SE PA rides and routes for Adamstown Meet

[Rincewind]

Well the wet Burger Meet was a success, and now it's time to start thinking about Southeast PA for the STN Adamstown Meet at Stoudt's Brewery.  This is the rides and routes thread to accompany the Meet - see this thread for details on that.  Please post ideas for riding-in or out of the area, or for what might make a nice loop for between lunch and dinner (or whenever).  For the loop ideas, 150-200 miles, or 3-4 hours, would be ideal.  Ride loops can head in any direction or theme.  If you can link a Google map of your ideas, that would be great.   Also any other area or road advice that you have may be helpful to others.  There is a lot to see and do in the area, but mostly I want to talk about the good roads.

I appreciate the input and hope we can all have good rides that weekend, along with enjoying fine food and drink.    

[Rincewind]

Ok, to start here is the motorcycleroads.us site for SE PA - http://www.motorcycleroads.us/regions/pa_dceast.html

This morning I had a stab at some initial ride ideas...

1. Around Reading and to the North near St Clair, includes some good roads, may need some polishing


View Larger Map

2. And a Lancaster County ride focusing with River Road along the Susquehanna and including Mt Gretna


View Larger Map

[Doug Just Doug]

Here's a couple hour loop just off the top o' me head that would be easy to follow for non-locals and would have some decent twisties, scenery and some Amish stuff:

From Adamstown/272:
897 S
LT US 322 near East Earl
RT 82 S
RT 841 S
RT 896 N to end
RT 340 E to Intercourse
LT 772 N to Lititz
RT 501 N at Schaefferstown
RT 897S back to 272/Adamstown

[DosEquis00]

Alex,

Nice picks as I ride most of #1 all the time. Number 2 looks good also but that river road never really gets you a good view of the river until you are north.

[DosEquis00]

Here's a couple hour loop just off the top o' me head that would be easy to follow for non-locals and would have some decent twisties, scenery and some Amish stuff:

From Adamstown/272:
897 S
LT US 322 near East Earl
RT 82 S
RT 841 S
RT 896 N to end
RT 340 E to Intercourse
LT 772 N to Lititz
RT 501 N at Schaefferstown
RT 897S back to 272/Adamstown

Doug,

That section of 82 when you pop on off 322 has become a revenue grab as over the last year all the speed limits have been lowered.

[Rincewind]

Here's a couple hour loop just off the top o' me head that would be easy to follow for non-locals and would have some decent twisties, scenery and some Amish stuff:

From Adamstown/272:
897 S
LT US 322 near East Earl
RT 82 S
RT 841 S
RT 896 N to end
RT 340 E to Intercourse
LT 772 N to Lititz
RT 501 N at Schaefferstown
RT 897S back to 272/Adamstown

Thanks, Doug.  That's a good idea to have a scenic farm route that would be easier to follow.

Hopefully I'll be able to produce some gpx files of the routes discussed, especially for routes including backroads.

Thanks DosEquis - let us know any other worthy roads to include.  I thought it might be interesting to include historic Duryea Drive, the Hillclimb course in Reading with that big Pagoda, and the nearby overlooking Skyline Drive.

[Scratch33]

There's a particular hilly spot on 896 riding north; just past Mine Road IIRC; where you can look to your right and see a scenic view of farms and fields that looks like it hasn't changed in over a hundred  years.  That's one of my favorite parts of my regular route up to Stoudt's.

And north of Adamstown, there's some very nice roads and hills around the Wernersville area.  Gotta watch out for wild turkeys though.

[Rincewind]

I was just going thru my photobucket and thought to post some area pics.

This is part of Rt 125, which is recommended for those traveling from the North, and would make a long loop from Adamstown.



This is the Rt 30 overlook area West of Chambersburg, easy to include for those coming from the West.  There are good high speed sweepers on this part, but other parts are boring slab and main road.  



This is the Pagoda on Duryea Drive, which goes up Mt Penn by Reading.  Duryea is still used for hillclimb events.



Skyline Drive above Duryea overlooking Reading



This is an old abondoned railroad bridge which is by Shenk's Ferry Wildlife Preserve above Pequea by the Susquehanna - this is a short gravel option for that route, but some of the road is rutted pretty good.



This is the view offered at Pinnacle overlook by the Susquehanna - it's a park owned by PPL who runs the dams.  This would be easily included in the River route.



This is by Mt Gretna in Northern Lanc County; it is a woods community with a "Arts & Crafts / Mission" style and a good ice cream shop, Jiggers.



Middle Creek Wildlife Preserve in Northern Lanc County is scenic and has some well-mainted gravel road options for anyone interested.  There are some other gravel routes in the area if anyone wants that.  




This isn't Lancaster County, but it is a common sight for these roads.  Slow-moving, easy to pass, beware of road apples.

[Doug Just Doug]

There's a particular hilly spot on 896 riding north; just past Mine Road IIRC; where you can look to your right and see a scenic view of farms and fields that looks like it hasn't changed in over a hundred  years.

Yup; amazing view. I've slowed down and stared about, oh, 500 times over the last 20 years or so.  I've thought to myself "some day I gotta stop and take a pic" about, oh, 500 times.  

[Scratch33]

Yup; amazing view. I've slowed down and stared about, oh, 500 times over the last 20 years or so.  I've thought to myself "some day I gotta stop and take a pic" about, oh, 500 times.  

There's a group of 3 or 4 houses nearby on the left, overlooking that beautiful scenery.  Each time I ride by I look to see if there's a "For Sale" sign on any of 'em.  

[DosEquis00]

I thought it might be interesting to include historic Duryea Drive, the Hillclimb course in Reading with that big Pagoda, and the nearby overlooking Skyline Drive.

Excellent idea as you can't visit the area without seeing the Pagoda