Join Bill and Todd this weekend for some camping, bicycling, and hiking at Big South Fork NRRA.

We'll road and MTB ride on Saturday, hike on Sunday. I have a campsite reserved for Fri. & Sat. and will be up there Friday afternoon. The trails are fairly well drained and we will ride / hike them if there is minor rain.

Camping:
I went ahead and reserved a campsite in Bandy Creek campground. It's for July 12 & 13 Reservation #2-27414079, tent site A-37, we can have up to 6 people on it and 2 vehicles. I also purchased a backcountry camping permit (only $5) when I was up there so we would have plenty of options. I will have an extra tent for someone to use.

Things to Bring
Camping items: headlight / flashlight, tent, sleeping bag, pillow, chair, change of clothes, personal stuff, backpack, hiking shoes.

Food items: Sat, breakfest, lunch, trail food.
Sun, breakfast, lunch, trail food.
H2o
Favorite beverages

I will have bike tools, some common parts, spare tent, firewood equipment, cooking stove, maps, and extra water.


Road Rides: (meet at campsite)
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2787425 33 mile out and back leaves from the campground. I have verified that these are good pavement.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2787055 50 mile loop route that has not been verified. On Google street view it looks like good pavement. Note: This one leaves from and returns to Pickett State Park. Not sure if there are any store stops.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2787589 Same as above, but would add 7 miles to loop through Monticello for stores or lunch.


MTB Rides: (meet at campsite)
The first MTB trail will be the Grand Gap Loop Trail. It's about 6.4 miles of singletrack. From the campground it is a 3.8 mile dirt road ride to get to the trailhead. If we bike it all we'll end up with about 14 miles. For biginner riders we have the option of driving to the trailhead and trimming it down to 6.4 miles.

Trail Description:
"This is a shared use trail for hikers and bikers every day of the week. Grand Gap Loop is a 6.4 mile loop trail which is best ridden counter clockwise. Except for a few technical sections, the trail is mostly flat, smooth and singletrack ideal for beginner to intermediate bikers. The trail travels along the cliffline which overlooks the river. Several rockshelters are also on the trail. Please park your bike and walk to the overlooks." (NPS)


After lunch we'll drive to the Rock Creek Loop trailhead and ride the Rock creek - John Muir - Chestnut ridge trail. Here we have the option of doing between 12 - 18 miles.

Trail Description:
"Segments of the Rock Creek Loop Trail, the John Muir Trail, and the Chestnut Ridge Trail in the northwest corner of the Big South Fork form a network of rides of varying length and skill levesl. Combine trail segments for an out-and-back 18-mile ride to the scenic John Muir Overlook or shorter combination of loop and out-and-back rides. For a shorter, more direct route to John Muir Overlook, park at the Divide Road – Chestnut Ridge Trail intersection 0.7 miles north of the state line. This trailhead is poorly marked so check your distance and watch for the old road branching off to the right." (Big South Fork Bike Club)

Sunday we will choose our hiking destination from a couple of different options, one will be the Honey Creek Loop @ 5.5 difficult miles. You may want to bring, in addition to hiking shoes, your water shoes, bathing suit and towel along on this one.

Hope to see you there!

Todd @ 757 319-3849 NOTE: May not have cell service in park. Meet at campsite.

Should be a great weekend outing If there is any interest in this type of event we will plan more for the club. I can be reached at 615 273-2147 we are going to car pool up and back. However if you want to ride your bike either way you can do that as well.

You can rent a Gary Fisher Tarpon mountain bike (all sizes) from the MTSU Recreation Center for $25, $20 if you are an MTSU student. These are weekend rates. Pick up Friday and return Monday.

The Outdoor Equipment Rental area is closed Wednesdays, but will open Thursday-Friday from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Call 898-2104 and reserve one.

Are you going Yvonne?

Sara we can leave from my house if you want.

Sounds like fun- but- my mother is flying in from Florida to visit us- maybe next time- be safe!

Thanks for posting that info. Sara!

That's a very reasonable weekend rate.

From M-boro to campground.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=bandy+creek+campground&ie=UTF-8&hl=en