(Photos: Madi Carlson)
Biking is fun. Biking with kids is double the fun. Bike camping with kids is triple the fun, triple the exhaustion, and the biggest adventure I’ve ever experienced!
For me, summer means bike camping with Kidical Mass. My first bike camping trip was six years ago with the Seattle chapter. Having only been car-camping meant I didn’t have small or lightweight gear, but I was able to fit our old four-person tent and all our full-size pillows onto my cargo bike and we had a blast.
Over the years I’ve replaced older gear so it’s much easier to carry everything and I’ve even become confident enough that I camp without a big group. However, for many years our camping trips were only done surrounded by a bunch of brand new friends, and it’s still my favorite way to camp. And it just so happens Kidical Mass PDX is hosting their annual bike camping event next month at Dodge Park.
➤ The campground
Before Dodge Park was open for the season I biked over to check it out and have already decided it’s much prettier than the places we’re used to camping. The Sandy River looks very inviting and the beach is going to be fun for the kids while I read in the shade. For more about the park, check out recaps from Jonathan Maus when he camped here with his 6 year-old son last summer and from Path Less Pedaled’s Kidical Mass trip six years ago.
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➤ The route
Like most campgrounds, there’s a hill — downhill to get in Saturday afternoon, uphill to get out Sunday morning. I rode my single speed cyclocross bike over, figuring it would be a somewhat accurate representation of riding a heavily-loaded cargo bike, and it wasn’t that bad. I checked with Patrick, who led the Kidical Mass PDX camping trip a couple years ago, and he provided me with the 20+ mile route. The one and only unpleasant part (besides the aforementioned hill) is crossing Highway 26 which is uncontrolled (no light/stop sign/crosswalk) so it might take a long time to wait for a break in traffic. The rest of the route is really great, a big chunk (12 miles!) of which is along the Springwater Corridor Trail and then it sticks to quieter country roads. Gresham’s Main City Park is halfway to Dodge Park and right along the Springwater Corridor Trail and will probably serve as a rest/potty/snack stop.
➤ Camping tips
Kidical Mass will host a bike camping workshop/meetup in the coming weeks. Details should be posted soon. I expect to learn a lot from more experienced families.
My brief advice to would-be family bike campers is: yes, it will be hard, but you can do it! Bring lots of snacks and water and be prepared to take several rest breaks (or run-around breaks for passengers). I’ve compiled my packing list and tips here on my Family Ride blog. A general tip for camping with young kids (no matter the conveyance) is to camp for two nights since you’ll all sleep so poorly the first night, you’re guaranteed to sleep well the second. For bike camping this means you get a rest day!
Thanks for reading. Have you been bike camping? With kids? At Dodge Park? Please share your advice! Feel free ask questions in the comments below or email me your story ideas and insights at madidotcom [at] gmail [dot] com.
— Madi Carlson, @familyride on Instagram and Twitter
Browse past Family Biking posts here.
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