Biking in Pocomoke Country

A 70 degree, sunny April day is a gift not to be squandered. Even if the wind is gusting as high as 30 mph. Too windy to sail, we decided to go biking. But biking at the beach in strong winds, in the spring, when copious amounts of chicken manure lie loosely over barren fields is a disgusting olfactory experience.

However, about 50 minutes south of us, near Snow Hill, Maryland, exists a cyclist’s dream. The roads twist and turn through the Pocomoke State Forest, cross over and alongside Nassawango Creek, and flirt with the Pocomoke River. These are not dedicated bike trails, but the lack of traffic, beautiful scenery, and limitless mileage options makes you feel like someone planned these roads especially for bicycles.

Sturgis Park in downtown Snow Hill has public restrooms and plenty of free parking. However, starting here requires a ride along Rt. 12. It has ample shoulders but is a busy highway – my least favorite part of the ride. Recently we discovered trailhead parking along Nassawango Road which negates any need to travel by bike on Rt. 12. Yay!

The map below shows some of our favorite rides.

On our 17 mile ride, we encountered 10 cars and 3 dogs off leash – all of which were either fat or old (the dogs, not the cars). The trees blocked all but the strongest wind gusts. We only had about two miles of serious headwinds. Just enough to make it feel like a workout.

The route possibilities here are endless. But a cautionary note on planning – even though it has a normal name and looks substantial on the map, some roads in the state forest aren’t paved. I usually use the satellite view and zoom in as far as possible to determine whether the surface is asphalt or sand (we made that mistake at least twice – it’s no fun to ride a road bike on a sand road!).