The Great Rock Creek/Capital Crescent Loop -- with E-Bike Lovers

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54635719
20.6 miles; mostly paved trail; some designated bike lanes and relatively calm neighborhood streets. Toilet facilities at beginning and middle of the ride. Lunch at Fletcher's Cove, 13 miles into the ride.

On this ride we explore two local gems: Rock Creek Trail/Beach Drive and the Capital Crescent Trail. Rock Creek Park is a national treasure and affords magnificent nature views. We'll ride on the trail and on sections of Beach Drive that have been closed to motor vehicle traffic. Feel free to stop for photos at Peirce Mill and the adjacent waterfall. We continue south past the National Zoo on the Zoo Loop and down into Georgetown.

At the Georgetown waterfront, we'll make an optional stop at mile 0 of the C&O Canal. You may also choose to stop and explore the Georgetown Waterfront Park and its terrific views of the Potomac.

From Georgetown we go west on the Capital Crescent Trail. After our lunch stop at Fletcher's Cove, we head further north to Bethesda then east through well-sculpted Chevy Chase neighborhoods before finishing the ride.

Please charge your battery, pump your tires, and check your brakes. Consider packing a spare tire tube. The ride is on paved trail and asphalt roads, but there are a few hilly segments. As usual, analog bike riders are most welcome.

We highly recommend that you download the Ride With GPS route map.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54635719

About Peirce Mill
Peirce Mill was built on Rock Creek in 1829 at the behest of Isaac Peirce. Using the moving water as a power source, the mill ground corn, wheat, and rye. Succeeding generations further developed the mill, sawmill, orchard, and tree nursery. In 1890, an act of Congress incorporated the mill and 350 acres of the property into Rock Creek Park.

About Fletcher's Cove
Fletcher's Cove, called by many customers "Fletcher's Boathouse," has been in this location since the 1850s and is renowned as a fishing and recreational area.

The nearby Abner Cloud House is the oldest building on the canal, dating back to 1802. After 145 years of business, the fourth generation of the Fletcher family retired in 2004, and a National Park Service concessionaire assumed responsibility for the operation of the boat rental and fishing tackle/bait operation. The area surrounding the boathouse was then officially named Fletcher's Cove, though most people still call it Fletcher's Boat House.

About the C&O Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland. The canal's principal cargo was coal from the Allegheny Mountains.
The canal’s roots begin with George Washington’s dream of a waterway trade route. 74 locks were built. The full canal towpath is 184 miles long. See our September calendar for 4-day adventure on the towpath.

About the Capital Crescent Trail
The Capital Crescent Trail follows an abandoned Georgetown Branch railroad right of way and extends 11 miles from Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, to Bethesda, MD. It will eventually link to Silver Spring.
The trail, one of 500 rail-to-trail projects in the nation, traverses’ park land and neighborhoods and includes stretches along the Potomac River. We'll cross a railroad trestle at Arizona Avenue and ride through the Dalecarlia Tunnel near the DC/MD border.

Free Ride With GPS for E-Bike Lovers
The Ride With GPS E-bike Lovers club membership is now free as www.ebikelovers.com generates sufficient income from ads to cover the costs.
Here is the link to activate your free membership:
https://ridewithgps.com/auto_approve/Club/6746/Zwa5jhttF5mJrFbN

More information about using GPS files:
https://ebikelovers.com/2021/03/15/download-our-trails-and-never-get-lost/

More information about e-bike ranges:
https://ebikelovers.com/2020/12/31/e-bike-longer-and-happier-15-smart-strategies-to-reduce-your-e-bike-range-anxiety/

Did you know that E-bike Lovers is an Amazon Affiliate?
https://ebikelovers.com/reviews

For the E-Bike Lovers group to be successful, we need to grow our membership carefully. Please feel free to invite other E-Bike lovers spread the word, and let’s have fun!

When you register for this ride, you are agreeing to the terms of the disclaimer below.

DISCLAIMER
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, NEITHER GREGORY MAASSEN, NATHAN MERRIS, RICHARD CAMER, TRIP COORDINATORS, THEIR AFFILIATES, FAMILY AND FORMER AND CURRENT EMPLOYERS NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING, OR DELIVERING E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS IS LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF A USER’S ACCESS TO, OR USE OF THE E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS.
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