The Frederick County Guide Summer 2015 | Page 13

CO MMUN I T Y Summer is the perfect time of year to explore hip and historic Frederick by bicycle. The region’s unique geography provides a wealth of cycling opportunities to suit all skill levels. You can take a leisurely ride along Carroll Creek or the C&O Canal Towpath, or a more challenging ride through the rolling terrain of northern and western Frederick County; or try a mountain bike adventure down the trail at Gambrill State Park, or a jaunt around town on the f lat-to-rolling terrain throughout the City of Frederick. If you’re looking for ideas to begin your cycling journey, stop in at the Frederick Visitor Center near Downtown Frederick for a copy of the Frederick History Bicycle Loop and Heritage Bicycle Tours brochures. The Frederick History Bicycle Loop is a 10-mile loop through the City of Frederick, named a “Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists, with stops at 22 sites. Most of the sites have ties to Frederick’s rich history, from Schifferstadt Architectural Museum to the Hessian Barracks to the Francis Scott Key Memorial and Civil War sites. The Frederick History Bicycle Loop takes at least two hours to complete, or it can be spread out over an entire day of exploration through Frederick’s 50-block historic district. The Frederick County Heritage Bicycle Tours brochure outlines five distinctly different tour routes throughout Frederick County, each offering unique experiences. The City of Frederick “Campaign Ride” travels through Frederick’s Civil War history. For a more challenging ride, the Transportation Heritage Trail journeys along mostly f lat terrain with rolling portions that take cyclists along the C&O Canal and through historic sites and towns. On the North Country Bridge Sampler, riders venture along scenic roads to explore bridges of various design and construction, including iron and steel truss bridges and fully operational historic covered bridges. The Catoctin Mountain Challenge tour traverses Catoctin Mountain, taking bikers through a myriad of parklands with optional rural gravel roa