Sub 24 hour bike camping

The premise is this:
You ride out on an afternoon/early evening, find a camping spot overnight, camp, and wake-up and ride home the next morning.

This supposedly works well for those that would like to camp but their time is limited due to work and/or family schedules.

I don't know of any good camping spots within 20-30 miles of Chicago, but I know they are there. Who's interested in this sort of thing?

Best to start thinking about it now, so when summer comes it can actually happen.

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Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on February 6, 2009 at 6:04am
Thanks for the link! I just used google maps to trace out a route from evanston to the Illinois beach state park that takes the green bay and McClory trails right there. It's only about 35mi each way, perfect for a beginning of the season overnight; and it will make a great pit stop for a one day ride later on.
Now I just need a new tent....and the snow to melt
Salvo Lutzery said:
I came across this link a while back: http://jump.suntimes.com/list.cfm?tag=camping
It has some good information and maybe jump start a plan to get some of us out there as a group for a weekend tour come early spring. I can't wait till touring starts again! I know TerryG is with me on that.
Permalink Reply by Jamie on February 6, 2009 at 6:38am
Hey Salvo... Sycamore's spectator racing doesn't usually get going til late May I don't think. I have camped in cold weather before but I can't say that I'm all excited about doing it any time soon. Just like with anything, if you have the right gear and the motivation to do it... what else do you need?
Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on February 6, 2009 at 7:21am
It seams like they're always having problems with that site. Every time I check it something is down :(

h3 said:
Jamie said:
Hey Salvo... Sycamore's spectator racing doesn't usually get going til late May I don't think. I have camped in cold weather before but I can't say that I'm all excited about doing it any time soon. Just like with anything, if you have the right gear and the motivation to do it... what else do you need?

Well, might I suggest a route that doesn't have you grinding down a hellish suburban semi-divided highway for miles and miles . . .
Can anyone figure out how to make anything display on this site?
http://wrc.dot.il.gov/bikemaps/
Permalink Reply by Jamie on February 6, 2009 at 7:25am
yeah, I'll get around to coming up with a route sometime in the next few months.
Permalink Reply by Jamie on February 6, 2009 at 7:58am
solid, thanks! is that all paved?
Permalink Reply by terryg on February 6, 2009 at 8:30am
Kristian, thanks as well! Is the IPP passable now, or am I being opportunistic?
Permalink Reply by Scott on May 4, 2009 at 6:53am
I did the IL Beach State Park ride this weekend. It was fab. The campsite was mostly empty, and we had our pick from some choice spots. The beach was nice and the weather was perfect. It took us about 5 hrs of riding each way, including a few breaks and lunch at the Botanic Gardens. We used the N. Branch Trail, Green Bay Trail, and McClory Path. I believe our mileage count, starting from Wicker Park, was 49mi.
Permalink Reply by on2wheels on May 4, 2009 at 7:23am
I went about 20 miles into the IPP main stem from the Forrest Park Blue line station this Sat, and save for a few puddles it was all good.

There has to be some camping by the fox river, geneva, st charles, south elgin



Kristian M Zoerhoff said:
terryg said:
Kristian, thanks as well! Is the IPP passable now, or am I being opportunistic?

I doubt it, but it'll be a while before I get down there again.
Permalink Reply by buddaa38 on May 4, 2009 at 3:48pm
I've camped @ the chain of lakes in lake county. It's not bad, & then there's McHenry County. They have alot different spots. I just jump in my van & go to WI. west of Madison. There's a great national forest preseve called Blue Mound. In there is a 40 mile trail which has great view with hills.
Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on May 4, 2009 at 5:18pm
I'd be up for this. Illinois Beach would not be bad. We passed it on the way to Milwaukee a few weeks back. Except for a small stretch around Waukegan, it was pretty bike friendly.

The 3-Floyds Dark Lord ride has made me not want to ride into Indiana...at least until puncture-proof tires are invented. The roads around Hammond are ripe with sharp objects.
Permalink Reply by David Travis on May 4, 2009 at 5:30pm
This weekend, three of us from the Columbia College Cycling Corp, all named David, just did the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (park) leaving from downtown Chicago. Saturday's route went south of Gary on bike trails and stops at Paul Henry's Gallery (416 Sibley) in Hammond and Ridge Cyclery in Highland (they have NOS wooden track rims!). The National Park camp site is perfect with lots of hot-water showers and a terrific nearby restaurant on Highway 12 (Bartlett's http://www.eatatbartletts.com/menus/ ). The convenience store across the road has fire wood and even bread from Chicago's Baltic Bakery. The trip back on Sunday morning was straight through Gary on Highway 12 - no problem at all except for potholes. (Tip, eat in the Miller section of Gary as downtown is a depopulated ruin with no food.) Our leader is a native of the area and we were educated to historical places and structures and shown the secret artesian well (a flowing pipe coming out of the ground with excellent water). Total mileage for the two unequal legs was 121 miles. Just right. And we scored on the weather. Our fledging website will likely have a fuller report soon. Check it out at http://www.c4cycling.org/
Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on May 5, 2009 at 3:20am
I also did Chain O Lakes state park recently. It was a first trip for me, and I took the Metra most of the way out there. I had planned to do some riding while out ther so I stayed for two nights so it didn't really qualify as S24. It rained the whole time I was there, so I didn't get any good rides in, but I'd definitely want to go back.

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