Bicycle Camping

The Post did a story recently on car-free camping, and specifically mentioned a few places you can bike to.

"You just have to get creative," says Roslyn Rubin, an officer with the Capital Hiking Club who lives in Arlington and has never owned a car. "You can put your bike on any bus and . . . you can get to just about anywhere you want to go."

Swains Lock (Lock 21), Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Potomac

How far is it from Washington? About 17 miles from Georgetown, where the canal begins, and two miles north of the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center (11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac).

How do I get there? Begin in Georgetown along the C&O Canal and head north. The bike ride should take a novice a couple of hours.

Though none of the other campsites "How do I get there" section specifically mention bikes, I bike past Greenbelt National Park everyday and the W&OD Trail passes on the south side of Lake Fairfax Park. Of course, there are dozens of other places along the C&O canal to camp - it all depends on your definition of "biking distance."

Photo by richardmasoner