Almost all of the ride is on 2 lane roads with low traffic volume. This route leaves West-Mar and proceeds northeast past Ft. Ritchie on the MD-PA border. A considerable amount of the 1st part of the ride in PA passes through the Michaux Forest. After crossing US 30, you will pass through the Caledonia State Park on Pine Grove Rd. Continuing
northeasterly, you’ll pass the now-empty Chambersburg Reservoir. Turning right on Shippensburg Rd will carry you over a ridge that, while mostly straight is entertaining. Eventually you will turn south onto PA 34, which is almost a straight shot, south, into Gettysburg. Famous for the Civil War battle (the War Between the States, as Southerners like to call it) which took place nearby, Gettysburg is filled with lots of galleries, shops, restaurants and other “touristy” places. Of course, there is also the Battlefield Park to tour if you’re of a mind. These modified directions keep you off US 15, a four-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections. Therefore, the return route continues on 2-lane roads. Once you re-enter MD and have turned onto Foxville-Deerfield Rd and passed Manahan Rd (on the left) know that you’ll pass within about a mile of Camp David—the President’s Catoctin Mountain Retreat—but even if you know where it is, you’ll likely never see it.
