Family Overnight
Family Indigenous Peoples' Day - Camp Sullivan
Ride Specifics
Mileage: Day 1:20 Miles | Day 2:20 miles
Support: Self-supported - you carry all of your own gear on your own bike.
A limited quantity of gear (tents, sleeping pads, bags) is available to borrow. Please indicate your interest in the order questionnaire. Gear use is first-come, first-served, but we strive to accommodate all requests.
Resources, such as trained guides and bikes for youth with disabilities, are available. Please contact us if you are interested.
Lodging: We will tent camp at the Camp Sullivan campground; a cabin is available in case of inclement weather.
Pace: 7-10 mph. We won't leave anyone behind.
Trail/Route: Paved road or trail with minimal crushed-limestone portions.
Age: All families are welcome!
Riders with disabilities: Resources, such as trained guides and bikes for youth with disabilities, are available. Please contact us if you are interested.
Trip Description
Explore the beauty of our extensive forest preserves in the Southwest Burbs! First, we will ride through the southside neighborhoods of Brainerd, Beverly, and Mt. Greenwood, then hit the Cal Sag Trail, and then finish on the forest preserve trails. We will take plenty of breaks along the route, including a picnic stop, before arriving at Camp Sullivan.
Because our rides celebrate this beautiful corner of the earth we call home, we acknowledge the many people who have lived here before us, including the Council of the Three Fires–comprised of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations--as well as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, and Illinois Nations. OOFD seeks to promote Indigenous perspectives in all we do. This ride is a celebratory expression of this goal. We have much to learn (and unlearn) and hope you will join us on this journey.
What's Included
- Campsite and firewood
- Food: Day 1 dinner, Day 2 breakfast and lunch
- Education about our local history and nature
- Welcoming and supportive guides
What's Not Included
- Food: Day 1 lunch
- Snacks during the ride to camp
- Bowls, cups, spoons, forks – Please bring your own to avoid waste.
Adding a Donation to Your Ticket Price to Support Other Families
The majority of the ticket price covers the campsite, food, and supplies. OOFD is mostly volunteer-run, and the guides are all volunteers. Please consider this when checking out. We welcome donations to help keep our ticket prices low and our organization radically inclusive.
About the Guides
Our guides are part of a community of volunteers that believe in adventure and helping others find adventure right out our front door. They exude a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive spirit which are foundational values at OOFD.They have love and appreciation for their home and like sharing knowledge about that home with others, thus helping the riders to develop a stronger sense of gratitude for our local history and nature.
The guides will be set with the route and an extensive script about the area you’ll be riding through with intentionally chosen breakpoints along the way.
They are more than someone to follow on the ride. They are trained and will be there to encourage and support you as well as support with mechanicals that may arise.
Transfer/Refund/Cancellation Policy
Participant Cancellation: No Refunds. By registering, you acknowledge and agree there will not be a refund if you cancel or do not show up for the event. Tickets cannot be resold.
Transfers permitted three days before the event and to an event in the same calendar year. Fill out this transfer form in order to process your transfer. If there is a price difference between the ride you are transferring into, you will either be refunded or we will reach out to you to pay the difference. Contact us if you have any issues.
Organizer Cancellation: Full Refund | Nobody wants an event to be canceled. In the rare circumstance the organizer cancels the event at their discretion, registered participants will receive a full refund. To date, this organization has canceled minimal events.
Weather and Rain: We do not cancel an event for rain, storm, or any other weather. We ride rain or shine. Chicago weather is typically passing, if the weather requires, we will pause the ride and wait in a sheltered space then continue biking. Some of the best views of the lake and greenery on the trails are after a rainstorm.
Radical Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination Agreement
This is included in your registration form. Showing up with a welcoming and inclusive spirit is crucial and expected of everyone that rides with us.
Bike Camping Packing Checklist and Tips
Learn More About Us
Family Indigenous Peoples' Day - Camp Sullivan
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Some are easy and others are a challenge, but just about anyone who has ridden a bike for a day can do the tours. If you are not an avid bike rider already, you should build up your riding distance/endurance. Not sure you can ride it? Check out other people who completed our tours here
First, always bring a spare inner tube. Our prepared Guides are always ready to help, are trained for emergency repairs, and carry extra tools and supplies.
The pace we ride at is around 12 miles per hour. This is to accommodate everyone riding the tour, to be able to take in all the views and to be able to ride a second day. You have to remember their is a second day and you should pace yourself. (We are bikers but we are not running a Tour de France). Family, Youth and Adaptive Rides roll at a slower pace to accommodate those along from the ride oftentimes dropping to the range of 8-10 mph.
No. We still ride if there is rain. Some of the best views are after a rain storm. Though safety is our top priority, so if there is extreme severe weather we will break and wait it out in a provided shelter, then continue on our journey.
We do our best to ride together as a group. That said, if some space occurs in the group, the OOFD guides will not leave anybody behind. A guide will always be riding at the back and at the front.
Always bring two spare inner tubes and a bike tool kit if you have one. Dress for the season, during spring and fall make sure to bring gloves for your hands and layer your clothing. Even when the weather is nice, when riding your bike the wind can make you chilly really quick.
We champion perseverance and the challenge. We encourage to push on, the reward of completion is great. But if turning around is an absolute must, there is always a train station relatively close by throughout the entirety of the tours.
It's really up to you. But we recommend a Touring, Road, Urban or Hybrid bike. These types of bikes make for a more comfortable ride. Attaching a bike rack will help carry your daily supplies and keep weight off your shoulders. Almost all of our routes are on paved paths/lanes or crushed packed limestone.
At the moment no. Our goal as we continue to grow we will be able to provide bicycles for participants.
Most of our rides are 2 days though we have some that are 3, 4, and even 5 days.
