Fall 2020
Liberty Ride PHL-DC
Spend six days cycling through Southern California’s beautiful desert landscapes
About the Ride
Bring your message to Washington, DC! This 4-day ride begins in historic Philadelphia, passes Independence Hall and travels through beautiful Pennsylvania Amish Country for an optional 100-mile century ride (there are shorter options)
Join the interest list for next time!
Philadelphia, PA
We’ll also visit Gettysburg’s historic Civil War battlefields, and overnight at Harper’s Ferry before we pedal on car-free bike paths and up Constitution Ave to the US Capitol. The following day, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with your Congressional representatives and advocate for sustainability, urgent climate action, and active transportation.
Event Details
Positive Planet Impact
Full Event Story
Climate Ride Philadelphia to DC spans 280 miles and explores the heart of Pennsylvania’s Amish Country on and off quiet roads and bike trails. From the exciting trip start in Philadelphia to the triumphant arrival at the US Capitol, this Climate Ride will challenge, inspire, and surprise as you pedal and connect with thought leaders, advocates, and like-minded people dedicated to advancing sustainability.
On Climate Ride Philadelphia to DC, you’ll spend four days cycling on a scenic journey that explores the back roads of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. We’ll see inspiring scenery, stay at comfortable retreats and classic summer camps, visit several well-known historic sites, and experience the thrill of touring by bicycle with a community united by their passion for sustainability, renewable energy, and bicycles – the ultimate carbon-free form of transportation.
During the trip, we’ll ride past historic buildings, family farms, quaint villages, and verdant forests. Evening programs and dynamic speakers combine with world-class cycling to make this charitable event exciting, informative, and fun.
Our professional Climate Ride volunteer staff takes care of all the details, so you can focus on riding the 40-100 miles per day of carefully-planned routes on scenic roads. It’s challenging yet achievable, and you have all day to make it to the next rest stop. Meals, snacks, bike support, luggage transport, and all of the logistics are included when you reach the fundraising commitment. On the road, the Climate Ride support team is always nearby to assist you, keep you happy and healthy, and make your ride worry-free and memorable. Bike rental options are available in Philadelphia.
You can choose from our full list of beneficiaries and proceeds will be distributed to the Climate Ride grants program based on your beneficiary selection. You will have access to our superb personal fundraising software and the full support of our team. Participants may select their beneficiaries from our list of more than 100 extraordinary non-profit organizations. If you’re ready to sign up and ride, click above to register! Space is limited.
Photo Gallery
Itinerary Overview
Itinerary subject to change, your Ride Guide will include full details.
Ride 40 Miles
Today begins with a morning registration at a park in Philadelphia followed by a quick picnic lunch. Then we’ll mount our bikes and begin pedaling to the ‘most historic six blocks in America’ – where we’ll pass Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. From there, we’ll jump on the Schuylkill River Trail which follows the river out of town and into rural Pennsylvania. We’ll spend 30 miles on the trail, passing near Valley Forge to the quaint village of Phoenixville before pedaling on scenic roads to our camp for the night – a classic summer camp on the edge of Amish Country next to a sparkling creek. After a restorative dinner, we’ll gather to hear about the important work our beneficiary organizations are doing before settling in for some well-deserved rest.
Ride 40, 60, 80, or 100 Miles
This is a great day of riding, with several options including a century ride – 100 miles through Amish Country! There are shorter options for people of all abilities that include van shuttles. From camp, we burst into Amish country, an amazing farming landscape with iconic silos, horse-drawn carriages, and hand-washed laundry blowing in the wind. The riding is stunning through this area and the views are awesome. We take a lunch break at a nice park with a covered bridge in Lancaster, right in the heart of Amish Country. The afternoon brings more scenic riding until we reach our camp for the night where we’ll celebrate the day with a nutritious dinner and evening talks.
Ride 40, 60 or 80 Miles
This day will probably be considered a challenging day after yesterday’s century ride – there are a fair amount of hills and it’s 80 miles to Harper’s Ferry – but worth it! We depart from our camp and pedal through several cute towns until we reach Gettysburg, where we’ll ride through historic Civil War battlefields, pass by where President Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg Address, and see the incredible Cyclorama at the park’s Visitors Center. From Gettysburg, we head south and climb up to the heavily-forested Catoctin Mountain Park for a picnic lunch. From here we continue south on scenic byways until pedal along the Potomac River all the way to Harper’s Ferry – the site of John Brown’s slave revolt of 1859. We’ll ride right through this historic village to our camp nearby. On this final night, we’ll gather after dinner to celebrate the week with a special presentation.
Ride 40 or 67 Miles
The Big Day has arrived! It’s 67 miles to the Capitol in Washington, DC, although it’s a lot of downhill! In historic Leesburg, VA we’ll jump on the car-free Old Dominion Trail rail-trail and eventually we’ll have a picnic lunch on the way outside a general store in Vienna, VA. From there, we’ll continue on the Old Dominion Trail and cross the Potomac River before gathering at the Thompson Boat Center. There, the riders will wait for everyone to arrive and then ride en masse to the Capitol, where we’ll have a special speaking event. After a group photo, we’ll ride to southeast Washington DC, grab our gear, and say our goodbyes until next time.
Advocacy Day
The day after the ride, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with your senators and representatives to make your voice heard. Climate Ride will help schedule meetings for you and theres no better way to deliver your message than by riding close to 300 miles to do so!
Ready to get started?
What are the overnight accommodations?
We will be staying in cabins and dorm-style rooms at full-service summer camps on this trip with dining halls and conference facilities. At the first two camps, tent camping is optional, and we also have on-your-own hotel and hotel-style options available at our overnight locations. On the third night, camping is available with the option to upgrade to cabins for an additional cost.
Amenities at our overnight locations include hot showers, a first-aid station with 24/7 ice, clean restrooms, and shared rooms with vinyl mattresses. You should bring a sleeping bag and a fitted sheet.
If you would like to stay in hotels, please email info(at)climateride.org for the hotel list. You are responsible for making your reservations.
All dietary restrictions will be accommodated on this trip by our staff and caterers. There will be a variety of hot breakfasts, picnic lunches, hearty dinners and plenty of snacks in between to fuel you for multiple days of riding.
On Climate Ride, we bring together a dynamic community. Each evening after dinner, we’ll gather for our Evening Program which features speakers, roundtable discussions, and other events.
How should I get to the ride start?
We recommend arriving in Philadelphia the night before the ride or Amtrak has multiple early morning trains from East Coast locations like New York and Washington DC the morning of the ride.
TRAIN/BUS
The train is probably the most convenient option if you live on the East Coast. Visit the Amtrak website for general information and reservations, or click here for how to bring your bicycle on Amtrak trains. You may also call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL.
Greyhound has bus terminals located in Philadelphia.They accept bicycles as luggage. Visit the Greyhound website for more information.
TAXI
Taxis are an easy way to get around Philadelphia. Many companies said that their cabs can usually accommodate bicycles as long as you mention it when you book the cab. Request a minivan or SUV, and know that you may need to take the front wheel off to make it fit.
PLANE
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is the closest airport to the Ride Start and offers many airline options. It is conveniently located 20 minutes from downtown Philadelphia and within easy access of the I-95 freeway. To get to downtown Philadelphia from PHL, you can take a taxi or check out this link for ground transportation options: https://www.phl.org/about/accessibility/ground-transportation
Can I rent a Bike?
If you’re traveling to Philadelphia for the ride, there are bicycle rental options as well as the possibility of shipping your bike straight to a local bike shop and having it assembled for you. More information will be available in the Ride Guide.
If you are traveling to the ride with Amtrak, you may be able to bring your bike onboard! Learn more here.
When and where does the ride end?
Climate Ride will end in Southeast Washington DC at approximately 4:30 pm after the finale event at the US Capitol. There, we’ll pick up our luggage/gear and depart.
What is Advocacy Day?
The day after the ride, on Monday, September 14, 2020, we encourage you to meet with your Member(s) of Congress in Washington as part of Advocacy Day. Many past riders report this was a highlight of their Climate Ride experience. The Climate Ride office will be scheduling meetings with both House Representatives and Senators (or their staff) for Climate Riders. It’s an amazing feeling making your voice heard on Capitol Hill, so don’t miss it! We do our best to schedule meetings before 2 pm, so if you’re staying an extra day in DC, we suggest not making travel plans until after 3 pm. More information will be available in the Ride Guide.
Fundraising Beneficiaries
Cyclists can choose from the more than 100 incredible beneficiary organizations in our network! One of the things that make Climate Ride such an effective charitable event is that you can select the organization(s) you wish to benefit through the Climate Ride grants program. Our beneficiaries were selected for their work on the environment, conservation, sustainability, climate education, and active transportation advocacy. At the end of the year, Climate Ride grants the proceeds from our events to these hard-working organizations.
Fundraising and Transfer Deadlines | Important Dates
Fundraising Deadlines:
| $500 to be raised by: | TBD |
| $1,500 to be raised by: | TBD |
| $3,000 to be raised by | TBD |
Transfer Deadline: TBD
Note: If you’d like to register after or near a fundraising deadline, don’t worry, we’re here to help you get up to speed!