Riding Patuxent

The Examiner had a nice little article about biking in Patuxent Research Refuge. I've never biked there, but I have ridden the WB&A trail which is in the same area, and it's very pleasant. The wildlife refuge is where President Bush was famously biking on the day Capitol and White House were evacuated due to an errant Cessna flying into the restricted airspace. He was biking the Central Tract, but we're not allowed to (it must be nice to have your own place to ride). Still the North Tract (not to be confused with the one in Arlington) sounds like a place worth checking out.

Comments

[Mike Plakus]

For those that like to ride on roads and think it doesn't make a bit of sense to drive a car to the start of a bike ride try this:
http://bikewashington.org/routes/pax/index.htm

The route will take you through the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and on up into the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge. Make sure you go on a day that is NOT a Federal holdiday so you can visit the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center off Powdermill Rd (and time your arrival there for after the 10am opening). And when you are on Powdermill Rd near just east of Springfield Rd keep your eye peeled to the North for Black Suburban's hiding behind white sheets secured to the fence. They were sitting in plain site all summer but now they think they are hidden behind sheets?