive a ride in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Stuffed with useful Washington, D.C./Baltimorespecific information, this book features fifty mapped and cued rides and eighteen honorable mentions, as well as everything from advice on getting into shape to tips on getting the most out of cycling with your kids.

Weve designed this FalconGuide to be highly visual, for quick reference and ease of use. This means that the most pertinent information rises quickly to the top, so you dont have to waste time poring through bulky ride descriptions to get mileage cues. Theyre set aside for you. Yet a FalconGuide doesnt read like a laundry list. Take the time to dive into a ride description and youll soon realize that this guide is not just a good source of information; its a good read. In the end you get the best of both worlds: a quick reference guide and an engaging look at a region.

Mountain Biking Washington, D.C./Baltimore is divided into six sections, each representing one of the six major geographic regions in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and D.C. Within each section are the featured rides found in the region. Each ride is then subsequently divided into a variety of components. The Ride Specs are fairly self-explanatory. Here youll find the quick, nitty-gritty details of the ride: where the trailhead is located, the nearest town, ride length, riding time, difficulty rating, trail surface, lay of the land, park schedules and fees, contact information for trail management, and what other trail users you may encounter. Our Getting There section gives you dependable directions from a nearby city, right down to where youll want to park, as well as GPS coordinates for the trailhead. The Ride is the meat of the chapter. Detailed and honest, its our carefully researched impression of the trail(s). While its impossible to cover everything, you can rest assured that we wont miss whats important. In Miles and Directions, we provide mileage cues to identify all turns and trail name changes, as well as points of interest. Between this and the route map, you simply cant get lost. Where possible, we try to tell you how you can combine multiple rides to build your own epic outing. Well also tell you where to eat after your ride, where to stay, and what else to see while youre in the area. The Honorable Mentions section details additional rides in each region that will inspire you to get out and explore on your own.