2019 Family Bike Camping Adventures

Summer is coming and so are the family bike camping adventures from Out Our Front Door!

If you love biking and camping but aren’t sure how to combine the two, we offer a supportive communal experience with accessible bike camping rides designed by fellow parents. Our goal is to help you and your kids go from riding in the neighborhood to riding in nature; we provide the organization, logistics, ride support, food, and community of family cyclists to make your bike camping adventure fun, worry-free, and successful.

2019 Family Bike Camping Overview:

Dan Beard - May 25-27: Advanced (prior experience required)
Shabbona Woods - June 21-23: Easy (open to all)
Pratt’s Wayne Woods - July 12-14: Moderate (open to all)
Shabbona Woods - August 9-11: Easy (open to all)
Indiana Dunes - August 31 - September 2: Expert (prior experience required)

We hope you join us on one of our fun rides listed below and experience the joy of adventure by bike with your family and ours, from Out Our Front Door.

‍

2019 Family Adventure Schedule

Dan Beard

May 25-27

27 miles each way | Advanced (prior experience required) | Little Kid Riders, Big Kid Riders

Departure: Lincoln Square, Chicago, IL | Destination: Camp Dan Beard, Northbrook, IL

Over the river and through the woods! We’ll be riding the beautiful Des Plaines River Trail as it winds through northern Cook County to Camp Dan Beard. Yes, Bike The Drive is the same weekend; don’t ride on the freeway when you can ride in the forest! Participants get a taste of off-road touring with a gravel trail that features scenic passages along the river with spots of sand and sometimes mud. An open-meadow group campsite offers plenty of space for the children to roam and explore. On Day Two, we will explore the River Nature Center, featuring a short, kid-friendly walking trail, live animals, interpretive displays, and a great indoor play space.

Due to the rugged nature of the unpaved Des Plaines River Trail, this ride is categorized as advanced in difficulty and prior experience is required. Longtail cargo bikes with wide tires are recommended; we suggest leaving the bakfiets and bike trailer at home.

Registration & Details

‍

Shabbona Woods

June 21-23

23 miles each way | Easy (open to all) | Little Kid Riders, Big Kid Riders

Departure: Downtown Chicago, IL | Destination: Camp Shabbona Woods, South Holland, IL

Travel south over bridges, canals, and railroads to a hidden gem among the industrial past of Chicago: Camp Shabbona Woods. At twenty-three miles from downtown, this is an accessible low-stress ride, suitable for beginners and experienced riders. The route is almost entirely on bike paths or bike lanes that include the Lakefront Path, the new South Lake Shore Drive extension bike lanes, Calumet Park, Wolf Creek Park, and the Burnham Greenway.

The facilities at Shabonna Woods are excellent and amenities include the Sand Ridge Nature Center with animals, exhibits, and walking trails, as well as the Green Lake Aquatic Center across the street featuring a zero-entry pool for the little kids, a lazy river, and a water slide: campers get free admission.

Registration & Details

‍

Pratt’s Wayne Woods

July 12-14

27 miles each way | Moderate (open to all) | Little Kid Riders, Big Kid Riders

Departure: Oak Park, IL | Destination: Pratt’s Wayne Woods Youth Group Campsite, Wayne, IL

Go west, young people, on North America’s first successful rails-to-trails conversion, the Illinois Prairie Path to DuPage County’s largest forest preserve, Pratt’s Wayne Woods. At twenty-seven miles from Oak Park, this is an accessible low-stress ride, suitable for beginners and experienced riders. The route is almost entirely on the off-street crushed limestone Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) and Great Western Trail. This ride is rated moderate due to the increased rolling resistance of crushed limestone compared to pavement. However, if you ride your bike regularly, this is an entirely doable distance and surface.

Pratt’s Wayne Woods features biking and walking trails, fishing, and over 1,000 species of native plants and animals. The terrain is made up of oak savannas, prairies, grasslands, and wetlands. The youth group campsite is situated on the shore of scenic Pickerel Lake.

Registration & Details

‍

Shabbona Woods

August 10–12

23 miles each way | Easy (open to all) | Little Kid Riders, Big Kid Riders

Departure: Downtown Chicago, IL | Destination: Camp Shabbona Woods, South Holland, IL

Registration & Details

‍

Indiana Dunes

August 31 – September 3

57 miles each way | Expert (prior experience required)

Departure: Downtown Chicago, IL | Destination: Indiana Dunes, Chesterton, IN

If you are ready for some serious mileage, are looking for a beautiful ride and destination, and want to spend a weekend with other hardcore family cyclists, then this trip is for you.

We depart from Buckingham Fountain and traverse the South Side of Chicago via the Lakefront Trail and the Burnham Greenway to Northwest Indiana and follow the Erie Lakawana Trail, Oak Savannah Trail, and Prairie Duneland Trail to Indiana Dunes State Park for two nights of tent camping. For exploration on day two, there are the dunes and beach as well as numerous walking trails through diverse natural areas. On day three, we return home triumphantly to Chicago.

Due to the long miles (twice the distance of our other family campouts) and all-day nature of the travel days (nine hours start to finish), this ride is categorized as expert in difficulty. Prior bike camping and/or long ride experience is required (registrants will need permission from the organizers to complete registration, with priority given to Out Our Front Door veteran riders.) If you're up for an adventure, have ridden long distance fully loaded before, have kids that can handle an all-day ride, and have a positive attitude, you can do it!