Camp Sullivan - Family Bike Camping Overnight
A 3-Day Family Bike Camping Adventure to Camp Sullivan in South Holland, IL
Date and time
Location
Brainerd Park
1246 West 92nd Street Chicago, IL 60620Refund Policy
About this event
A 3-Day Bike Camping Adventure for Kids and Families Camp Sullivan (CAMP GEAR INCLUDED)!
Ride Specifics
Mileage: Day 1: 20 Miles | Day 2: Fun at camp, optional day ride | Day 3: 20 miles
Support: Self supported - you carry all of your own gear on your own bike.
Lodging: We will stay at Camp Sullivan campground located at (map) in tents.
Pace: 7-10mph. We won't leave anyone behind.
Trail/Route: Paved road or trail with minimal crushed limestone trail portions.
Age: All families are welcome.
Trip Description
Explore the beauty of our extensive forest preserves in the Southwest Burbs. We will start in Beverly and wind through the most southwest neighborhoods of the city and eventually get on the Cal Sag trail. We will roll along the trails of the forest preserves. Along the route, we will take plenty of breaks and will even have a picnic before arriving to Camp Sullivan.
This is a special ride because we are partnering with the Cook County Forest Preserves and their CLIC program which provides all the camping gear we will need from tents to sleeping bags to cooking gear. So all you need to so is show up with a bike, some snacks and personal gear, and away we go!
What's Included
- Campsite and firewood
- Food for Day 1 dinner, Day 2 breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Day 3 breakfast and lunch.
- Education about our local history and nature
- Very welcoming and supportive guides
- Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad provided by Cook County Forest Preserves CLIC gear library. You can bring your own camping gear if you want though you will need to haul it on your bike.
What's Not Included
- Food for Day 1: lunch (please bring a sacked lunch! There are limited options to buy food along our route)
- Snacks during the ride to camp
- Bowls, cups, spoons, forks - bring your own to avoid waste:)
About the Guides
Our guides are part of a community of volunteers that believe in adventure and helping others find adventure right out our front door. They exude a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive spirit which are foundational values at OOFD. They have love and appreciation for their home and like sharing knowledge about that home with others, thus helping the riders to develop a stronger sense of gratitude for our local history and nature.
The guides will be set with the route and a script about the area you’ll be riding through with intentionally chosen breakpoints along the way.
They are more than someone to follow on the ride. They are trained and will be there to encourage and support you as well as support with mechanicals that may arise.
TICKET PRICES AND ADD-ONS
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 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.
Transfer/Refund/Cancelation Policy
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.
Transfers permitted before the event and to an event in the same calendar year. Check out this 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.
Radical Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination Agreement Here
This is included in your registration form. Showing up with a welcoming and inclusive spirit is crucial and expected of everyon that rides with us.
Bike Camping Packing Checklist and Tips here
Learn More About Us
Facebook | Instagram | Website
Frequently asked questions
All bikes are welcome! On most rides, the routes are mixed terrain ranging from paved road to limestone and gravel; super skinny tires aren’t ideal but we’ve seen them work. We've even had an adult trike complete one of our rides. There will be zero judgement of your bike. Just props for showing up.
Yes! We have a ton of blogs with advice on how and what to pack. Check them out on our blog or we have a list of them linked here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G3yX8w8vq8n8Z8yhMAYlLCjMYBDSqpOY8cXf5iqWo_c/edit?tab=t.0
You can join the waitlist though when a spot opens, we just email everyone on the waitlist and then it is first come first serve.
A bike rack or other systems to keep your gear off of your back/shoulder is a great idea, though if that is how you roll, no worries. We strongly advocate riding without a backpack, at least on our longer rides. Milk crate set-ups are a good starting point. Check out our website for more suggestions
We usually do have a vehicle on our family rides just as a backup support and help haul OOFD's cooking and other gear needed for the event. This vehicle should not be relied upon to pick up riders or haul your personal gear.
This can vary but usually we are around 8-10 mph though certainly a little slower when we have littler children riding for portions.
On most rides, we do our best to ride together. Separation in the group can occur. A guide will always be riding at the back and at the front. So no one will be left behind. Everyone will do their best to keep the pace of the lead guide and should not plan to ride faster than the lead guide.
No, we ride rain or shine. Some of the best views are after a rainstorm. So if there is severe weather, we will break and seek appropriate shelter along the route, then continue on to our destination.
The guides will support you and your family and find a solution together. A guide may consult with that participant and advise on an alternate method to reach camp or home. This is always a last resort, and almost never happens.
Bring two spare inner tubes & consider getting your bike checked out beforehand. Our guides are ready to help with emergency repairs. We are usually not too far from a bike shop in case anything major happens. If a roadside repair is not possible, then you may need to get to get the nearest train.
We champion perseverance. Our guides will support and encourage you to push on because the reward of completion is great. In the event of injury, major bike failure or just not being able to push on, the guides will help direct you to the easiest way back (usually via Metra or other train).
We do not. You can check out Bobby's Bike and Hike which does multiple day rentals.
There usually is a Metra or CTA stop not far from our start points. Most of our start points also have street parking that you can leave your car overnight (some of the start points will require parking fees to leave your car overnight).