Camarillo to Leo Carrillo Bicycle Camping Tour

Camarillo to Leo Carrillo Bicycle Camping Tour

Route link: https://goo.gl/maps/hTTkzcyZKb12

Saturday, August 22, 10:00 AM to Sunday, August 23

Meet at 2109 Las Estrellas Ct. in Camarillo, CA 93012

The distance is short to moderate, about 26 miles, with a height gain of about 250 feet on Saturday and 450 feet on Sunday. The hills are low.

ROUTE: We will begin our tour at 10:00 A.M. (depart by 10:30) At the beginning of the bike path on at 2109 Las Estrellas Ct. There should be plenty of parking in the nearby residential neighborhood. Our ride will take us past farms, down a bike path that runs along a dry wash, and along the coastline past iconic Pt. Mugu. We will also visit California State University Channel Islands. We camp at our destination, Leo Carrillo State Park. On Sunday, we return to Moorpark the same way we came.

FOOD: We will stop for lunch at a Mexican restaurant on the Channel Islands University campus. Since there are few stores on the second half of the trip, I suggest everyone bring all of their food for dinner and breakfast with them from the start. On Sunday, we can eat breakfast in camp.

CAMPGROUND: The hiker-biker camp fee is $10.00 per night. The campground has flush toilets and hot showers (you'll need a few quarters or tokens for the shower). We can purchase firewood and beer from the campground store. The campground is flat with plenty of room for tents.

DIFFICULTY: I rate this trip as beginning/intermediate due to distance and a few small hills. If you consider yourself a beginner who is up for a challenge and in good shape, you are welcome to come. You should know that I use the word “beginner” with qualifications. I do not mean a beginning bicycle rider, I mean a beginning long-distance loaded bicycle tourist: i.e., you can already ride 30+ miles at 10-12 mph on a bike loaded down with 30-40 lbs. of clothes, food, and camping gear. You also know how to fix a flat.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING? You will need to pack as you would for a backpacking trip (but no backpack) and a multi-gear bike in good repair with very low gears. If your bike has a triple crankset, a compact crankset, or very large cogs, it probably has very low gears. If you have a mountain bike with knobby off-road tires, I suggest you install narrow road tires – you will find your ride much less difficult. If you have a bike purchased in a department store (rather than a bike shop) you may have a very heavy bike, with poor bearings and unreliable hardware. If this is the case, I advise against using that bike.

WHY: The ride, the camping, the shared beverages, and the jokes. And… I hope to introduce more people to the joys of self-supported bicycle touring and camping.