Norfolk, CT - Sign up for this year’s Tour de Forest bike ride, which will be held on Saturday, October 19, to support two local nonprofit organizations, the Great Mountain Forest and Norfolk Rails to Trails. This unique annual event offers gravel riders an unprecedented opportunity to spend a crisp autumn day enjoying the stunning beauty of one of the state’s largest undeveloped woodland areas -- Norfolk’s Great Mountain Forest. New riders are welcome. Register here: https://www.bikereg.com/66582.
The Tour de Forest offers two different courses, allowing riders to choose the course that matches their level of endurance. The first course, the Icebox Gravel, kicks off at 9:30 am, taking riders along 30 rugged miles of gravel and paved roads, including sections conserved by the Norfolk Land Trust. The second course, the signature Tour de Forest, starts at 10 am for a 13-mile ride on a mix of gravel and paved roads wending through and around the spectacular Great Mountain Forest. Riders are advised to keep their eyes peeled for wildlife -- you never know what you might see! Great Mountain Forest’s roads are repaired and maintained annually to support the forest’s management, research, educational, and recreational activities.
At the ride’s end, bikers refuel with shots of maple syrup produced by Great Mountain Forest’s team. The fun continues at the pig roast offered by the Norfolk Curling Club for an additional fee; click here to register. https://norfolkcurlingclub.org/index.php/events/event-listings/fundraiser/pig-roast Registration fees for the Gravel Rides are $50 per adult, $25 per teen, and free for young riders. To register, click here. https://www.bikereg.com/66582.“This ride is perfect for people who want to get outdoors on a crisp autumn day and ride through one of Connecticut’s largest forests for a good cause,” said Mike Zarfos, PhD, Executive Director, of Great Mountain Forest. “When we are in the forest, we feel inspired, healed, and strengthened, and that is why we encourage everyone to come to Norfolk and join in the fun of this ride. Plus there will be sweet and savory treats at the end!”
Photo credit: Andrea Moss