We are looking for campgrounds that offer access to paved or rocked bike trails, or even side walk access into small towns, that you can ride directly to from your park site (not on hwys or mtn biking trails)...no specific area. Just looking to compile a selection of parks to visit that offer lots of bike riding.... Suggestions of parks we have stayed at: Bob Shelter COE park in Des Moines, IA Island Retreat in Gulf Shores, AL Rend Lake COE in IL Peninsula State Park in Door County, WI
Red Rock Ponds in Holley NY. Right alone the Eire Canal. This gravel/part paved bike path runs along the tow path of the Erie Canal and runs from Albany, NY to Buffalo, NY (454 miles) The section running past Red Rock Ponds is gravel. Ports and small towns along the canal with numerous fine dining and other services. Red Rock Ponds has all gravel sites that are full hookup with 50 a at all sites, cable at all sites. WiFi sucks badly! Have some pull through sites and many sites that will accommodate big rigs (we have a 45 foot coach and toad).
Rafter J Bar in Hill City, SD. It's right on the Mickelson (sp?) Trail, which is a great paved bike path. It does cost, I think, $3 per day to use the trail. There are collection boxes along the trail.
We stayed at Sundermeier RV Park in St. Charles, Missouri, and it was great for bike riding, because there is a smooth gravel trail (former railroad) that is adjacent to the park. The trail runs along the river, and goes through an old historic part of town. We had lunch at a cool little roadside place that caters to bicyclists, but I can't recall the name of it. NOTE: Here in the RV Park Reviews website, St. Charles is listed twice, once with a period (St. Charles), and once without a period (St Charles). Sundermeier can be found in the one without the period.
Pine Island near Ft Meyers, FL has several miles of nicely paved concrete sidewalks in the area around the Ft Meyers/Pine Island KOA. Many bike riders use the walkways, including the dozen or so recumbent cyclers in "convoy" that passed me one morning while I was getting in my morning 5 mile walk.
If you are ever in South Louisiana try Fountainbleu State Park. It is off of I 12 near Lake Pontchartrain. It has easy access to the Tammany Trace bike trail which is about 30 miles long. It is a flat well maintained trail. There are several trailheads offering bathrooms and a good rest stop.
We are in Heyburn State Park in Idaho and there is LOTS of trails for bikes, etc. in fact one is 72 miles long!
we have used this sidewalk as a bike trail as well. It is parallel to the road so not that scenic. BUt it is nice to be separated from the traffic. Be aware that Pine Island does not offer any beaches to sit on. That was a disappointment.
Myakka River State Park in Florida has miles of roads to bike within the park. There are also off-road unpaved roads to bike on..like near the power lines. Reserve campsites early in winter. This is an extremely popular park in winter. offering airboat rides, ranger talks, and a short canopy walk. etc.
There is a small public beach at the end of Tropical Point near the KOA on Pine. And I do mean "small"! The parking lot only has room for 4 or 5 cars, and there's only about a 50 foot or so stretch of sand. It's a nice picnic spot though...
Yep, we'll be returning to Myakka next March for 2 weeks on a site in the full hookup Palmetto Ridge section. As you said, lots places for bike riding and lots of other activities. Myakka is one of our favorite FL state parks.
My first suggestion is Bella Vista, Ar. Next door to Bentonville ,Ar. Several places to stay in the area. Miles of smooth paved trails between the two cities. Also, Bella Vista is host to one of the largest Mountain bike events in the country. That should tell you something about riding in this area. Trails are a variety of skills. Also, Lake Ouachita State Park, Arkansas. Medium skill level biking trails all over the area. It also has the Lake Ouachita Trail (A nationally recognized EPIC trail) One of the top 10 in the nation.
Boyd Lake State Park in Loveland, CO has immediate access to the 18+ mile long Loveland Trail (a concrete path that's not complete, so still has a couple of road sections). Ridgway State Park in Ridgway, CO has access to a concrete path that you can ride right into Ridgway. The path also accesses Dennis Weaver Park which has a few miles of singletrack. Ridgway State Park itself also has a few miles of singletrack via the hiking trails. The RAT mountain bike trail system is easily accessible from Ridgway State Park as well.
Stagecoach State Park near Oak Creek in Colorado has several miles of dirt double track and county roads that go around the lake. Very scenic and doable, even with a hybrid bike. You can access the trail directly from the campground.
There are several suggestions that come to mind. The first is Sanibel Island, FL near Ft. Meyers. They have extensive bike trails that run from one end of the island to the other. There are many shops and restaurants as well as some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The shelling is FANTASTIC! The best time to go is from Oct. to Christmas. The weather is mild and the crowds are slight. From Jan to May, they are booked solid. From June to September is hot. The second place in Florida is Highlands Hammock St. Park. It has many paved bike trails in the park (CCC museum is wonderful). There is Fort De Soto Campground which has bike trails and beautiful beaches. Also the Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island St. Park has a bike trail that runs down the island (the lighthouse is wonderful as well as the beaches). I have found that most of Florida State Parks have some type of bike trails. There is also a Cavern with tours in the Florida panhandle. One last place is Cades Cove Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains NP, TN. Cades Cove Loop Road is an 11 mile one way road which is closed to motor vehicles Wed. & Sat. morning (till 10 am) from May thru late Sept. to allow bicycling or walking along the road without worrying about traffic. We saw deer, turkey and two different black bears with cubs. Outstanding views and wildlife. This is dry camping and there are no stores or restaurants but the biking is spectacular.
