A Ride for Everyone -- We offer five rides ranging from long and mountainous to short and rolling. All routes are well marked, cue sheets are provided and maps are available at the rest stops. Which ever route you choose, you will be cycling through some of the most beautiful countryside east of the Mississippi. These are our standard routes. On or about 9/1/24 we will post the routes for 2024 that are revised for road issues or closed roads.
To insure our ability to continue hosting this event, you MUST also commit to riding responsibly and obeying all traffic laws. There has been increased scrutiny of our event in recent years by local authorities. NOTE: Check-in for registered riders begins at 7:00 AM for the longer distance riders and continues through 10:30 AM for riders on the shorter routes.
Civil War Century (103.2 miles) -- Our most popular, challenging and very hilly route visits all three Civil War battlefields offering breathtaking mountain vistas along the way. This very hilly ride has about 6,980 feet of climbing with four mountain climbs and lots of up and down in between. This is a difficult ride. You must commit to training for this event. It should not be your first century. But, if you do get tired, you can bail out at 64.9 miles, skipping Gettysburg (and the last mountain climb) in favor of a scenic nine-mile descent back to the start/finish. Click the description title to view Civil War Century Map
Gettysburg Three-quarter Century (75.9 miles) -- This route is for those who want a more challenging ride to Gettysburg, but who don't want to tackle the full century. With about 5,114 feet of climbing, you'll scale three mountains en route to the battlefield. If you get tired, don't worry -- you can avoid the last big climb and bail out at the 37.5 miles, cruising nine miles mostly downhill back to the start/finish. Click the description title to view Gettysburg Three-quarter Century Map
Gettysburg Metric Century (63.8 miles) -- On this ride you get to look at the mountains, not climb them, as you meander along pleasant country roads through the lush rolling farmland of the Monocacy and Carroll Valleys to Gettysburg and back. As a bonus, you'll cross 4 covered bridges on this route while doing 2,619 feet of climbing. Click the description title to view Gettysburg Metric Century Map
Gettysburg Half Century (51.8 miles) -- This ride takes a rolling route to Gettysburg, but there are some hills after leaving Emmitsburg. You'll be riding along most of the same pleasant country roads as the Metric Century while doing 2,162 feet of climbing and crossing two covered bridges. Click the description title to view Gettysburg Half Century Map
Covered Bridge Quarter Century (24.7 miles) -- On this rolling ride of 970 feet of climbing you won't visit any battlefields, but you will get to cross three covered bridges that were used repeatedly by the troops of both sides in the Civil War. Click the description title to view Quarter Century Map
Want to practice? -- Try this ride that includes two of the Civil War Century climbs in only 27.2 miles. Ride starts at the Orchard Village Shopping Center in Thurmont. Look for the Food Lion sign. Here is the CWC Practice Loop Cue Sheet. Good Luck!