Gathland Ridge-Antietam CW

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Frederick County, MD, US

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Aperçu de l'itinéraire

Paul Ruchlin

Fantastic rides near Frederick, MD

103 km

1 395 m

Beautiful farmland, up and over South Mountain twice and meandering through the battlefield of America's single bloodiest day highlight this route.

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Détails de l'itinéraire

This route begins/ends at @point[Ballanger Creek Park](d,39.38), southwest of Frederick and the I-270/I-70/Rte 15 interchange.  Restrooms are available.  You start out paralleling Routes 340 and 15 before turning northwest to cross over Rte 340 and head off towards Sharpsburg, MD.

If you've forgotten to fill water bottles or bring along food you have an opportunity here at @poi[BP, as you cross Rte 340 at mile 9.0](1074717).  At mile 16.8 have your legs ready as you'll start the @slice[Cat 4 climb](d,27093.17,29277.92) to cross over Crampton Gap.  Take a few moments at the top to enjoy the spectacular @point[National War Correspondents Memorial Arch](d,29282.73). There is also a @poi[water spigot and restrooms](1074716) available a few meters up the entrance road to Gathland State Park.

After a few miles of rolling farmland you'll find yourself crossing Antietam Creek and entering the town of Sharpsburg where, during the Civil War, America experienced the bloodiest single day of battle in our history.  You'll pass through the town and a mile north, enter Antietam National Battlefield.  If history is not your thing, or you want to shorten up the route a bit, you can skip the @slice[5.7 mile loop through the battlefiled and back through Sharpsburg](d,45623.66,54334.92). In that case, continue along Smoketown road and turn right onto Mansfield Rd (jump to mile 35.1 on cue sheet) and follow the remainder of the cues.  There is @poi[Battlefield Market](1077091) where you can fill up on water and snacks, or you can stop in at the @poi[battlefield Visitor Center](1077092). and fill up at their water fountain. If you do, I might suggest a small donation be made.

The reverence of heroes past behind you, it's back to rural farmland, northeast now to the town of Boonsboro.  This will be your last good place to resupply, so be sure you have enough to get you through the last 22 miles.

Once out of Boonsboro and headed south Your next big hurdles are the climbs on Clevelandtown Rd and Reno Monument Rd.  The start of @slice[Clevelandtown](d,68282.12,68558.51) is short but brutally steep.  Then you get a bit of a break before the longer and only slightly less steep @slice[climb up Reno Monutment Road](d,71626.62,72523.69).  Keep heart, and your legs spinning and you'll make it up just fine. Besides, there's another unique historical marker and monument at the very top at which you can catch your breath and prepar yourself for the screaming downhill on the other side.

Be sure to look for the @point[suit of armor off to your right on Cherry Lane](d,90906.59) before you hit your last big climb of the day up and over Valley Heights.  It's only a few short miles from there back to the finish in the park.

## Notes:
- When I rode this route (5 Apr 2015) the @point[bridge on Burnside Bridge Road was under reconstruction.](d,37464.67)  There were warning and detour signs but the bridge was passable on  foot/bike.  If you ride this route and find the construction complete, please drop me a note so I can update this entry.

- After I rode the route I made some minor modificaitons to avoid a few sections of gravel.  What you see here is that modified route with no gravel sections.  Be advised that when I did ride it, my recorded GPS elevations gain was closer to 6100 ft.  Not the 4600 ft derived from the Google map.

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Gathland Ridge-Antietam CW

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