Shepherdstown, WV

[gurana]

I'm going to be going on a 'company' retreat to shepherdstown, wv (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Shepherdstown,+WV,+USA&ie=UTF8&ll=39.430624,-77.805004&spn=0.03812,0.064373&t=h&z=14&om=1) on Sept 10 and 11. Anybody know of any good routes in that general area? My plan is to organize something with my co-workers... we will have about 2 to 3 hours free on Monday, so I'm thinking a nice leisurely 12-15 mile route. Judging by what the area looks like on google maps, I could probably come up with something do-able, but wanted to know if anybody here knew of any routes that might take us by some interesting scenery.

[donhaller]

I went to college in Shephardstown for a sememster back about 100 years ago. It's about 12 miles to Harpers Ferry and a nice ride I did often, Although a bit further than you want to go. There are tons of great rides in that area.

[DuckFat]

The C&O canal is just across the river. Good riding but not for skinny-tired road bikes. Antietam battlefield is pretty close to the north and that's a good (but very hilly) place to ride. Riding to Sharpsburg from Shepherdstown would be a good ride for road bikes.

Overall, I'd recommend the C&O if you want to keep it easy and scenic (it's flat riding on packed stone double track). Cross the bridge and take the first right to a parking lot. Go east (left if to face the river) because there is a parallel paved road that you can ride if the canal isn't working for you.

[barndoor]

Shepherdstown to Charles Town or Shepherdstown to Sharpsburg would definitely be nice rides....a little on the hilly side, but not bad.....not even as hilly as Lancaster.... :)

[cc_rider]

C&O if your tires will work. Harpers Ferry is a nice stretch of the trail.
Antietam / Boonsboro / Hagerstown for fairly easy road riding. Stick to the back roads.
Or a short drive up to the Western Maryland Rail Trail. Easy, paved and pretty.

added
The PPTC does rides around Boyce and Berryville. I've never riden north of Millwood, but I expect that most of the county roads there are rideable and scenic.

Or if you want to be evil, take them up Mount Weather. :D

[dingodog]

There are some good rides in the Antietam area, just north of where you will be. The Cumberland Valley Cycling Club (http://bikecvcc.com/) has a bunch of good cue sheets. I ride a lot in the Clear Springs/Williamsport area and use their routes all the time. Bikely.com has a road route running from Harper's Ferry to Antietam that looks good, but I have never tried it.

[ks1g]

Check the Antietam loop (http://www.bikewashington.org/routes/antietam/antietam.htm) at bikewashington.org. You can take the highway bridge over the river, take a hard right just over the bridge down to Canal Rd (steep) and the C&O Towpath. Since part of the loop is on the towpath, don't try this on skinny tires. As an alternate, stay on 34 into Antietam, then head up 65 to the Visitors Center and start there. For the return, a paved road parallels the towpath from Millers Sawmill Rd to the Rt 34 bridge. Be prepared for a good climb back up to the highway.

I led a group of Boy Scouts on this ride (including the towpath) a few years ago. Except for portions of Rt 34, the roads have light traffic and the busier roads (65, 34) have good shoulders (we still exited onto the battlefield roads as soon as we could). There are port-a-johns and hand-pumped water at several hike & bike sites on the C&O (best is at the large Antietam Creek site), restrooms and water at the park Visitor Center, and at a few stores in town. There is a GREAT ice cream shop at the corner of Rt 34 and Harpers Ferry Rd (on the cue sheet, where it tells you to go left onto Harpers Ferry Rd at the exit from the battlefield auto rd, turn right, go down the hill into Sharpsburg - it is on the right just before 34). The steep climbs are coming up from the canal to the main roads, and there is a short stretch on the battlefield road approaching Harpers Ferry Rd that was a surprise. If you take a side trip down to Burnside's Bridge, you get a climb back up from Antietam Creek, too!

If your group is into history, Harpers Ferry is about an hour down-river via the C&O Canal towpath. You will need to carry the bikes up a spiral staircase and walk across the railroad bridge from MD into Harpers Ferry (the stairs and walkway were built for the Appalachian Trail). Or leave them at the bike rack on the MD side and lock them/leave someone to watch them.

The Antietam bike club, Baltimore club, and Potomac Pedelers (http://bikepptc.org) may have cue sheets for rides around Shepardstown.

[roadCruiser76]

I'm going to be going on a 'company' retreat to shepherdstown, wv (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Shepherdstown,+WV,+USA&ie=UTF8&ll=39.430624,-77.805004&spn=0.03812,0.064373&t=h&z=14&om=1) on Sept 10 and 11. Anybody know of any good routes in that general area? My plan is to organize something with my co-workers... we will have about 2 to 3 hours free on Monday, so I'm thinking a nice leisurely 12-15 mile route. Judging by what the area looks like on google maps, I could probably come up with something do-able, but wanted to know if anybody here knew of any routes that might take us by some interesting scenery.

I live in Charles Town, which is about 8 miles from Shepherdstown, and have posted a lot of routes for rides in the area on "MapMyRide." Feel free to give these a try. You don't have to do the whole ride for some of the longer ones - instead you can just do segments of them. Here are three routes that pass near the Shepherdstown area:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/wv/charles-town/174021568

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/md/sharpsburg/666394796

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/wv/bakerton/689224896