June 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 70

GREAT AMERICAN RAIL-TRAIL

Tips for Creating Community Bicycle Camps and Hostels
By Saara Snow
Bicycle camps and hostels are becoming more common as communities, particularly in rural
areas, see the economic development benefits of accommodating touring cyclists. Bike camps can
take many forms but are typically community-oriented accommodations with bicycle amenities
that are available exclusively for people traveling by bike. Here are a few tips to get started on
developing a bike camp in your community.
Build community support for the project before you start. Make sure you engage key stakeholders and partners and get their buy-in. Communicate the benefits of bike tourism, including
the significant economic development opportunities and direct spending generated by bicycle
travelers (advcy.link/biketourism101).
Keep it simple if you have limited resources. Touring cyclists don't need a lot - at minimum
a place to sleep or set up camp, bike parking, restroom facilities and potable water. But, definitely go all out if you can! Check out Adventure Cycling's " How to Be Bicycle Travel Friendly " tips
for more ideas (advcy.link/bikefriendlytips).
Consider the location. Your bike camp will be most successful along known touring routes,
like the Adventure Cycling Route Network or long-distance trails like the Great American RailTrail (advcy.link/routenetwork). The location should be within a mile or two of town and in a safe
area. Bike camps can be implemented anywhere that makes sense for your community, including
parks, community centers, churches, ranches, historical buildings, fairgrounds, etc.
Show off what makes your community special. Promote the bike camp on the local tourism
website and social media, and provide information at the camp to let visiting cyclists know
what businesses and attractions to check out and where to find them. If the bike camp is along an
Adventure Cycling route, request to list it on our maps (advcy.link/mapupdates).
For more information, go to Adventure Cycling's website at www.adventurecycling.org, or contact Saara Snow at ssnow@adventurecycling.org.
- Saara Snow is the Travel Initiatives Coordinator for the Adventure
Cycling Association (ssnow@adventurecycling.org).

PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Fletchers Cove in Washington
D.C. along the C&O Canal
Towpath Trail connecting D.C.
and Maryland.

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nomic activity, " says Lisa Daris,
executive coordinator for the Ohio
to Erie Trail Fund. " In less than a
quarter-mile off the trail, you can
ride to a coffee shop, an art gallery
and a few other businesses that
have opened up in that area, and
they are big supporters of the trail. "
Bicycle tourism is indeed a revenue generator for many communities along the Great American
route, with trails drawing visitors
to spend money at local businesses
for meals, lodging and supplies. At
the trail's eastern tip, the National
Park Service of the National Capital Region knows well the impact
of these valuable recreational assets. Its Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
National Historical Park, traversed
by the 185-mile C&O Canal Towpath from Washington, D.C., to
Cumberland, Maryland, sees some
5 million visitors annually who
bring in an estimated $128 million
to the economies of the surrounding canal towns.
Beyond the landmarks, landscapes and vistas, the cross-country
route will also bring visitors to all
types of communities - small and
large, rural and urban - and the
promise for entrepreneurs and economic development is powerful.
" Especially in rural towns, one
thing that you're seeing more and
more of are bike camps that are free
and municipally sponsored, " says
Jim Sayer, executive director of the
Adventure Cycling Association.
" They create a comfortable camping environment, or they'll use a
city park. Typically, it'll have showers or a municipal pool, a place to
camp and cook, and a charging station. Communities can create these
really inexpensive camps to entice
cyclists to spend the night. "
The best part is that new trail
amenities, like improved park fa-

June 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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