Gambrills State Forest Ride

[Panther]

But they are public roads, right? Not gonna get hassled by a Ranger or cop so long as I have a tag, right?

[Rut Row]

But they are public roads, right? Not gonna get hassled by a Ranger or cop so long as I have a tag, right?

that is correct! Maybe next weekend we can get Bucho to host a watershed lapfest

[Panther]

Thanks for the info guys!

[mdubya]

A "lapfest" at Gambills may draw more attention than you want. But that depends on how you ride. I usually do 2 laps as part of a larger more wide ranging ride. With the way I tend to ride, by the end of the 2nd lap, the locals are starting to look annoyed. I have never been hassled up there, but 2 laps at 80% pace is all have have had the 'nad to stick around for.

Hamburg and Coxey Brown Roads are good fun paved roads which resemble paved moto X tracks. Hawbottom and Rum Springs are close by dirt roads.

Here is a fun little route to try: Out of Jefferson, MD take Lander Road to Sigler Road (dirt with a small creek crossing). Then take Horine Road to Gene Hemp Road (all paved but with a neat corrugated steel tunnel which goes under Route 340). Then 180 west (all paved) to St. Mark's Road (paved, but narrow and dirty with a raised wooden single lane bridge, good for jumps or just scenic). Turn right on to Broad Run/383, then left onto Corun Road. Left on Poffenberger Road (all dirt with a really cool old raised single lane bridge over the creek). Right on 383 and immediate right onto Sumantown Road. Cross Catoctin Creek and bear right to get onto Paul Rudy Road. Left onto Roy Shafer Road, bear left onto Bennies Hill Road, left onto Harley Road which will loop you back to Sumantown Road. Follow Sumantown back to 383, or turn left and do another loop.

Connect this loop with a few laps of Gambrills Park and you will have a very scenic ride with a significant amount of dirt and gravel and a few water crossings.

There are a few good dirt roads/routes north of Thurmont too. Good to take while makiing your way up to High Rock overlook.

[Bucho]

Yeah, might be alittle much for a "lapfest". But I'm usually up to hitting all the dirtroads around Gambrill/Frederick Watershed area whenever.
I'll have to look at a map and check out Mike's route, knowing him it should be pretty good.

Tomorrow mid-late afternoon or Sunday I'm definently going back to the watershed area. I went there earlier today. My wife was practicing w/ her bike and I was following her in my pickup w/ the baby. She is still not comfortable w/ the higher speeds on pavement, but then felt better on the dirtroads. She charged into the creek crossing and did realize how deep it was. She got soaked, but made it across and back.

When it started raining on our way back, we put her bike in the truck and I think she dropped one of her gloves out there.
I'm going back for it. If anyone wants to join my search party let me know.

[mdubya]

FWIW, all of my suggested route can be done on street biased tires, including the Gamrills loop. I do it with my SM set up on Pirelli Super Corsas. I dragged restukey around Gambrills on SM wheels and tires in the wet and melting frost. He found it slippery but negotiable.
The only road that gets really tricky on street tires is Hawbottom.

[Bucho]

Ya, I'm swapping my wheels out in the morning. I prefer the motard tires much more in the dirt then the knobbies on the pavement.

My knobbies generally only go on for Greenridge type stuff.

[Bucho]

Finally figured out how to post a pic. This is Erin out riding her mini thumper. Sorry didn't get any action pics of her crossing the creek. She got a little crossed up coming back and didn't want to do it again for the camera.

[Panther]

Rider,

Are all those trails in Gambrill open to regular vehicular traffic, or just for ORVs or what?

A 20 mile loop sounds like it is worth checking out. How do you get there -- just go in the regular park entrance off Rt 40 outside Frederick and look for signs?

Are there other "regular" asphalt roads that intersect the 20 mile loop?

they are all public roads. There is some asphalt. Easiest entrance is to take Gamrill Park Rd off of 40 and follow it as far as it will go. Takes you out of the park but there is plenty of gravel and fun up there. Look for the junction of Delauter Rd and Fishing Creek Rd - there is a ford on Delauter.

I took a trip up there Saturday and had a decent ride. It took me awhile to find dirt, though. I went in at Gambrill park road. First I pulled off at a relay tower and started down a powerline (there were no no trespassing signs) which was fun but I realized if I took a spill or broke down I might be there a looong time.

So on I went -- taking a few side roads that looked promising but were just more blacktop for miles, s o I'd head back to the main road. Eventually I found Delauter road and dirt/stone (i.e. fun) roads. None of the other roads had a sign I could see so I don't know what roads I was on but I eventually got back on Delauter and back to the main road. It took me about 23 miles from home to hit Delauter, which is a bit more than I had planned but it was a good time.

If anyone has a map of the roads back there I'd like to get a copy.

BTW I found someone's gloves laying in the middle of one of the roads. They were pretty distinctive, so if you can describe them I'll get 'em back to ya.

[mdubya]

If anyone has a map of the roads back there I'd like to get a copy

Try http://www.mapquest.com/maps/Frederick+MD/

Zoom to Gambrills State Forest. If you get on Gambrills Park Road and stay on it it turns into a dirt road, goes on for several miles, meets up with Mountaindale Road (turn right) which intersects with Fishing Creek Road and Delauter Road. By turning left on Delauter you will loop back to Gambrills Park Road (paved section). You will need to turn right onto Gambrills Park Road to do another loop (the dirt starts a mile or 2 down the road). The Gambrills/Mountaindale/Delauter loop is approx. 8 miles.