Four Bicycle-friendly Campgrounds You’ll Wish You Were at Right Now

Guadalupe River State Park, photo by Patti

Guadalupe River State Park, Texas

With four miles of river frontage on the Guadalupe River, this state park’s many swimming holes provide a welcome reprieve from the Texas summer heat, especially after a long bike ride. Once you’ve cooled off, there are 13 miles of hiking and biking trails to explore within the park, and canoes available for rent if you feel like doing a little fishing. The park has 85 bike-in campsites with water and electricity, as well as numerous picnic areas, scenic viewing areas, and plenty of opportunities for bird-watching.

tpwd.texas.gov

Big Basin Redwoods Park, photo by Rob Shenk

Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California

Located just 25 miles north of Santa Cruz, Big Basin Redwoods is California’s oldest state park, and home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. Eighty miles of trails weave through old growth and recovering forests, past waterfalls and rivers, and through the stomping grounds of many animals such as bobcats, deer, raccoons, and lots of bird life. The park stretches from the coast inland, so you can ride from the foggy beaches of northern California into the thick of the redwood forest, and pitch your tent among the stand of some of the continent’s oldest trees.

parks.ca.gov

Pacific Rim National Park, photo by Pascal

Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia

A recently developed wilderness bike trail connects Pacific Rim National Park to the nearby town of Ucluelet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Bike-in campgrounds dot the heavily-forested coastline of this pacific wilderness park. Long, sandy beaches offer surfing and plenty of opportunities to spot bald eagles cruising above the foggy shore. Trails wind through the forest and back out to the many sandy beaches, and the cute coastal surf town of Tofino is just a short bike ride away.

pc.gc.ca

The wetlands and lakes at Parc national d’Oka, photo by Denis Grenier

Parc National d’Oka, Quebec

Along the Route Verte, a 5,034 kilometres (3,128 mi) network of cycling and multi-use trails throughout Quebec, sits Parc National d’Oka, a historic park in the Laurentian region of the province. More accessible than many other parks in the huge province, Oka is only 47 km from Montreal and you can ride the entire distance on the cycling route. Once inside the park, you can canoe, kayak, swim, or go wildlife watching, or wander around to visit the historic oratories and chapels.

sepaq.com