Start Location

On Tour Brewery, 1725 W. Hubbard, Chicago, IL 60622

Number of participants

70

Ride Description

Chicago's bike camping adventure advocates, Out Our Front Door is leading a overnight bike adventure from Chicago to Indiana Dunes National Park for Adventure Cycling Association's Bike Travel Weekend!

Tickets are $115 and you may register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/battle-to-the-dunes-2022-tickets-253821405657

Come ride as a part of Adventure Cycling Association's Bike Travel Weekend and join the thousands of bicyclists who will be doing a bike weekend all over the country. On this trip, Out Our Front Door will lead you to the Lake Michigan shoreline of Southern Chicago and Northwestern Indiana to reveal the marks of a century-long conflict over land use in the region. Sand dunes, steel mills, power lines, marsh land, and a commercial harbor share a ten-mile stretch along the lakeshore. We'll learn the struggle for a National Park and discover the birthplace of ecology, the rise of Steel, and pop in one of the last remaining wood-smoked seafood shacks in Illinois, for a mouth-watering snack.

We'll transport back to the 1893's Worlds fair as we cruise along Chicago's world class museum campuses, the Daniel Burnham and Jackson Parks, and to the beginnings of green spaces of Chicago. But most important of all, spend an evening enjoying the Sand Dunes of the Indiana Dunes Lake Shore and State Park. -A two day bike camping tour, with steel, nature, bridges, beaches, camping & history.

Pace: Casual, option to ride together as a group. 12-15mph. Intermediate level.

Trail/Route: Paved road with minimal gravel incorporated.

Approx. Route: https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/1640-battle-to-the-dunes

Lodging: Tent (camping gear not provided). We will stay at Dunbar Campsite (IN Dunes National Park) located adjacent to Dunbar beach at the intersection of Dunbar Avenue and Lake Front Drive, Beverly Shores, IN 46301

Day 1: 75 Miles | Day 2: 55 miles

Support: Semi supported - you carry the majority of your own camping gear etc. on your own bike. OPTIONAL: (We will allow 1 school-size backpack to be carried in our support vehicle to lighten your load.)

Meals:

We will cater dinner for day 1 dinner and provide a simple breakfast day 2. In the event that COVID restrictions are still in place, we will route the group to a grocery store prior to arriving at the campground, and participants will be responsible for their own dinner & breakfast. More information will be provided in the pre-ride email, to confirm which option we will use for this ride.

Lunch stop on Day 1: Restaurant in Hobart IN;

Lunch stop on day 2: Calumet Fisheries in South Chicago. (this is cash only and delicious!)

Here are links with event details.

OOFD website: https://www.oofd.org/adventures.html

Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/1Jg2RnaSv

Saturday details

Mileage

75

Saturday overnight location

Campground

Sunday details

Mileage

50

Registration for this event is currently closed. Check back soon for the launch of Bicycle Travel Weekend for 2023!