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Hillsborough, NJ

Type of Event: Touring

The Sourland Planning Council will hold its first Sourland Spectacular Bike & Hike event on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

The bicycling event will offer challenging routes for serious cyclists, as well as shorter alternatives for more casual bikers. Routes of 35, 50 and 63 miles are planned, all of which include some climbing, as Sourland Mountain is beautiful, but not flat. All routes begin and end at the Somerset County Sourland Mountain Preserve on East Mountain Road in Hillsborough Township.

There will be coffee and snacks at registration, and designated rest stops along the routes will offer beverages, snacks and bathroom facilities. SAG services also will be provided.

"The bike routes are through the large Sourland forest and adjacent picturesque farmland", says SPC President Cliff Wilson. "Bikers also will be able to see historic sites such as the Hunt House, George Washington's headquarters in 1778, and the Charles Lindbergh estate, site of the infamous kidnapping."

Hikers also will meet at the Preserve, and can choose from a wide variety of trails, all of which involve some moderate climbing. Naturalists will be on hand to guide some of the hikes, including one to the spectacular Roaring Rocks area, where Roaring Brook runs beneath a field of enormous boulders, creating the unique aural sensation that gives the place its name.

Following the morning activities, hikers and bikers will join up for a picnic lunch at the Preserve, and all participants will receive commemorative T-shirts. After lunch, those who biked in the morning may choose to finish off the day with a hike at the preserve.

Proceeds will benefit the Sourland Planning Council, a non-profit organization working to protect the ecological integrity, historical resources and special character of the Sourland Mountain region.
The 90-square-mile Sourland region is home to the largest contiguous forest in Central New Jersey. The sparsely populated area is home to an incredibly rich diversity of animal and plant species, many rare or endangered.

The registration fee is $35 per person, with discounts available for early registration. The fee for children between the ages 7 to 16 is $20. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.


Contact Email: cwilson@sourland.org

Contact Phone: 609/466-8169

Fax: undefined