County Executive Announces First Family Friendly Bike Ride Showcasing Cycling, County Parks
June 25, 2012
Casey Slaughter Becker, Office of the County Executive 608.267.8823, or cell 608.843.8858
The first free, family friendly bike ride to be held this year to encourage the use of the Dane County parks’ bicycle and pedestrian trails has been set, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today.
Each of the County Executive’s ‘Bike the Dane’ events will be held at a different county park to showcase different communities for residents and visitors. The first event will be held at CamRock County Park in Cambridge on July 7th from 10:00am – 2:00pm.
“Cycling in Dane County makes a significant impact on our economy, from the jobs it creates, to the impact is has on our tourism industry,” said Parisi. “Dane County is committed to strengthening this fun and family friendly sport through our continued investment in our trails. I hope beginners and experts will join us in July and have some fun in our county park.”
The CamRock event will offer families the opportunity to bike or walk the 2 miles of paved trail that runs through the park. Capitol Off Road Pathfinders will also be on hand to provide guided tours of the beginner level mountain bike trails at the park. CamRock County Park also offers expert level mountain bike trails for experienced riders. Fees for the mountain bike trail will be waived for the day.
The first ‘Bike the Dane’ event also includes a water component, capitalizing on the water trail that runs along Koshkonong Creek as it traverses through the Park. In addition to a bike or a hike, event participants can reserve a canoe or kayak ahead of time for free and travel down the Koshkonong Creek to Rockdale. Once it Rockdale, participants can either bike or walk back to Cambridge. A bike corral will be located in Rockdale for anyone that wants to drop their bike off before paddling down the creek.
Overall, the event will provide opportunities to use the paved bicycle and pedestrian trail, paddle down the Koshkonong Creek on the water trail and give the mountain bike trails a try. Combining biking with other recreational activities, such as paddling, is a trend that the County hopes to promote more often. Where feasible, the County tries to create recreational destinations that can be accessed by bikes.
The free canoe and kayak rentals are courtesy of event partner CamRock Café and Sport and can be reserved by calling 608.423.2111. Rentals will be available the day of without a reservation on a first-come, first serve basis.
Visitors can hike, bike, or hit the water at any time during the event. Volunteers will be on hand to direct participants and help with any questions.
CamRock County Park is located in eastern Dane County, between the Villages of Cambridge and Rockdale. The County encourages participants to explore both communities before and after the event.
Additional ‘Bike the Dane’ events will be announced in the near future.
Working closely with local units of government, Dane County has been an active partner in planning and development of a nearly 150 mile regional bike trail network throughout the County. The Capital City Trail alone is estimated to attract more than 150,000 cyclists per year.
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