Bike the South Island Trail, Kent Island, MD

**Check back to see if the date or start time has changed. This ride may be postponed if the chance of rain is above 40%, or wind speed or wind gusts are above 15 mph (per Accuweather) or if temperature is above 96*F at noon **

Credit goes to Howard Eckert for suggesting this trail and providing details and photos.

DESCRIPTION
Join us for a cycling adventure on Kent Island, just to the east of Annapolis. Consider bringing or wearing water shoes so you can enjoy the beaches.

The South Island Trail is a paved, fairly flat trail that runs parallel to Route 8 on Kent Island. It is six miles long and runs from Metapeake Public Beach down to Romancoke Pier Park. It winds through fields and four forest segments, which offer some shade. And it passes by neighborhoods on one side. There’s also buffer of trees and shrubs between the road and the trail.

Note: There is a $4 toll to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

BATHROOMS
There are bathrooms at both ends of the South Island Trail.

PARKING AND MEETUP SPOT
There is a large public parking lot at the trailhead (before you get to the Metapeake Pier parking lot). If you see bathrooms to the right and the river ahead of you, you have missed the turn to trailhead parking lot.

NOTE: Look for a sign pointing to the trailhead lot (it was very small the last time we were there.) The red pin on this event's map should guide you to the trailhead parking lot. If you end up driving past the left turn and going to the pier instead, turn around and look for an entry road on your right. There are no piers or bathrooms in the trailhead parking lot
Meet us at the trailhead sign.

SKILL LEVEL: All levels. Since this is a fairly flat trail, beginners should be able to complete option A easily.

PACE: Go at your own pace. We're a casual biking group and many of us only bike once a week. We make stops at tricky points on the trail and /or to regroup every 2-4 miles. Since paved trails can sometimes be crowded, we don’t have expectations of being able to go very fast and the speed limit is usually 15 mph on trails, anyway.
· If you prefer a faster pace than the lead riders, you can make stops to wait for them to catch up.
· If you’re not sure what your avg. speed is, be prepared to use a nav app to ride solo in case you don’t catch up to us at our stops.

DISTANCE OPTIONS
The below are just suggestions. Participants can return any time they like.

OPTION A – 12 miles total, +/- 130 ft
South Island Trail only. Bike six miles down to Romancoke Pier Park. Take a break and explore the pier and mini beach area, then return the same way you came or continue with the leads down to Kent Point Marina.

OPTION B - Up to 19.8 miles total, +/- 194 ft
South Island Trail + Extension (road cycling to Kent Point Marina at the southern point of the island).
The road that branches off of Romancoke Rd is a two-lane road with no shoulders, but it is lightly traveled and a nice ride.
We will bike another five miles to the marina at the southern end of the peninsula. They have a seafood food truck, convenience store, picnic tables, and nice views.

After a 10-minute break, we'll bike 8.8 miles back to the Metapeake Pier (it's very close to the trailhead) to enjoy the river views. Option to use a picnic table for a break, afterwards.

Herman Drost’s Facebook video from the 2025 trip: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BjSXyGVFx/

BIKE RENTALS
NA
BIKE REPAIR
NA
RECOMMENDATIONS
Bring: Water bottles, snacks, biking gloves, bike bell, bike lock, helmet visor, sunglasses, bike tube, pump, patch, first aid kit, mobile phone with nav app installed (e.g. Google maps, we use RidewithGPS). If you get leg cramps during or after a ride, take electrolytes before and during your ride (or add salt and magnesium to your water). A change of clothes for your ride home or a car seat cover to absorb sweat.
Clothing: Wear biking gloves and durable clothing so that if you do fall, your skin is protected. Avoid wearing all black, all dark grey, all dark brown, or all dark blue, which blends in with pavement, especially while riding through a shady segment. Consider wearing something lighter to help others notice you.
REQUIREMENTS
Participants must wear tightly secured helmets when on their bike.
Be proactive to avoid a fall/crash and minimize injury:
· Keep a distance between yourself and other bikers. If the biker ahead of you suddenly stops, you should be able to avoid hitting them.
· Don’t make stops on the trail. Pull over to the side and use hand gestures to let people know you’re slowing down to make a stop.
· Yelling out “Passing on your left” and/or ringing a bike bell as you approach people ahead of you, so they don’t inadvertently move in your line of travel.
· Slowing down to wait, rather than speeding up when trying to pass people at the same time walkers/bikers are approaching you from the opposite direction.
· Avoid potholes and debris and slow down when approaching bumps
· When approaching road crossings and iffy situations, triple-check before crossing and don’t let yourself be distracted by talking, etc.
· Ensure your helmet is tightly secured so that it won’t move if you hit the ground.

MEETUP POLICIES
Participants should understand that biking is an inherently dangerous activity, and an accident could happen at any time. Participation is at your own risk.
An RSVP of “Yes” to an event is your digital signature acknowledging that you have read, understood, and agree with Meetup’s and MD Rail Trail Biking’s policies, esp. section 6 “Release” and section 8.2 ” Limitation of Liability,” found at https://www.meetup.com/terms/