Last week, I did my first real ride of the season on the Sandy Creek Trail.  Sandy Creek Trail is one of the finest trail experiences I can recommend.  I normally start in Belmar and go seven miles east and back.  That fourteen miles has:

• A gorgeous restored bridge over the Allegheny River.  (Longest restricted bridge I’ve ever been across)
• Seven other restored bridges over Sandy Creek, many of which would be an attraction unto themselves
• A tunnel (short and straight enough to not freak you out, but long enough that a headlight is still wise)
• Generally pretty scenery the rest of the way

Belmar Bridge is unparalleled.  That alone should make you go to this trail.  I’ve been on many other trails with attractions to tempt you, but the scenic punch this short trail packs is well worth the trip if you find yourself nearby.  The western half of the trail towards Fisherman’s Cove is interesting only really if you want to extend your ride.  Nice enough, but a real let down if you’re expecting more of what the eastern half has to offer.

The trail intersects with the Allegheny River Trail, another of my favorites.  The intersection involves a stair climb though with your bike, so make sure your bike is at least liftable if you want to switch trails!

Both the Belmar and Van trail access points are well-marked from the road.   Belmar takes a bit to get to from Route 8.  Van is right off of Route 322.

The ride itself was pretty good – spring isn’t the best scenic season – no leaves on the trees yet.  It was also the first warm weekend of the year, so the trail was pretty busy.  (It never gets THAT busy, but it was busy enough to annoy me a little…)  Unfortunately, I had this foolhardy idea of mounting my little handheld camera on my handlebars and narrating.  Trying to get good footage took the enjoyment out of the ride, and the footage itself is sickening to watch because of the bumping and jerkiness of my steering.  Bummer – but that footage isn’t something you’ll be seeing anytime soon.