Shark Tank Gravel

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Cecil County, MD, US

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Route Overview

Independent Brewing/Civic Cyclery Racing (IBCC Racing)

Any surface that I can ride with 2 wheels

28 mi.

1,927 ft.

A whole bunch of beautiful gravel carriage trails just begging to be ridden by those unafraid of a few punchy hills into and out of the Big Elk Creek watershed

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Route Details

If you want some uninterrupted gravel grinding in NE Maryland then [Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area](https://www.stateparks.com/fair_hill_state_natural_resources_management_area_in_maryland.html) is for @photo[you](4905282)! It is a 5,613 acre protected space tucked into the northern part of Cecil County Maryland, immediately below the PA line, and half a mile west of the DE line - it was purchased from the duPont estate in 1975. It is an equestrian training center now, amoung other uses, which provides several miles of well-maintained @photo["carriage trails"](4860540) for those inclined to @photo[gravel](4905287) grind.

# Route

* There are multiple official parking lots (@poi[here](9738102), @poi[here](9738103), @poi[here](9738104) but we prefer to start from the @poi[North Appleton Lot](9738100) -- $3 in state/$6 out of state)
* From the North Appleton Lot head north for a few hundred yards and take your first right and travel east over the @slice[Appleton Road](d,2.39,701.62) bridge, then we try to explore the best maintained carriage trails throughout the park. There are not a lot of road name signs, I recommend following a map of the route I have provided - voice alerts may be misleading, as not all the trails have been traced into Google or other GPS mapping tools. The route I have included is from an actual ride in 2018.
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The three main loops are:

1. @slice[North East Loop](d,701.62,5432.42) - mostly gravel with some greasy grass sections just to keep you honest
2. @slice[The Middle Loop](d,5634.33,26083.96) - lots of gravel and a couple of bridge crossings
3. @slice[The Big Daddy Climb Loop](d,26124.46,44853.19) - a set of three climbs that if your legs are not burning you weren't trying hard enough and you need to go do them again. The most challenging climb of the three is generally considered to be @slice[just after crossing the Big Elk Creek and heading N by NE](d,26660.76,28751.35) , and the gravel is often loose and full of nice round baby-heads.
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* Points of interest are around every corner - be prepared to be wowed by @photo[natural](4860541) and @photo[man made beauty](4860539) the whole ride. In fact the Foxcatcher Farms @poi[Covered Bridge](9738262) is a popular wedding/family photography location, so be on the lookout when you approach the bridge.
* Highlights include multiple Big Elk Creek crossings and views of it's banks.
* Most of the climbs and descents occur when you are traveling into the @photo[Big Elk watershed](4860541).
* No busy vehicle intersection to worry about here, but please be mindful that later in the day on a good weather weekend the park is heavily used by equestrian folks - horses and pedestrians have the @photo[right-of-way](4905728). There are also a couple of large horse events throughout the year and the @poi[Cecil County Fair](9709607) in later summer/early fall - just check the website for dates and plan accordingly
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## Notes

* Best time of the year to ride is 365 days a year, as long as the roads are dry and not muddy, and avoid the areas when large equestrian events are happening
* Variations of the route can include single track within Fair Hill proper or jumping on Appleton road and taking Elbow Lane or Stricklersville Road into and/out of the White Clay Creek [State park](https://www.destateparks.com/FieldsStreams/WhiteClayCreek) in DE - make it a multipark kind of a day! One time I also got lost on some single track and ended up in White Clay Creek in PA ... I have never recreated that trip however.
* Recommended equipment & attire: CX Bike, @photo[Mountain Bike or a Gravel bike](4860546)
* Required fitness level to enjoy route - you can shorten or lengthen your route in such a way that any level of fitness can enjoy Fair Hill!
* Water, food, and other services availability: There are porta johns at every parking lot, and little else - although I have found a faucet that works on the @poi[County Fairgrounds](9709607) in the warmer months, I recommend you bring all you need on your bike and/or plan loops back to your car for resupply.
* There are gas stations @poi[here](9738101) and @poi[here](9738105).
* @poi[The Fair Hill Inn](9709608) is an excellent fine dining option for those inclined

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Shark Tank Gravel

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