Bike Camping in the City: Family Campout 2024

Start: North Park Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski

Meet: between 3:30-6pm Friday evening; Camp night one at North Park Nature Center

Day 2: Ride to and Overnight at Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie

Return to North Park Nature Center by 4:30 pm Sunday afternoon

Registration comes with Guided Tour, Campsites, and food for all meals Friday dinner to Sunday lunch.

Bring your tent and camping gear on your bike.

Day 1: 0 Miles | Day 2: 25ish miles | Day 3: 25ish miles

Ridership Level: Easy

All Are Welcome

It's back! The not to be missed family ride that answers the question, "Is it possible to bike camp in Chicago?". This unique tour specifically designed for families aims to answer that question with an emphatic “YES”. Don't waste time getting into your Summer bike camping groove. Held during the first "free" weekend after Chicago schools are OUT. We'll be camping at two unique and beautiful spots that are not open to the public for camping. This area of the Northwest side of Chicago and adjacent suburbs have seen significant improvements in cycling infrastructure, including miles of brand new bike paths, extensions to existing paths, at least 4 new bridges, lots of additional bike infrastructure, restored habitat and a plethora of cycling amenities, making our bike camping tour in the city more than just possible.

​We’ll ride on quiet paths within Chicago proper that feel more like the woods of Northern Wisconsin than the 3rd largest city in the US. We can’t wait to show you everything we have in store. We’ll explore beautiful trails, including the Sauganash Bike Path, North Branch Trail Extension, North Channel path, and the McCormick Sculpture Path. We’ll visit beautiful beaches and pools, ride along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan shore line, and even tour a stunningly beautiful and historic cemetery. Families, you don’t want to miss this one.

Out Our Front Door provides the food and the meals are prepared by the guides with some helping hands welcome at times. Campsites features a fire pit with cooking grate, picnic tables, bathrooms, dining pavilions with electrical outlets for device charging.

• Two Night/Three Day Tent Campsite Reservation
• Meals (Friday Dinner to Sunday Lunch)
• Interpretative Trail Guides/Ride Leaders
• Campfire & Camp Snacks

• Your kid(s), bike, tent, sleeping bags, and gear
• Friday lunch, water, kid-friendly snacks, and adult energy snacks
• Bike lock, spare inner tubes, bike lights, & helmets
• Personal Items and changes of clothes

The base ticket price for this event is kept low with the majority of it going to cover the cost of the campsites, food, and supplies. The guides are all volunteers as OOFD is mainly volunteer run.

So when checking out, please consider the ticket price add-ons ($75, $50, $5) and pay what you can to either help grow OOFD and our programs as well as help us provide these incredibly low ticket prices to keep our rides, prices, and organization radically inclusive.

If you love biking and camping but aren’t sure how to combine the two, we offer a supportive communal experience with accessible bike camping rides designed by fellow parents. Our goal is to help you and your kids go from riding in the neighborhood to riding in nature; we provide the organization, logistics, ride support, food, and community of family cyclists to make your first bike camping adventure fun, worry-free, and successful.

This ride is designated as EASY. That means it’s suitable for first-time bike campers or beginners and open to all.

This is a family ride; you should come if your are a parent/guardian with minor child(ren) who will accompany you. If you have a bike in good working order that can carry your kids and gear, can ride for twenty miles or more at a time, are up for a communal family adventure, and possess a positive attitude, then you can complete this ride.

Bring them! For this ride, we divide children into three different categories:

• Full-time Passengers are children who ride on their parents’ bicycles for the entirety of the route. We’ve had kids as young as 9 months and as old as 9 years be full-time passengers. You’ll want a bike seat, trailer, or cargo bike to carry these kids.
• Little Kid Riders are part-time passengers on their parents’ bikes and part-time riders of their own bikes. There will be opportunities for the kids of all ages and abilities to ride during the weekend. Little Kid Riders are usually age five to eight, typically riding bikes with wheels up to 20”. When not riding, these children and their bikes are carried by their parents. You’ll want a tow hitch and/or cargo bike to carry these kids and their bikes.
• Big Kid Riders are full-time riders who plan to ride the whole distance. They are usually age 8 or older, ride a bike with 20” tires or bigger, have previous experience doing 20+ mile rides, and can keep a pace of 10-12 mph (think Critical Mass). Prior long ride (20+ mile) experience is required for Big Kid Riders.

Bike camping offers a total sensory experience, where the journey is as important as the destination. It’s like backpacking by bike; you carry your camping gear and kid(s) with you on your bicycle. With this adventure, we offer families - beginners and experts alike - an opportunity to experience bike camping beyond the city.

Family rides usually have a 1:5 guide to participant ratio to ensure a safe and smooth experience. Guides will have a bike tool kit, an air pump, a presta/schrader valve adapter, tire lever, chain breaker, and a crescent wrench (for those older bikes), a multi-toolkit, lights, and an emergency packet. Our guides will help you with any needed repairs. *If you have any of the above items please bring them along at your own convenience.

Our guides work with historians, biologists, forest rangers, and leading people in their fields to deliver a one-of-a-kind story to remember. They have setup multiple break points along the way in all the right places to ensure you and your kids can go the distance. If this is your first time out on a long ride, you’ll be surprised by how far you and your children can actually go.

• “What an AMAZING weekend!!! Thank you all for always stepping up to help, even when I didn’t ask for it. I couldn’t have gotten through the trip without every one of you - and your fabulous kiddos! It was great to meet other active, adventurous families. Thanks for making our first family bike camping trip absolutely PERFECT!!!”
• “I loved that I really thought I was not going to be able to do it when there where like 10 miles to get to the campsite and I did it. I loved the feeling of being part of a community where everyone took care of each other.”
• “It was our kids' first time camping and they were so excited about sleeping in a tent! The ride/hike to the beach on Saturday was super fun too. I loved the way everyone looked out for each other and worked together."

• Tickets include a two-night group tent campsite rental, ride marshals, food for all meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch, guided activities, trip planning, firewood, and s’mores.
• Participants bring their own tents, sleeping bags, clothing, and other gear.

• OOFD will purchase food and prepare meals communally Friday dinner through Sunday lunch.

• It’s up to you to get to the start point however you can. A few options: 1) store your bike and gear near the start/end point in another participant's garage before and after the ride; 2: haul your bike and kids onto the closest CTA train to get to the start point - be aware of rush-hour bike restrictions and elevators that are too small; 3) meet the group on the route. Please confirm prior to the ride with the organizers for either of those scenarios.

• Yes! Check out a sample packing list here. If you already own camping equipment, you can use what you have. However, if you’re looking to invest, buy gear intended for backpacking; it’s lighter and more packable than car camping equipment.
• Don’t own any camping equipment? Our Cook County Forest Preserve's rent camping gear. See here for more details. Let us know what you need and we may be able to arrange a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp stove, etc.

• No. There is no SAG vehicle. Participants transport themselves, their kids, plus tent and gear to the campsite on their bike. That’s what makes it bike camping! Please pack lightly and find a way to load your bike with your family’s essentials.

• No. We will make every effort to put the event on and would only cancel in the event of biblical extreme weather or the zombie apocalypse (in which case, we’d all be furiously peddling with the other bike-powered preppers anyway). We strongly suggest you bring rain gear (especially for the kids as they get much colder faster when not pedaling) and if it looks like rain, garbage bags double wrapped over your gear with some tape where necessary can good-enough waterproof almost anything.

• If you would like to rent a cargo bike suitable for hauling kids and gear on one of our rides, please contact Four Star Family Cyclery. The owner is a veteran family bike campout participant and can talk you through what might work best for your needs.

• Cargo bikes, especially longtails, are perfect for bike camping. However, whatever you already have will likely work. Can your bike comfortably haul you, your stuff, and your kid(s) if they don’t ride yet? Bring it! Check the event description for more information on the route and terrain.
• See some photos and videos here from our past trips for examples and inspiration on what other family bike campers ride. Your solution could be as simple as adding a new-to-you trailer to your regular bike to haul your kid(s) and gear.
• Past participants have done family bike campouts on bakfiets, longtails, midtails, adult bikes with trailers, recumbent tricycles, and all sorts of standard adult bikes.

• We’re family and we’re cyclists and we are here to help. We will have dedicated ride marshals in the group who will make simple repairs and help you out in any type of breakdown in order to get you rolling again.
• This is front country camping, which means we’re never that far from a bike shop if things get serious.

• We aim for no rider left behind! If you can keep pedaling and have a positive attitude, we won't leave you. We will lash kid bikes on a cargo bike, squeeze children on/into another cargo bike, rotate a pair of fresh kid legs on their bike while they catch a ride, take breaks, etc. Plus, we ride slowly, usually 8-12 mph. Most routes feature a designated kid-friendly section where the little peddlers can safely ride.
• If you just can't complete the ride, bug out options include Metra, CTA, rideshare and phone a friend, depending on location.

• Adventures create memories that last a lifetime so be prepared to have some fun and bring your swimwear. Even if we’re not going to the beach, there’s likely a pool along the way.

Participant Cancellation: No Refunds. | By registering, you acknowledge and agree there will not be a refund if you cancel or do not show up for the event. Tickets cannot be resold. We are a small organization and due to the small group size of our rides, a ticket cancellation or no show has a real impact on the planning of the tour. As such, we cannot provide any refunds for a participant's cancellation. We have limitations for ticket transfers but may accommodate in the event certain criteria are met. You may review this updated Transfer Policy flowsheet to determine what next steps you need to take. Contact us if you have any issues.

Organizer Cancellation: Full Refund | Nobody wants an event to be canceled. In the rare circumstance the organizer cancels the event at their discretion, registered participants will receive a full refund.To date, this organization has canceled minimal events; primarily in response to the Covid19 pandemic.

Weather and Rain: We do not cancel an event for rain, storm, or any other weather. We ride rain or shine. Chicago weather is typically passing, if the weather requires, we will pause the ride and wait in a sheltered space then continue biking. Some of the best views of the lake and greenery on the trails are after a rainstorm.

We at Out Our Front Door believe in the radical inclusion of all people on our bike camping trips. Regardless of your race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, economic status, or even the types of bikes you ride, we want you rollin’ with us. We want everyone to feel welcome. As a participant of an Out Our Front Door event, you are inherently agreeing to Ride and Let Ride.

If you exhibit any micro-aggressions observed by leaders, such as being judgmental of another’s bike, touring experience/skill, mansplaining, or generally being unfriendly you will be politely yet firmly corrected by OOFD leaders. If you commit any serious offense such as repeated unwanted flirtation, sexual harassment, overt racism, etc., you will be asked to leave the tour without a refund and will no longer be welcomed on future rides.

If you feel you are a victim of any of the above or have observed it, please raise the issue with one of our ride leaders, and they will handle the issue accordingly and with appropriate discretion.

We have this policy in place because we want everyone to feel safe and welcome. Out Our Front Door is an open community of bike campers, and we will forever work to bring all sorts of folks into the fold. Thank you for being a positive contributor to that community.

We're the Out Our Front Door established in 2016 as a Bike Camping Community For Chicago and The Lower Lake Michigan Basin. Want to help? Fill out this form or meet us at one of our Monthly Hangs on the first Tuesday of every month.

Mission Statement: Out Our Front Door welcomes you to join us on our immersive, inclusive, and educational bike camping adventures. We aim to deepen your reverence for the region by exploring local trails while learning about the culture, history, and habitats native to the beautiful Lake Michigan area and beyond. 

Drop us a friendly visit at www.oofd.org

Host or Publisher Out Our Front Door