Riding a bike along the roads in and around Jefferson and Washington counties is an excellent way to view incredible landscapes, see loads of wildlife, and smell the sweet country air. This time of year you’ll smell newly blooming honeysuckle or see the tops of tall trees dancing in the wind. It is also a great way to get some exercise.
To help you discover new riding routes, the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau has produced a new brochure, “Bicycle Tours of Washington County, Maryland.” The guide provides maps and directions for eight loop tours of the county that range in distance from 11 to 34 miles following streets and back roads. Here is a sampling of the sites along the South Mountain Sharpsburg Tour.
The route starts in Boonsboro, but we started the loop in Sharpsburg so we would not have to drive (adding about 5 miles to the 33 mile loop). We picked up the loop on Md. Route 34 (Shepherdstown Pike) and then turned left on Md. Route 65 (Sharpsburg Pike) to the Antietam Battlefield visitor center. After a stop at the battlefield, we returned to Route 65. The road has wide shoulders, which provides lots of room for bike travel—watch out for occasional broken glass and other sharp debris that can cause a sudden flat tire.
Turn right on Manor Church Road just past the community of Fairplay. This is a beautiful road with open fields, tall trees, and lots of wildlife. We saw a hawk stationed on a branch scanning a field and watched a chipmunk shoot across the road in front of us.
Continue from Manor Church Road to Mill Point Road. Near this intersection we caught the strong, sweet smell of newly cut hay, as a farmer was cutting hay against the backdrop of South Mountain. Car traffic was light and the scenery was beautiful.
Turn right onto Alternate U.S. Route 40 toward Boonsboro. There is more traffic (and a few discourteous drivers) en route to Boonsboro, where there are convenience stores and restaurants. Turn right on U.S. Route 40 and go to the main stoplight in town, then turn right onto Route 34 toward Shepherdstown. After a short distance, turn on King Road and immediately begin a climb up a small hill as King Road winds through farm fields and provides more awesome views of South Mountain.
Take King Road to Md. Route 67 and turn right and begin a ride through the scenic Pleasant Valley, a lovely stretch between South Mountain and Elk Ridge. Like Route 65, Route 67 can have heavy traffic at times, but there is an ample shoulder for bike travel and the scenery is worth the ride.
Turn left up Townsend Road. This road includes a hill that we had been warned about and I had this hill in the back of my mind for much of the ride. But like a lot of things in life, the hill proved to be not as bad as anticipated. At the top we continued to Gathland State Park, where we took a break to visit the restrooms and fill our water bottles.
Head down Gapland Road and turn right onto Route 65 and follow it to Trego Road and turn left. Trego Road turns into Mount Briar Road. Turn left onto Dogstreet Road and take this to the top of a hill to a three-way stop. Turn right on Geeting Road and follow into Keedysville, where, the guide notes, there is water available in the town park. Turn left in town onto Main Street and then turn left back onto Route 65 towards Sharpsburg and the end of the route—except for us; we rode back to Shepherdstown. Nutter’s Ice Cream in Sharpsburg is always worth a stop for their tasty and affordable ice cream. We controlled our ice cream desires and headed home to Shepherdstown on Shepherdstown Pike.
Riding a bike provides closeness to nature that riding in a car whizzing by at 50 mph cannot give. Throughout our ride this day we heard the sounds of birds, insects, farm animals and even the pleasing song of a meadowlark. We enjoyed the rush and gurgle of water as we crossed over the many streams and creeks on our ride. We filled our lungs with the sweet smell of honeysuckle and newly cut hay. We looked to the distant mountain ridges for inspiration as we struggled up steep hills. A bike has no engine noise or exhaust fumes to cover or cloud the sounds and smells of our natural world. Fix up that old bike sitting in the garage or pump up those tires and head out for one of the eight loop rides in the new Washington County guide, or just go for a country stroll on one of the many back roads in and around town. Whichever you choose to do, riding a bike can provide a new opportunity to experience the beautiful countryside around Shepherdstown.