Tour de Pines: October 2 to October 6, 2019
The Tour de Pines, sponsored by Pinelands Preservation Alliance, celebrates Pinelands Month in October with five consecutive single-day bicycle tours of the New Jersey Pinelands. Proceeds benefit the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to protect the resources on New Jersey Pinelands since 1989. There is no other bike ride like this in New Jersey!
Each day’s ride will range from approximately 43-55 miles per day and begin and end at the same location. Cue sheets are provided to all registered riders allowing you to go at your own speed. Participants provide their own transportation, food and lodging as this is an unsupported ride. But just because it is unsupported doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of great benefits!
Other important things to know:
- Short routes will be available on 3 of the 5 days
- GPX files of all rides will be available for download after you register
- 3 NEW rides this year!
- Ride as many days of the Tour as you want for the same price.
- All rides start at 9:00 am and are loop rides returning you back to where you started.
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October 6th: Chili and Beer!
We will have beer and delicious chili from Just Between Friends Catering after the last day of the ride. Ride from our offices on Sunday and then hang out with other cyclists on the grounds of our historic property in Southampton. Free for all registered riders – non-riding family and friends are welcome and can pay $10 at the door. NOTE: This ride will be all NEW for 2019!
Cue Sheets with directions/mileage for each ride will be emailed to registered riders by September 20, 2019. This email will also include the GPX files. See the descriptions of each day’s ride below. All rides start at 9:00 a.m.
You must know you can complete the rides you register for and that your bike is in good, working condition. It’s not fair to all the other riders if you can’t. Check out these documents for more information:
2019 Tour de Pines rides
This map shows you the starting locations of each of this year’s rides. This is designed for informational purposes only. Directions, cue sheets and GPX files will be emailed to all registered riders by September 20th.
Day 1 – Wednesday, October 2, 2019
NEW! BLUEBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. White Horse Winery, 106 Hall Street, Hammonton NJ 08037
Rides of two distances are offered, a 48-mile loop and a 29-mile loop. Both rides start at Whitehorse Winery. Discover why Hammonton and surrounding Atlantic County is known as the “Blueberry Capital of the World”. Start in rural, southern Camden County and ride into Atlantic County and Burlington County. In addition to blueberry farms, points of interest include historic Batsto Village, the Mullica River and Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area, old churches and homemade pies! Visit the winery after your ride and sample their latest offering.
Day 2 – Thursday, October 3, 2019
NO WHINING RIDE
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Laurita Winery (GPS: 85 Archertown Road), New Egypt NJ 08533
This ride is a 43-mile loop starting at Laurita Winery, which is located at the edge of the Pine Barrens. Scenic areas in both Ocean and Monmouth counties may be enjoyed, including many agricultural, tree and horse farms. The route passes through Colliers Mills and Assunpink Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), as well as a visit to Historic Walnford, a Monmouth County Park. Be prepared for some rolling terrain and a few steep hills! This ride crosses the Union Transportation Trail (a relatively new “rails-to-trails” that is also a part of the Monmouth County Parks System), and this trail could be a ride for another day. After your ride, stay a while to sample Laurita’s wine and enjoy the atmosphere of this unique place!
Day 3 – Friday, October 4, 2019
ATLANTIC – CAPE RAMBLE
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Estell Manor County Park, Estell Manor, NJ, 08319
This ride is a 48-mile loop starting off from Estell Manor County Park, located south of Mays Landing in lower Atlantic County. This property is the site of a former World War I munitions plant that was operated by the Bethlehem Loading Company, and gave rise to the existence of the town of Belcoville. The park office offers an extensive photographic history for this era, as well as an interpretive center depicting the area wildlife. Enjoy low traffic roads and largely undeveloped land. The ride will pass the historic sites of Aetna Furnace and the Head of the River Church, and a number of wildlife management areas. After reaching the Head of the River (reference to the Tuckahoe River), the ride proceeds to Belleplain State Forest, Dennisville and Tuckahoe. You will pass through Dorothy, riding along Lenape Farms (formerly a 5,000 acre hunting club, now preserved-land owned by the state) and return to Estell Manor County Park.
Day 4 – Saturday, October 5, 2019
NEW! PINELANDS MEETS THE BAY
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. at Bass River State Forest, 762 Stage Rd, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
Rides of two distances are offered, a 48-mile loop and a 24-mile loop. Both rides start from Bass River State Forest, New Jersey’s first state forest established in 1905. Both rides travel through populated places, wildlife management areas, and pass the famed “Chair on the Roof”. The longer version of the ride travels out and back on Seven Bridges Road to the Rutgers Marine Studies facility, which is a former US Coast Guard Station. The views from this segment of the ride are impressive, and are accompanied by the enjoyable smells of the wetlands.
Day 5 – Sunday, October 6, 2019
NEW! HIGH UP IN BURLINGTON COUNTY
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. at Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Southampton, NJ 08088
Sunday’s ride offerings depart from PPA’s offices in Vincentown, NJ. The long ride is 48.3 miles, while the short ride is 26.6 miles. They both travel through historic Smithville (the one in Burlington County), utilize a newly opened segment of the Kinkora Trail, and traverse Arney’s Mount – the highest point in Burlington County. Although these two rides do not travel entirely within the Pinelands, a good cross-section of the areas surrounding the preserve can be viewed. In addition to the short ride, the long ride passes through the rifle range area of Fort Dix, and makes a trip around Mirror Lake in Browns Mills. At the end of the ride all cyclists are invited to join us in our renovated barn for chili and beer.
Registration Information
Participants can ride one, two or all five days for just $45. This fee includes cue sheets, GPX files, a limited edition t-shirt and entrance to our end-of-Tour festivities following the last day’s ride. Cue sheets and GPX files will be sent to all registered riders by September 20, 2019.
Prefer to register by check? Print the Tour de Pines 2019 registration form and mail with your registration fee.
The Tour de Pines helps to support our work to protect New Jersey’s Pinelands so there are always beautiful green places to ride your bike in south Jersey.
PPA is a local, grassroots organization and your participation truly makes a difference in our effort to protect New Jersey’s Pinelands.
Information
Contact becky@pinelandsalliance.org or 609-859-8860 x121 for more information.
Tour de Pines 2019 Planning Committee Members: Harry Chaikin, Mickey Coen, Bob Cummings, Helen Dudar, Anita Garner, John Greenberg, Michael Hardy, John Keenan, Kevin Kristian, Chris Monchinski, Dan Rappoport, Daniel Sferas, Susan Soesbe, Jay Stephens, Ed and Patricia Troike, and Jim Wheatcroft. PPA is very grateful for their hard work in planning this year’s event!