Beebe River Mountain Bike Ride

Eleven of us did the ride on Saturday, July 2nd. It was a great day for this ride; low humidity, partly cloudy skies and breezy. Fred and Mark rented fat bikes that have super wide tires for greater mobility and seem to really like them. The rest of us had mountain bikes or hybrids.

Biking a section of paved road along Route 175 to the start of the Beebe River Trail with 11 bikers could be a problem for both us and drivers so we decided to skip that section and drive right to the start. We parked our cars beside the cemetery, took our bikes off our vehicles and put on our day packs. After a steep downhill we reached Beebe River Trail that climbs gently upstream along the Beebe’s riverbank using a smooth gravel road that is closed to public traffic.

We took a stop to check out the swimming hole that we would take a dip into on the return. We then hopped on our bikes to continue the ride. The trail has been washed away in places by spring’s high water and rebuilt with stones and gravel. These few sections got bumpy, but were not terrible to negotiate.

A swimming hole that I had never seen caught my eye through the trees so we checked it out. A beautiful cascade finished off into this huge swimming hole! This certainly is more private than the first one we saw since a person could not easily walk to it from their car. We thought about taking a dip into this one on the return however the thought of riding in wet trunks back to our vehicles was not inviting. Maybe next time!

We crossed Sandwich Notch Road and after one mile with one steep hill we reached beautiful Kiah Pond for lunch. The return went very fast since it was downhill all the way. What was remarkable is that it hardly felt that we were ever going uphill so were pleasantly surprised about how easy the return was. The descent was fine but for those of us without shocks on their front forks, like me, I had a workout with my arms vibrating and braking!

Remember that I said earlier there were a few sections that got bumpy? That resulted with Fred’s phone coming out of his shirt pocket without realizing it and Ken losing all sorts of items since the zipper on his panier lodged open. After about 20 minutes of searching, Fred and Mark unfortunately could not find the phone but they did find all of Ken’s lost items.

Meanwhile, many of us enjoyed this beautiful swimming hole. The water was refreshing but not bad for a mountain river. We could stay in the water for a period time swinging off the rope, splashing and sliding down its short cascade.  

The ride was fun to do and a very nice route generally. We ended up riding 12.4 miles out and back; we only saw one mountain biker the entire time. It's a fine choice for groups of riders looking to enjoy each other's company without the worries of riding a technical trail with partners or unmatched fitness or skill levels. After the ride, I invited everyone back at my house for a cold beer and most everyone took me up on the offer.

This was a great ride and the swimming holes were a gift of nature! A brilliant way to end the ride. Thank you everyone for joining me and Mark it was great to catch up with you after almost 20 years! 

Leisurely mountain bike ride along Beebe River with a swim at a remote swimming hole!

This will be a summertime ride alongside the quiet, slow-moving Beebe River...a perfect ride to escape the city! Do not take your bike off your rack when we meet because we'll drive to the start of the Beebe River Trail instead of biking there...will make the ride a bit easier...and will give us more time to explore and swim! The ride is on a former logging road. We will bike up to the scenic Kiah Pond where we will have lunch. If there is interest, we can bike and explore the Sandwich Notch Road. 

We will return by the same route but near the end of the ride we will stop at a swimming hole for a refreshing swim. The distance is approximately 23 miles with a 1,257 foot elevation gain. Bicycle helmet required. Make sure you have a daypack with lunch, water bottle, swim trunks, towel, sandals in pack due to rocky swimming hole, insect repellent and sun screen. 

We'll meet at the Visitor's Center on Route 49 in Campton. There is a bike rental shop nearby if you need to rent a mountain bike. The rental fee is $25 and includes a helmet.  

I rarely ride a mountain bike. This ride is not being led by some sort of expert. I'm just saying. :)