Anacostia River Trail: Bladensburg Waterfront to The Wharf and Back

**Check back to see if the date or start time has changed. This ride will be postponed (possibly replaced with another ride) if the chance of rain is above 49%, or wind speed or wind gusts are above 15 mph (per Accuweather) **

TRAIN OR BUS STOPS
College Park Station
Hyattsville Station
Riverdale Station

PARKING ADDRESS
Bladensburg Waterfront Park
4601 Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg, MD (map link) Bladensburg Waterfront Park is located right where Bladensburg Rd becomes Annapoli · Washington, DC
PARKING AND MEETUP SPOT
There is a plenty of parking. Park anywhere, then bike toward the visitor center and caboose. Meet us between the train caboose and bike racks. After check-in, we’ll do an icebreaker question.
BIKE ROUTE SUMMARY
This route is hairpin shaped because we’ll return back on the north side of the river for a couple miles before taking a bridge back to the other side.
The trail will wind behind the visitor center and go along the river towards DC.
(If anyone wants to take a side trail to see the Kenilworth Gardens, let us know so we can show you the entry point). We hug the river at the beginning and pass it again at the last 3 miles down. We pass by Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, go through fields, parks, a train track overpass bridge, and the Anacostia River Park - where we may start to see boats and yachts on the river. We'll take a couple of stops to regroup on the way.

At the end of the Anacostia River Park, we’ll go leftwards towards the new Frederick Douglass Bridge which may tempt you to take some photos. After crossing, we’ll pass through the Audi Arena and turn left to take a break at the Titanic Memorial at the waterfront. We’ll then go to the Wharf which will require dismounting our bikes once we get to the busier areas.

RETURN
We’ll head up on the west side. Go slowly through The Yards district and enjoy the landscape, sculpture art, river views etc.
Right after the Navy Yards district boardwalk —-be aware of the large pavers in front of the Navy Yard (after crossing the narrow inlet bridge) — many pavers have wide, deep gaps in between them so bike tires can get stuck while riding, causing a flip or fall.
Halfway up, we’ll take Benning Rd bridge across to the east side, then turn right and right again to get back to Bladensburg Waterfront Park.
TYPE OF BIKE: Any kind of bike frame and tires. Ensure it is the correct frame size for your height so you can get maximum output. Participants are responsible for ensuring their bike tires, brakes, and chain are in good condition and they have a spare tire on hand. Organizers can try to help but aren't responsible for everyone's bike conditions.
SKILL LEVEL: All levels can enjoy this trail. It only has about three short inclines.
PACE: It’s up to you. HOWEVER: The event organizers have fit legs (avg. 10-18 mph). And some of us like to do a cardio workout at some point. 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.
· 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
Participants can choose to return at any point. These are just suggestions.
OPTION A: Bike about three miles to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, then return
OPTION B: Bike about 8 miles to the Anacostia Park, then return.

OPTION C: Bike ~ 9.6 miles to The Wharf, DC and back. The event organizers plan to do this route.
OPTIONAL ONE HOUR BREAK: We’ll take a break to explore the Wharf boardwalk piers, shops, fountain areas, and to eat/drink, rest, and socialize. (Organizers will eat at Falafel Inc. They have a $6 falafel salad bowl. All are welcome to join us or go their own way for the break.) Meet at 1:00 at [location to TBD] to head back.
OPTION D: Bike option C then add more mileage by biking the NW Branch Trail , and then connecting to one of the other local trails.
BATHROOMS
Bathrooms available at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, Anacostia Park, and at The Wharf Boardwalk area, as well as the Navy Yard area where we’ll be stopping to enjoy river views.
BIKE RENTALS
Rentals are available at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park visitor center. You can reserve online before the date.
BIKE REPAIR
Bike repair options are at the visitor center and at The Wharf boardwalk in DC
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 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/