STN Potomac Highlands Meet: May 20-21-22

[SWriverstone]

STN Potomac Highlands Meet
May 20, 21 and 22
Cacapon State Park Lodge
(pronounced kuh-KAY-pon)
Berkeley Springs, WV

I'd like to introduce the first STN Potomac Highlands Meet!   The meet will be held at the beautiful Cacapon State Park Lodge (see pics below) in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. As many of you know, this is the location of our annual Winter Meet, and it's always been a popular destination. After the last couple of Winter Meets were...umm...a bit snowy, I thought it would be great to have a meet at the same location in warm weather—so here it is!

May 18 Update: AWESOME WEATHER ON TAP for the weekend!!!
• FRI: Cloudy and windy but NO RAIN, with highs around 70
• SAT: SUNNY with highs in the 80s
• SUN: SUNNY with highs in the 80s

To make a reservation at the Cacapon Lodge, call (304) 258-1022 (press zero when you hear the recording).

Room rates are a very reasonable $67-72/night for 2 people (and if you've been here, you know you'll never find a place as nice for this little money!) EDIT: my rate was actually $80 and some change...I guess the usual fees & taxes add a bit? But still a good deal...)

There is a good restaurant in the lodge—not cheap, but not really expensive...and the food is above-average to good. There are also lots of dining options just up Rt.522 in Berkeley Springs. Oh—and there is free wifi Internet access throughout the lodge too.  

Most importantly, there is a ton of great riding around Berkeley Springs! I've posted three excellent ride routes below—check 'em out!

Finally, there *may* be an issue with alcohol at the lodge—I know the lodge doesn't allow alcoholic beverages in the main lounge...not sure about other areas (and as always, we can probably get away with a few discreet beers in the parking lot as long as nobody's out-of-control, LOL) I'll call them and inquire more about this (e.g. there may be certain places where it's cool to drink). But unless you're a full-on alcoholic, don't let this deter you from coming—it's a beautiful place and the riding will be fantastic!

Scott

NOTE: In case of confusion, this meet is the same meet as what was originally called the "Alter-Nationals" meet, and then the "Region 5/6 Spring Meet." A new thread was started so we'd have a clean slate now that the name and the details are nailed down! Sorry for any confusion and name-waffling!  

New—Campground Info

For anyone who wants to save a few bucks and camp, there is unfortunately no tent camping at Cacapon State Park...but I've pulled together some info on nearby campgrounds and will keep looking for more options, so stay tuned!

Fort Frederick State Park
28 miles away, just off I-70 west of Hagerstown, MD.
This is a nice state park that's pretty quick and easy to get to from Cacapon Resort.
There are 30 nice campsites right along the Potomac River. I think they're first-come, first, served...but you might check the site to see if reservations are possible.

Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area has about 70 primitive campsites (free).
18 miles away, but still takes 30-40mins to get to because it's in a fairly remote (but beautiful) area of WV (and you have to ride a few miles of dirt road to get to the campground). So if peace and quiet in a beautiful setting by a lake is your thing, this is worthwhile. BTW, there is no website or reservations for this campground.

Greenbrier State Park is super-nice with a huge, modern campground w/showers.
52 miles away (just east of Hagerstown, MD off I-70), which is about an hour...but it's a nice place to stay and you can reserve a site.

There is a KOA Campground in Williamsport, MD (right outside Hagerstown)
38 miles away and pretty easy (close to I-70 but far enough away to be peaceful).

Finally, Happy Hills Campground is a private family campground outside Hancock, MD.
20 miles away and closest to Cacapon Resort—this might be your best bet. I've never stayed there, but it looks nice on their site.

Below is a map showing all these campgrounds. I'm sure there are more private options in the area, so I'll look around some more.

Scott


View Berkeley Springs, WV Area Camping in a larger map

New—Additional Hotel Info

I should have done this earlier, but here's a bit more info on hotels in Hancock, MD. Hancock is an easy 20-minute ride up Rt.522 from Berkeley Springs, and there are a few decent hotels there that are pretty convenient to the meet (if you can't get a room at the Cacapon Resort Lodge).

America's Best Value Inn - I've never stayed here, but it's a nice spot right next to the Rt.522 bridge over the Potomac River. It's not fancy, but it looks nice from the outside. (301) 678-6108 - This place is a deal at $59/night plus taxes.

Super 8 Hancock - what can I say? It's a Super 8.   I've actually stayed here, and it's fine. Nothin' fancy, but convenient location just 20mins from Cacapon State Park. Another deal at $55/night plus taxes. (301) 678-6101

There really isn't any other place to stay right in Berkeley Springs. There is the Country Inn at Berkeley Springs, but it's pretty expensive (fancy) and they don't have many rooms. There's also at least one little dive of a motel on Rt.522 just south of Cacapon State Park...but I can't remember the name of the place. If I have time, I'll check it out before the meet and post up.

[Sport-Touring]

[SWriverstone]

Here's the location of the Cacapon State Park Lodge...


View Cacapon Resort State Park in a larger map

...and here are a few pics...





Scott

[SWriverstone]

And finally, here are three great ride routes to start with...

"The Northwest Passage" - 321 miles - named for the spectacular ride over the mountains on Howards Lick Road (many of you have done this one before!). This route includes some of the best roads in the region...including a few beautiful mountain passes in George Washington National Forest (Zepp Road and Wolf Gap/Trout Run Valley)...the famous Northwest Passage itself (through Lost River State Park—it's the giant altitude spike in the middle of the elevation profile below)...the Mighty Smoke Hole Road...awesome US33...Route 28...Springfield Grade Road...and Rt.9 along the Cacapon River (with the famous 3-state view)...



"Northern Blue Ridge Circuit" - a 285-mile romp through the Blue Ridge foothills of Northern Virginia. The ride starts climbing over Sleepy Creek Mountain...then along some backroads through Northern Shenandoah Valley. You'll zip past the closed-circuit cameras and concertina wire of the "top secret" underground government bunker Mt. Weather...down through the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge...and over the Blue Ridge on Rt.211, beloved by peg-dragging squids throughout the region (and with it's own "High Motorcycle Crash Area" road sign!)...and through the spectacular Fort Valley beneath Massanutten Mountain (with an optional short side trip up a gravel road to Woodstock Tower—with a view that will blow you away!)



"Bedford County Backroads" - a shorter but still great ride that includes the spectacular backroads of Bedford County in Southcentral Pennsylvania...miles of great, twisty pavement with virtually zero traffic (even on a weekend)...including the famous Rt.26. Then you'll ride south along Sideling Hill Mountain to Little Orleans, where you can write your name on a dollar bill and stick it to the ceiling at Bill's Place—along with about 2,000 other dollars. From there you'll cruise through Green Ridge State Forest down to the Oldtown "toll booth" and the low-water bridge over the Potomac...then back toward the lodge up and over Cacapon Mountain and the famous 3-state overlook.



The Best of the Blue Ridge! - 449 miles - This is it—the Big Kahuna, the Ride Of All Rides: 449 miles of the most mind-blowing scenery and awesome twisties and backroads throughout the VA/WV border region...the Shenandoah Valley...the Blue Ridge Mountains...and the Virginia Piedmont Country. This ride is NOT for the faint-of-butt...only the hardest-core sport-touring riders need apply—and an early start is mandatory! But what you'll pay in exhaustion is MORE than compensated by "drinking from the firehose" of amazing scenery and amazing roads. This route has EVERYTHING: The Zepp Road Pass...spectacular Wolf Gap and Trout Run Valley...the Northwest Passage through Lost River State Park...the incredible US250...the ridiculously scenic VA678...awesome Goshen Pass...insanely twisty VA56...the Blue Ridge Parkway...the incomparable Piedmont Foothills Region...world famous US211 Pass...the incredible Fort Valley. SERIOUSLY: there is NO more awesome, scenic sport-touring ride in the Eastern U.S. than this one!  






Scott

[SWriverstone]

By the way...the name "Potomac Highlands" seemed appropriate for this meet because...the Potomac Highlands are the geographic reference for the Allegheny Mountain region that encompasses the Potomac River watershed. Pretty much every stream in the areas of the ride routes above (with the exception of those on the east side of the Blue Ridge in the "Northern Blue Ridge Circuit") drains into the Potomac River (including the Shenandoah River).

Just in case anyone was curious.  

Scott

[R Doug]

[Skee]

 

[R Doug]

I know Scott has been doing some serious research on roads, especially in this area, and I would love to get a download of his files for this meet.  

[tomss25]

Count me in.  Scott, I still want to take that ride we had to fore go in order to ride another day.
Tom

[vulcanbill]

Northern Blue Ridge Circuit - Technically, you get to bag a National Park as 211 crosses over the Blue Ridge (Skyline Drive) which is in Shenandoah National Park.  A nice little detour for the patient among you might be to zip up Skyline to Big Meadows and have a meal / snack at the lodge or the wayside.  

[hovmaven]

 A nice little detour for the patient among you might be to zip up Skyline to Big Meadows and have a meal / snack at the lodge or the wayside.  

Been there, done that, highly recommend . . ..

[SWriverstone]

Nice pic Hovmaven—it's a scene of total moto-happiness and tranquility.   Sure, Big Meadows isn't a bad idea if there's time.

The 3 routes I posted Doug are "traditional classics." I plan to do some more riding in the next month or so and start putting together the 4th route: "Unknown & Mysterious Backroads of the Deepest, Darkest Alleghenies" route—with a high number of unlined goat paths!  

Scott

[hovmaven]

Highly recommend that as well. . ..  Can't guarantee the ATVs though.  

[SWriverstone]

Yep—that's what I'm talkin' about!   GOAT PATHS BABY!!!

Scott

[R Doug]

Yep—that's what I'm talkin' about!   GOAT PATHS BABY!!!

Scott

+1  

I've ridden many of the typical roads in this area.  I'll be looking for off-the-beaten-path type routes for this meet.  

I'm looking forward to this!

[SWriverstone]

You might like the "Northern Blue Ridge Circuit" I mapped out Doug (see above)...it's possible you might not have ridden many of the roads on this loop (since many are east of the Blue Ridge, where you folks from out west rarely venture! LOL) Rappahannock County, Virginia (on the eastern flanks of the Blue Ridge) is one of the most beautiful counties in Virginia.

Also the ride up Massanutten Mountain and north through the Fort Valley is awesome—miles of high-speed sweepers and fantastic scenery.

But I still plan to have a goat path route ready.  

Scott

[squeezer]

Do you think you could change the name to the Potomac Highlands United Cycle Meet? It'd be a great slogan.

"Can't go to the national? Then PHUCM."



I see great t-shirt opportunities too.  

"PHUCM -- we're riding."

[kendenton]

 

[HappyRiding]

I have a choice about Nationals. I can use vacation time and slab to Custer OR I can use the same amount of vacation and go to Berkeley Springs in May then Marlinton in June.

 

[vulcanbill]

I have a choice about Nationals. I can use vacation time and slab to Custer OR I can use the same amount of vacation and go to Berkeley Springs in May then Marlinton in June.

 

If you've never been to Custer, go.  We just spent some time there.  

[BigBird]

Been there, done that, highly recommend . . ..

Hovmaven - Those are some HAWT Biker Chicks you have there