A fully supported four-day ride on the C&O Canal! Join us for a family-friendly cycling adventure from Cumberland, MD to Mile Marker 0 in Washington, DC. 184.5 miles of no hills, no headwinds, and no cars. Plenty of food, lots of support, ride at your own pace, and well organized. This is the 39th annual benefit ride for San Mar Family and Community Services, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that maintains national accreditation and has provided services to children, families, and the community every day since November 8, 1883! Learn more about our important work online at sanmarhope.org.
THE RIDE INCLUDES
- Transportation by charter bus from Boonsboro, MD to the start of the C&O Canal in Cumberland, MD
- All meals and snacks
- Free parking for your vehicle throughout the event at the San Mar campus
- Rest stops every ten to fifteen miles
- Camp fees paid for the first two nights or transportation to nearby hotels
- Hotel on the third night
- Transport of all gear throughout the event
- TGBT keepsake T-shirt
- Return to your vehicle by charter bus from Georgetown at end of the event
- A bus load of new friends and a lifetime memory!
Schedule
Ride the entire length of the C&O Canal in our four-day tour, or join us for the weekend portion only. Either choice starts on the morning of Saturday, July 12th when charter buses transport the entire group from Boonsboro to Cumberland for the start of this great adventure. And be warned… this event may become habit forming!
A fully supported ride from Cumberland, MD to Georgetown, DC | 184.5 miles
Friday Evening – 4 pm to 7 pm
Join us for the CARBO dinner! Bring your bike and check in early!
Make Saturday morning a breeze by joining in on the festivities the evening before. Greet friends new and old, enjoy great food, and get checked in. We will load your bike while you load up on carbs! Feel free to bring a guest or two to join you to celebrate the start of the adventure! And for first-time participants we will gather for a welcome/orientation session at 5:30(ish).
Saturday – Day One
44.5 Miles – Cumberland Train Station (Mile 184.5) to Little Orleans (Mile 140)
We meet at the San Mar campus in Boonsboro and ride in chartered bus style to Cumberland, MD, where you will be reunited with your bike in anticipation of the adventure that is about to begin. After lunch, the ride includes taking your bike for a walk through the Paw Paw Tunnel so remember to bring a flashlight! Once through the tunnel, get back on your bike and feel the wind in your hair as you travel along the towpath to Little Orleans. Here you will exit the towpath at Bill’s (optional stop for refreshment) and proceed to the campground, about a mile from the trail. You can ride to the camp – challenging hill and all, or load into the waiting vehicles and meet your bike and gear at camp. Set up your tent for the night and enjoy a shower, some well-deserved time by the pool, or a relaxing massage. We eat at 5:00 in the pavilion above the pool. If staying at a hotel, the shuttles will depart following dinner.
Sunday – Day Two
52 Miles – Little Orleans (Mile 140) to McMahon’s Mill (Mile 88)
Breakfast will be served in the pavilion. We will begin the ride following breakfast. We know you are excited to get back on the trail, but this day will go quickly and departing early may mean you get to the rest stops before we do! Use CAUTION when leaving camp: remember the challenging hill from yesterday? Once on the trail, we switch over to the Rails to Trails path – a 22 mile paved section. Two rest stops and an amazing lunch will be served along the route today. At Cushwa Basin in Williamsport [mile 99], MD, feel free to check out the C&O Visitor Center and Museum. You will then exit the towpath at McMahon’s Mill, and ride about 1/4 mile off the trail to the campground that we have reserved just for us! Showers, massages, and cold, sweet treats will be offered. Dinner is served at 5:00 in the air-conditioned lodge.
If joining in the weekend only portion of the ride, you can be picked up at the campground. Transportation to San Mar and the hotel will be available following dinner. You are welcome to invite friends or family to join you for dinner for $10 per guest.
Monday – Day Three
53 Miles – McMahon’s Mill (88) to White’s Ferry (35)
Breakfast will again be served in the lodge, and everyone will ride the short distance from the campground back to the towpath. The upcoming section of the trail, Big Slackwater, reopened in the fall of 2012 and is one of the most scenic parts of the trip. You will ride thru the Big Slackwater area (mile 88 to 85.4) on the new concrete piers and bridges, giving you a most spectacular view of the river, and then returning to the original trail at Dam No. 4. You will again have two sponsored rest stops and a yummy lunch today.
Tonight, everyone stays in the hotel! San Mar covers the hotel cost at two riders per room. Some families may choose to have more than two in the room, and that’s fine! But if you don’t want to share a room with another rider, you will need to pay the single room upgrade fee. Rooming preferences (and upgrade fees) should be communicated and paid during online registration, including if you don’t need a hotel room that night. Please be mindful that unless you tell us otherwise, we make your room reservations. If you need to withdraw from participation at anytime prior to the tour, please notify us so we don’t wind up paying for a room that isn’t used!
When you arrive at Whites Ferry we will have vehicles waiting for you in the parking lot — trucks for your bikes and comfy shuttles to bring you to the hotel. Once at the hotel, you should get access to your room by 3:00 p.m. Massage therapists will also be available at the hotel. Don’t forget to sign up for a session. Dinner is at a nearby restaurant and our staff-driven vans will shuttle people to the restaurant in multiple trips starting at 5:00 p.m. Guests can join you for dinner for $25 – payable at registration before the start of the ride.
Tuesday – Day Four
35 Miles – Whites Ferry (35) to Georgetown (Mile 0)
Breakfast is available at the hotel starting at 6:00. Buses will meet us at the front side of the hotel by 8:00; and your bike will again be waiting for you at the Whites Ferry parking lot. We will have a rest stop at Seneca and lunch at Great Falls. We encourage slower riders to eat lunch quickly and start the last leg as soon as possible so that all riders arrive in Georgetown at approximately the same time. We don’t want to risk anyone missing the bus. It has happened! In Georgetown, DC we will complete the journey at Mile Marker 0, and board charter buses for the return ride to San Mar. If you are NOT going back to San Mar, you can have your friends meet you on the corner of 30th and K street (Swedish Embassy) at 2 pm beneath the Whitehurst Parkway.
Registration
Starting November 1, 2025 at 12:00 a.m., registration opens for the 39th annual Great Bicycle Tour. Registration rates go up as time goes on, so register early to pay the lowest fee possible!
Registration Fee:
Early Bird Registration- $35.00 through December 31, 2025 |
*2025 Golden Retrievers get Early Bird registration for free – we will send you a coupon code to use when registering*
Standard Registration – $55.00 January 1 – May 31, 2026 |
Last call Registration – $75.00 June 1 – June 30, 2026 or until “sold out!”
Our Sponsors | Generous Partners
Our wonderful sponsors are such an important part of our team, giving us both the financial and logistical support we need. We gratefully present our 2025 sponsors below, and we commit to working throughout the year to recognize the important contributions of all current partners. Interested in sponsorship for the current year’s event? Contact Elisa at 301-733-9067 x250 or emabina@sanmarhope.org.
Fundraising Prizes
This popular charity bike tour of the historic C&O Canal is the signature annual fundraising event for San Mar Family and Community Services. Registered riders raise donations of at least $550. Very often, riders raise much more than the minimum and we are so grateful! Riders who raise double the minimum donation amount or more can earn quality bicycle gear/accessories from Trek Bicycles at these levels:
*These, or similarly valued prizes, are distributed following the ride after all fundraising is complete*
$1100: Tifosi Stash Fototec or Interchange Sunglasses – Valued at $80
$1500: Professional bike tune-up – at Wheel Base Bicycles – Valued at $100
$3000 – $300 towards a new Trek Bicycle (or Trek products of equal value)
$6000 – $600 toward a new Trek Bicycle (or Trek products of equal value)
$10,000 – $1000 toward a new Trek Bicycle (or Trek products of equal value)
Your unique fundraising page is automatically created upon registration! You can then add a photo, edit the story and change your fundraising goal! If you want to fundraise as a family or team, you can designate one of your pages as the primary fundraising link. We suggest editing your goal on that page to cover at least the minimum for every family or team member. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions – we are always happy to help! Your page includes up to the minute donation amounts, and will notify you when a gift has been made. You no longer have to ask for checks or knock on doors to raise the money, just email the link to your donation page and you’ll hit your goal in no time. It is a wonderful ride and an even better cause. Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you in July!
Go First Class
The Golden Retriever Plan: (For those who desire to travel First Class all the way while significantly impacting our non-profit) In addition to all of the regular benefits of the tour, when you turn in at least $3,000, prior to the start of the event, you receive:
- If you camp, your tent will be set up and waiting for you each night
- If you’re not a camper and have reserved hotel rooms, we will pay for your room on the first night!
- The support team will provide special handling of your luggage throughout the tour (No tipping please!)
- Priority scheduling for a free massage each evening by certified sports massage therapists
- Get front seats on the bus and go to the head of the line for dinner
- And best of all — receive Golden Retriever swag designating your special VIP status!
A “Dog Team” Production!
Several years ago, in the heat of the Dog Days of Summer, several of the riders began calling each other by “dog” nicknames. It was a big joke at the time, but one that resonated with many. Participants determined that everyone who completed the tour would become a member of “The Dog Team.” Since then, numerous individuals have smiled at the summer-camp style of such a concept, only to find themselves searching for a proper nickname as they near the end of the event. We hope you too will feel the pride that comes with being part of the “Dog Team.”