Group Rides and Trail Work Events
Group rides are held weekly—weather permitting. We hold three different types of rides every month, a beginner’s ride, intermediate ride and a women’s+ ride. All rides require that you wear a helmet; have a functional trail, trail-capable bike; and that each rider register for their ride and have signed a waiver. Rides all meet at the Bear Branch Nature Center parking lot. All rides are no drop.
Trail work events happen on the second Saturday of each month and are announced via our email newsletter and social media. To register for a scheduled work day check the list of events below.
GROUP RIDES RESUME MARCH 14th
Our Get to Know Hashawha group ride resumes on Thursday, March 14th at 5:30pm, with our Women’s+ and Saturday Morning group rides resuming in April 2024
Get to Know Hashawha Group Ride
-
This ride is a great way to introduce a friend or child to mountain biking (MTB). The ride usually remains in the Hashawha side of the park but may cross over to the Union Mills area. Helmet and signed wavier required.
-
Meets at the Bear Branch Nature Center parking lot at 5:30pm every Thursday. A casual paced MTB ride of approximately 5 miles.
Saturday Morning Group Ride
-
An intermediate MTB ride exploring some of the park’s more advanced trails. Casual paced. After the ride we’ll travel by car to Pipe the Side Brewing Co. in Hampstead MD for food and beer. A portion of beer sales will benefit MTBMD and our trail work. Helmet and signed waiver required.
-
Meets at the Bear Branch Nature Center parking lot on the first Saturday of each month at 10am. The intermediate ride last for approximately 2hrs and covers roughly 10 miles. Ride is held every Saturday morning at 9am.
Women’s+ Group Ride
-
A group MTB ride for woman and all woman-identifying/non-binary peoples. A casual ride for advanced-beginner to intermediate riders. Helmet and signed waiver required.
-
Meets at Bear Branch Nature Center parking lot at 10am on the third Saturday of each month. This ride focuses on skill and confidence building. It will cover a variety of trails over 6–10 miles at a casual pace.
Group Rides for the 2024 season will run—weather permitting—through November 23rd
Monthly Trail Work
Second Saturday of Each Month
Join us for our monthly reoccurring trail work. On the second Saturday of each month we get together and to do a variety of work including basic trail maintenance (vegetation trimming, drainage, debris removal, etc.), trail re-routes and planning out and digging new sections of trail. Help us make Hashawha the best little park in Maryland. Sign up below!
Plan Your Own Ride
For the adventurous at heart. Use the below links to download GPX files you can use to plan a ride on your own. Load the gpx file into any navigation software you might use. These are ride routes we use to lead our own rides each week. Be aware that not all trails in the Hashawha Environmental Center or the Union Mills Equestrian Trails are well marked or signed. Ride at your own risk.
All group rides and events require a signed waiver to ride. Helmets, hydration and a trail-worthy mountain bike is also required. All ride cancellations will be announced via instagram and facebook. MTBMD is dedicated to providing fun, safe, and inclusive atmosphere for ALL riders. We will NOT tolerate any dangerous, hateful, disrespectful, or inappropriate language/actions at our rides or events. We reserve the right to ask someone to leave if they are unable to meet this expectation or if a rider is endangering themselves or others.