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\nBicycle camping is a fun, easy, and cheap way to get out of town.\u00a0 Just one night of bike camping feels like a vacation.\u00a0 It\u2019s fun solo, with your sweetie, or with a group of friends.\u00a0 All you need is basic gear \u2013 tent, sleeping bag, food, drink.\u00a0 And on a bike, getting there is half the fun.<\/p>\nAt the Bike Hut, you can rent a bicycle with a rack and pannier bags or a bicycle trailer to haul the gear.<\/strong><\/p>\n
When you\u2019re carrying everything you need, you\u2019re a self-sufficient traveler, a rolling personal getaway.\u00a0 You could literally stop anywhere and be set for the night.\u00a0 Sure, you could pull over to a hidden spot at the side of a scenic road, but let\u2019s focus on legitimate places to sleep, some of our fine local campgrounds that are easily accessible by bike.<\/p>\n
What Do You Take?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Look at it this way: what do you need to spend a night sleeping outside?\u00a0 Shelter, warmth, food, water, and entertainment.\u00a0 It\u2019s a pretty simple list.<\/p>\n
You can choose to bring fancier gear, extra food options, more toys such as frisbees, fishing poles, or musical instruments\u2026. But how much do you feel like carrying?\u00a0 For your first trip, keep it simple.\u00a0 You\u2019ll quickly figure out what you should have left at home, or what would have been nice to bring, and adjust accordingly on your next trip.<\/p>\n
To do it super-simple, skip cooking at camp.\u00a0 Bring cold food (sandwich fixins, hummus, fruit, salad of veggies or beans or couscous or whatever, plenty of snacks and treats), or plan to stop near the campground at a deli or taqueria \u2013 get it to go and eat once you\u2019re at the site.<\/p>\n
Remember: it\u2019s the bike, not you, carrying this stuff.\u00a0 Don\u2019t try to tote it in a backpack! That would quickly tire out your shoulders, back, and body in general.\u00a0 Your bicycle is your mule.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s one sample packing list for an overnighter.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 tent\u00a0 (or, if you prefer, a hammock, or a large tarp with ropes and stakes to secure it as a lean-to)<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 sleeping bag<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 sleeping pad, either a foam one or a nicer self-inflating one ala Thermarest brand\u00a0 (note: some campers do it hobo-style and sleep on corrugated cardboard for a little warmth and padding, which is usually a bit spartan for me)<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 flashlight, or just a good bike headlight<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 map, or knowledge of where you\u2019re going<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 basic bike tools, including patch kit, spare inner tube, and pump, and extra bungee cords<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 water bottles<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 pocketknife, plus fork, spoon, and cup (note: a solo camper doesn\u2019t need a plate \u2013 you can eat from the container or pan)<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 if you\u2019re cooking: backpacker-style lightweight camping stove and fuel bottle, cooking pan, matches<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 warm but light clothes for after dark: hat, gloves, silk longjohns, wool shirt \u2013 and remember you\u2019ve always got your sleeping bag to wrap up in<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 book or other personal entertainment (harmonica, knitting project, sketchpad, binoculars, camera…)<\/p>\n
Of course your list will vary.\u00a0 But keep it simple.\u00a0 Less gear means less time packing, less weight, and less stuff to dig through to find what you need.<\/p>\n
How Do You Get There?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Once your bike is packed with gear, it might look intimidatingly heavy.\u00a0 Don\u2019t sweat it \u2013 if pedaling a loaded bicycle were really that tough, you wouldn\u2019t see people doing it all the time (and grinning as they go).\u00a0 When the bike is rolling, you honestly don\u2019t notice the weight that much.\u00a0 You\u2019ll shift earlier on the uphills, and your natural pace will be a bit slower.\u00a0 But it\u2019s no big deal.\u00a0 The loaded bike is the most awkward when you\u2019re going slow or stopped \u2013 it can be a bit tippy then, so be alert to that.<\/p>\n
Remember you can combine a bicycle with public transit to extend your range or reduce your time pedaling. Ferries can get you from SF to Marin County or the East Bay.\u00a0 BART allows bikes on all trains, except at commute times.\u00a0 Caltrain goes down the Peninsula every day with room for at least 32 bikes per train.\u00a0 Most Bay Area buses have bike racks on the front; you\u2019ll need to remove your panniers and carry them on-board the bus (unfortunately trailers are a no-go).\u00a0 Links to transit agencies are below.<\/p>\n
If you need route guidance, check the official bike maps for San Francisco, Marin County, the East Bay, or wherever you\u2019re going.\u00a0 Krebs is a small company that makes beautiful, informative regional maps for bikers; they\u2019re available at local bike shops or online.\u00a0 Google Maps bike directions are getting better all the time, too \u2013 click on Get Directions, then the bike icon.\u00a0 Links to maps are below.<\/p>\n
Where Do You Go?<\/strong><\/p>\n
For a first bike camping trip, you can\u2019t beat Angel Island<\/strong>.\u00a0 You ride to the ferry (SF\u2019s Ferry Building or Pier 41; Sausalito or Tiburon in Marin; Jack London Square in Oakland), take a scenic boat ride across the Bay, then pedal just a few car-free miles on paved trails around the island to your campsite.\u00a0 The Ridge sites face awesome Golden Gate and SF views but can be a bit breezy.\u00a0 The Sunrise sites offer East Bay views, less tree cover (read: you\u2019re up with the sunrise), but are on the calmer side of the island wind-wise.\u00a0 Each site has a food locker, water tap, picnic table, and campfire ring.\u00a0 Once that last tourist ferry leaves in the afternoon, it feels like you\u2019re on your own private island, which is hard to beat.\u00a0 Weekends fill up months in advance, so book early.\u00a0 Weekday nights are much easier to snag.<\/p>\n
Be aware that state parks listed below may have reduced facilities or be closed entirely by Summer 2012, due to state budget problems.\u00a0 Check www.parks.ca.gov<\/a> for the latest info.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Some state park campgrounds have \u201chike-bike\u201d sites.\u00a0 Those sites are open only to people who arrive under their own power, are not reservable, and are shared \u2013 meaning other folks might be in the site too \u2013 but they\u2019re also cheap, around $5 per person.\u00a0 And you won\u2019t be turned away, since a hiker or biker cannot simply drive to the next campground.\u00a0 If the hike-bike site is full, the ranger or camp host will place you somewhere else (like a regular campsite or a picnic area).<\/p>\n
Samuel P. Taylor State Park<\/strong> is set in a redwood grove in rural western Marin County.\u00a0 Its campground includes a large hike-bike site with multiple picnic tables and tent spots, plus a water tap and campfire ring.\u00a0 The redwood setting is glorious.\u00a0 The local raccoons are notorious, so be alert after dark (and double-check the food lockers — some of them are run-down and not critter-proof).\u00a0 It\u2019s a lovely ride there \u2013 about 30 miles from SF, or 15 from the Larkspur ferry dock.\u00a0 One big hill along Sir Francis Drake Blvd, otherwise flat with good shoulders.\u00a0 Check the Marin Bike Map for good back roads through the suburbs. Just before the park is the tiny town of Lagunitas, with a general store and deli.\u00a0 Once you enter the park, look for the foot\/bike bridge over the creek to your right (it\u2019s easy to miss).\u00a0 The bridge leads to a nice dirt road through the woods, which skips a couple miles of bumpy, shoulderless pavement and leads directly to the campground.<\/p>\n
China Camp State Park<\/strong> is also in Marin, on San Pedro Road along the Bay shore east of San Rafael.\u00a0 It encompasses several distinct ecosystems where the wooded hillside meets the marshy Bay.\u00a0 The park is home to wonderful flora and fauna, plus that rare creature known as Bike-Legal Single-Track Trails.\u00a0 The campground is set in a wooded grove at the northwest end of the park, and all the sites are a short walk in, so there\u2019s no cars right next to tents.\u00a0 The hiker-biker is site is very nice but very small \u2013 not much flat ground for tents, and just a single picnic table\/food locker, so it\u2019s hard to share.\u00a0 But there\u2019s running water and a campfire ring.<\/p>\n
Half Moon Bay State Beach<\/strong> also has a hiker-biker site.\u00a0 The campground isn\u2019t fancy \u2013 a flat area between Highway 1 and the ocean \u2013 but the hike-bike site is relatively large and has a few trees, unlike some of the other sites.\u00a0 The main draw is perhaps the mighty Pacific.\u00a0 And since you\u2019re in a town, food and other amenities are nearby.<\/p>\n
A great way to ride there includes the so-called Planet of the Apes Road, a trail that\u2019s the remains of old Highway 1 before the Devil\u2019s Slide coastal section (and its new tunnel) were built.\u00a0 The crumbling road\/path has that abandoned-civilization look as it winds gently up the San Pedro Mountain hillside through the open space area.\u00a0 From Hwy 1 in southern Pacifica, turn left (east) on Linda Mar Dr., then right (south) on Peralta Rd, which dead-ends at the gate of the trailhead.\u00a0 Follow that dirt road up and over the hill; at the first junction continue left; at the second junction continue forward (or right) and back down to Hwy 1 north of the town of Moss Beach.\u00a0 Continue south, detouring along parallel side streets as you see them, into Half Moon Bay.\u00a0 (A mapped version: www.bikely.com\/maps\/bike-path\/Planet-of-the-Apes-Road)<\/p>\n
In the East Bay, one option is beautiful Mount Diablo State Park<\/strong>.\u00a0 The campground is at about 2500 feet elevation (no hike-bike site), so be prepared for major climbing.\u00a0 Water, fire rings, no alcohol.\u00a0 Road access from Northgate Road in Walnut Creek, or via the Briones-Mt Diablo fire road trail.\u00a0 If you\u2019d like scenery closer to sea level, check out Sunol Regional Wilderness<\/strong>, part of the East Bay Regional Parks District.\u00a0 You can bike up Niles Canyon Rd from Fremont, or the flatter way is to ride south from Dublin\/Pleasanton BART.\u00a0 The park is classic rolling hills and oak trees.\u00a0 Due to an ongoing construction project, the main family camps are currently closed, but there\u2019s open trail camps further out, some of which are on bike-legal trails.\u00a0 Most trail camps are BYO water, so be prepared to pack it in or filter creek water (as seasonally available).<\/p>\n
Speaking of BYO, if you want a getaway close to San Francisco but don\u2019t mind carrying your own water and forgoing a campfire, check out the Marin Headlands<\/strong> just across the Golden Gate Bridge.\u00a0 It\u2019s part of the federal Golden Gate National Recreation Area and contains 3 campgrounds.\u00a0 The camping is free, but you must make a reservation by phone and pick up a permit at the Visitor Center in Rodeo Valley (the southernmost valley, through the one-way tunnel on Bunker Rd.).\u00a0 The best first trip is to Bicentennial Camp<\/strong> \u2013 it\u2019s the closest to SF, and your drinking water and your permit pick-up are on the way at the Visitor Center.\u00a0 Bicentennial has just three sites, nestled above the Golden Gate on the west side of the Bridge, with a picnic table and food locker for each.\u00a0 You gaze across the water at the city but feel much further removed from urban life.<\/p>\n
So get packing, and get riding!\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to make time for local overnight bike camping vacation.\u00a0 Stop by the Bike Hut if you need to rent a gear-ready bicycle with panniers or a bike trailer.<\/p>\n
Written by Matt Hoover. Photos by Matt Hoover.<\/p>\n
Web Resources<\/h3>\n
Angel Island State Park \u2013 www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=468<\/a><\/p>\n
Samuel P Taylor State Park \u2013 www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=469<\/a><\/p>\n
China Camp State Park \u2013 www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=466<\/a><\/p>\n
Half Moon Bay State Beach — www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=531<\/a><\/p>\n
Mt Diablo State Park \u2013 www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=517<\/a><\/p>\n
Sunol Regional Wilderness – www.ebparks.org\/parks\/sunol<\/a><\/p>\n
Marin Headlands — www.nps.gov\/goga\/planyourvisit\/outdooractivities.htm<\/a><\/p>\n
San Francisco Bike Maps – www.sfbike.org\/?maps<\/a><\/p>\n
East Bay Bike Maps – www.ebbc.org\/maps<\/a><\/p>\n
Marin County Bike Maps – www.marinbike.org\/Map<\/a><\/p>\n
Krebs Cycle Maps –www.krebscycleproducts.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
Google Bike Maps – maps.google.com<\/a> – Get Directions -> Bike icon<\/p>\n
East Bay ferries – www.eastbayferry.com<\/a><\/p>\n
SF ferries \u2013 www.goldengateferry.org<\/a> , www.blueandgoldfleet.com\/ferry-services<\/a><\/p>\n
BART \u2013 www.bart.gov<\/a><\/p>\n
Caltrain \u2013 www.caltrain.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Marin buses \u2013 www.goldengatetransit.org<\/a><\/p>\n
East Bay buses \u2013 www.actransit.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Bay Area trip planning \u2013 bicycling.511.org<\/a><\/p>\n
Post-Car Press – postcarpress.tumblr.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bike + Tent = Instant Vacation The Bike Hut can help you take a quick, refreshing getaway The Bay Area is blessed with lots of fabulous places to ride a bike.\u00a0 It\u2019s also home to several great nearby camping spots.\u00a0 … Continue reading
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