Bike Your Park Day Celebrates Bicycling, Public Lands on September 25

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MISSOULA, Montana (September 20, 2021) — Join Adventure Cycling Association and thousands of others across the country on Sept. 25, 2021, to celebrate bicycling and public lands on Bike Your Park Day. Every year on the last Saturday in September, participants are encouraged to explore the nation’s parks and public lands by bicycle, riding for however long they like on roads, paved paths, or singletrack. Bike Your Park Day is being held in conjunction with National Public Lands Day, which is a “fee-free day” for national parks and public lands, providing an opportunity for everyone to enjoy and care for America’s parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests, and more.

Lou at the location that inspired the Monte Dolack painting, Going to the Sun Highway, Glacier National Park.
Lou Melini at the location that inspired the Monte Dolack painting, Going to the Sun Highway, Glacier National Park. Photo by Julie Melini

“Adventure Cycling created Bike Your Park Day to inspire people across America to explore nearby parks and public lands by bike while promoting a healthy, sustainable way to travel,” said Carmen Aiken, Bike Overnights Event Coordinator for Adventure Cycling. “This year, rides are planned everywhere between Maine and California, Washington and Florida, and even in Hawaii. And those who aren’t comfortable joining a group event can still participate by creating a ride to do solo, with family, or with a few friends. However you ride, Bike Your Park Day will provide an opportunity to discover the treasured places all around you while connecting with others in your community.”

Steven Sheffield’s Richard Sachs road bike on a visit to McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Fountain Hills, Arizona. Photo by Steven Sheffield

In the past five years, over 50,000 people have participated in more than 5,000 rides for Bike Your Park Day. Bike Your Park Day is for people of all experience levels, backgrounds, and ages.

Honest Abe keeping an eye on my Santa Cruz Stigmata. Fountain Park, Fountain Hills, Arizona.
One of the features at Fountain Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona are sculptures of various President. Here, Honest Abe is keeping an eye on my bike. Fountain Park, Fountain Hills, Arizona. Photo by Steven Sheffield

What can rides look like? Examples include:

  • A casual mile on a park path with younger family members.
  • A ride using alternative transit like buses, trains, and ferries to expand mileage.
  • A challenging gravel century through forestlands and mountains with friends.
  • A ride with a stewardship focus like removing litter and invasive plants along the way.
  • An educational ride with a park ranger to explain the history and geography of the area.
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