You should Ride to Wolf Trap!

[FFX_Hinterlands]

I've ridden to Wolf Trap for concerts twice this summer. Super easy ride from the W&OD. Short sections with no shoulder on Beulah but there are "BMUFL" signs at least. You get VIP parking right there next to the entrance, although their triangle x-section rack made out of Rebar is a total POS. The last two times I rode I was the only bike using that rack.

After the concert, just work your way between the stationary cars, take the little shortcut up on to the rode and ride away. No waiting. My ride home last night was glorious.. full moon, chirping frogs and fireflies. Not another person in sight after I hit the trail.

[Steve]

But doesn't Wolf Trap have a BYOB policy? I can't be trusted to pilot anything after a concert with that.

[eminva]

But doesn't Wolf Trap have a BYOB policy? I can't be trusted to pilot anything after a concert with that.

Ha! Gotcha covered. At the end of the evening, put your bike on the front of the metrobus, bus back to the metro and ride the metro home.

By the way, I figured out a kid friendly route to Wolftrap that uses the Wolftrap Creek stream bed trail (through Foxstone Park) instead of Beulah. Lots of bumps and twists and turns so you wouldn't want to use it after dark, but good for a day trip out that way if you are with less intrepid cyclists. Let me know if anyone is interested in seeing it.

Liz

[FFX_Hinterlands]

Ha, I was going to post to the forum to ask if anyone has tried that route from Vienna in the stream valley. It seems like a good way to go from the East. I was kind of dreading riding that stretch of Beulah after dark, but it wasn't bad at all. I was decked out in my reflective sash and had my Nite Ez spoke lights blazing.

[Drewdane]

Sounds great! Now if only Wolf Trap would put on a show I'd actually want to go see...

[ShawnoftheDread]

Ha! Gotcha covered. At the end of the evening, put your bike on the front of the metrobus, bus back to the metro and ride the metro home.

By the way, I figured out a kid friendly route to Wolftrap that uses the Wolftrap Creek stream bed trail (through Foxstone Park) instead of Beulah. Lots of bumps and twists and turns so you wouldn't want to use it after dark, but good for a day trip out that way if you are with less intrepid cyclists. Let me know if anyone is interested in seeing it.

Liz

Yes please.

[dasgeh]

Yes please.

And tell us if it's paved, or mountain-bike-y

[eminva]

Here is the route, beginning on the W&OD: Family Friendly Route to Wolf Trap

Yes to both of dasgeh's questions. It is paved, but the path is is a bit narrow and is not well maintained, so lots of bumps from roots threatening to break through the pavement. Also, there are a couple of bridges where there is quite a lip. That said, acc and I rode through on our road bikes and they didn't break. There are some hills, but nothing the ebakfiets couldn't handle!

Liz

P.S. There is a sidepath on Trap Road. You cross Trap at a crosswalk to get to the overpass for the Dulles Toll Road. From there, you just look for the first entrance into the Wolf Trap parking lot and wind your way up to the entrance.

[chris_s]

My wife and I rode to Wolf Trap on Wednesday, so I wanted to provide an update on the current state of things:

We got off the W&OD at Clark's Crossing, road up to Beulah to Trap Road. Once you leave the trail it gets pretty hilly. I was riding the Bakfiets with a cooler full of picnic and my wife is an infrequent cyclist, so we tried to stay off-road as much as possible. At this point, there are sidewalks or trails along the entire stretch except for one block of Clark's Crossing Road (Brookside Lane >> Beulah). The sidewalks/trails that do exist along Clark's Crossing or in fairly mediocre condition - fairly narrow and with some root heaves, but perfectly serviceable. That said, Clark's Crossing seems to be quite quiet, even during the lead-up to an event at Wolf Trap. Beulah seems much busier and faster, but conveniently the trail/sidewalk along Beulah is smooth new construction - a very nice ride. Parts of the Trap Road sidepath are narrow somewhat heave-y sidewalk, some parts of relatively new trail in pretty good condition.

Bike parking at Wolf Trap still consists of a single Wave Rack right at the main entrance (about 10' from the ticket counter).

tl;dr:
If you want to stay off-road, you can do that except for one fairly quiet block of Clark's Crossing
If you're fairly comfortable in traffic, I would ride on-street except for the Beulah which has a new trail in pristine condition (and is significantly busier)
You should do it. Don't forget to bring great lights.



Here's our "To Wolf Trap" Strava activity.

[chris_s]

If you're fairly comfortable in traffic, I would ride on-street except for the Beulah which has a new trail in pristine condition (and is significantly busier)
You should do it. Don't forget to bring great lights.

Biked to Wolf Trap last night to hear Neil Gaiman. Just a quick update that little has changed and I can confirm the above advice.

1) Biking to Wolf Trap is awesome.
2) We stayed on-road except for Beulah and the last portion of Trap Road (starting by the Barns) and it was very pleasant.
3) Wolf Trap still just has one crappy wave rack.
4) We were on the W&OD before most folks had even managed to walk to their cars.