Biking at Rockwood Park



Group picture during a quick break from pedaling!



Last week a group of enthusiastic, Chesterfield County campers came out for an afternoon of adventure at Rockwood Park in Chesterfield.  For anyone unfamiliar, Rockwood park is the oldest park in Chesterfield county and is a great place for all levels of outdoor enthusiast.  Today's adventure, though, was of the two-wheel variety!  Seven campers came ready for some biking and the group was eager to ride.  After some initial instruction on safety and basic bike mechanics, the riders warmed up on 1.3 mile paved outer loop.  This was a great way for each camper to get comfortable on their mountain bike before venturing off onto dirt.   



The group starting off on another loop from the parking lot



The park offers a variety of trail options including wider paved trails, gravel/dirt paths, and more rugged mountain bike trails.  The campers quickly warmed up to the idea of taking some more adventurous trails so we veered off onto the Yellow Diamond trail.  The campers had a lot of fun navigating the roots and rocks all the while keeping their balance.  The occasional "hoot" and "holler" of satisfaction let everyone know we were having fun.  We then worked our way back to the Rockwood Park Nature Center via the Purple Square trail.  The campers also enjoyed stopping at the many posted maps along the way to hone their orienteering skills and decide on what trail to conquer next.

Two campers earning the uphill before going back down!

The Nature Center is centrally located amongst the trails making it the perfect place to stop for a quick water break between loops.  At each stop for water, campers were comparing each trail we rode and debating which trail to ride next.  After everyone was warmed up and comfortable we decided to take some of the more challenging (and fun!) trails.  We started off on the Orange Circle trail which is 1.5 miles of smoother gravel/dirt that is a lot of fun to ride.  There is the occasional root thrown in for something fun to maneuver around or jump off of.  At the bottom of the first hill there are spectacular views of Gregory's Pond.  All the campers stopped at some point to examine the pond's edge for critters.  The orange trail ended up being the highlight and we decided to ride this a few more times.  On our last loop a quick moving rain cloud rolled in over the park and we ducked onto the trails to use the tree canopy as cover.  The campers didn't let this stop them from riding so we all enjoyed a little cool refreshing rain on our last loop.  All in all it turned out to be a perfect day to enjoy the great outdoors on two wheels.  The campers had a blast and we can't wait for our next outdoor adventure at Rockwood Park.

Heading down the Yellow Diamond trail!



The girls having fun on the dirt!  This crew was loving the off road trails and did a great job!



A big thank you goes out to all the campers for having such a positive, adventurous attitude (as well as being great listeners).  Also a big thank you to Kristi Ocrutt and the wonderful people of Rockwood Park for hosting and providing such a beautiful place for young people to get away from the TV/laptops/cellphones and enjoy the outdoors!

For more info on Rockwood Park (and other Chesterfield parks) visit theirr website... http://www.chesterfield.gov/content2.aspx?id=5921.   

In the meantime...GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY!!!