College Park Loop Trail (five trails)

**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) **

SKILL LEVEL
All levels will enjoy this ride. It is mostly flat until we get closer to Bladensburg Waterfront Park where we encounter a couple of inclines.

METRO OPTION
Greenbelt Metro Station

PARKING AND MEETING SPOT
Home Depot, College Park, parking lot. Park after the storage sheds against the brick boundary wall. (The trail parking lot is too small and has no bathrooms.) Plan to arrive by 8:45 so you have time to prepare and do a test ride. After check-in at 9, we will do an icebreaker question then ride over to the trailhead. This involves one traffic light crossing and biking a short distance on a sidewalk.

ROUTE DETAILS
The organizers will stop every two miles to regroup so slower riders can catch up and we stop at intersections that could be confusing. Faster riders may wish to meet us at a designated regroup point.

Paint Branch Trail begins on Cherry Hill Rd. It goes south to the UMD campus. It is one of the flatter trails and also has several shady segments making it suitable for summer biking. We will regroup at the T-junction before the route 1 tunnel.

After reaching UMD, we will connect to the Lake Artemesia Trail, which takes us to the scenic Lake Artemesia. Regroup at the bathrooms in the middle.

After biking around the lake, we'll get on the NE Branch Trail and make a quick stop at the College Park airport/College Park Aviation Museum - the longest operating airport in the world and where Wilbur Wright trained the first aviators.

We'll take the NE Branch Trail down to Bladensburg Waterfront Park. (Water station and bathroom stop). We'll regroup before crossing the bridge and then at the park by the caboose.

We'll return on NE Branch Trail and regroup before we make a left on Rachel Carson Greenway Trail (a short sidewalk on Charles Armentrout Dr) to the Route 1 light. Turn right onto Rhode Island Ave Trail. Take RI Ave Trail north until College Park Community Center. Turn right onto Paint Branch Trail and go back to the start.

DISTANCE OPTIONS
Participants are welcome to turn back at any point. The below are just suggestions.
Option A Bike 3 miles up to UMD campus and return.
Option B Bike 5 miles to and around Lake Artemesia and return
Option C Bike ~9 miles down to Bladensburg Waterfront Park and back to the starting point [The organizers plan to do this].
Option D Bike additional miles by continuing on Paint Branch Trail going north for additional 6 miles.

BATHROOMS
Home Depot
UMD campus
Lake Artemesia
Bladensburg Park
Riverdale Center

BIKE RENTALS
NA
BIKE REPAIR
Proteus Bike Shop (North end of the Trolley Trail)
RECOMMENDATIONS
Bring: Water bottles, snacks, 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 light to help others notice you.
REQUIREMENTS
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.
· Slow 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,