As many as 600 bicyclists, aged 12 and up, are expected at the Second Annual Super Moon Ride, a night-time ride on a six-mile loop, hosted by the Lawrence Hopewell Trail and the Mercer County Park Commission, along Rosedale Lake, through meadows and under the tree canopy in wooded sections of Mercer Meadows in Hopewell Township.
Check in time for this year’s ride is 9pm on Saturday, August 29, at the parking lot at Rosedale Lake in Mercer Meadows, Hopewell Township. Advanced registration for every rider in the family is highly recommended at www.lhtrail.org. Online registration closes at 5pm on Friday, August 29, but registrations can be completed in person that evening. Helmets are required for all riders between 12 and 17, in accordance with New Jersey law. The ride, expected to take about 45 minutes, is free to all, although donations to the Lawrence Hopewell Trail are greatly appreciated.
This year’s ride will be fully staffed with volunteer trail guides, and the LHT and Mercer Meadows are taking many additional steps to ensure smooth riding. In the inaugural Super Moon Ride last August, a whopping 500 people participated, about 400 more than expected based on advance online registrations.
“We encourage people to check in before 9 p.m., and we will begin rolling out at 9, when we expect the full moon to be fully visible,” said Jay Watson, LHT board member and curator of the Super Moon Ride. “We also encourage people to use front lights on their bicycles, especially in the canopied areas of the route, which can be quite dark.”
Local bicycle shops have been invited to set up and assist bicyclists along the route, which will take riders along the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, the Maidenhead Trail and the Twin Pines Trail. There will be ice cream aplenty as well, being sold by Purple Cow Ice Cream of Lawrenceville and Uncle Ed’s Creamery of Pennington. Also at the event, a limited glow sticks will be provided at no cost to light up participants’ bikes, and bike lights will be available for a nominal charge.
The Lawrence Hopewell Trail is one of many trails that make up the Greater Philadelphia region’s trail network – the Circuit. During registration there will also be information on the 300+ miles of Circuit trails. The LHT and Mercer Meadows are hosting this annual event to take advantage of the visibility provided by the full moon, also known as a perigee moon, when the moon does its closest fly-by of the earth, making the moon appear much larger than usual.
Should there be any question about weather impacting the ride, please visit the LHT website on August 29 around 5pm. The LHT will post information about cancellation, should that be necessary.
About the Lawrence Hopewell Trail: The Lawrence Hopewell Trail (LHT) is a 20 mile + bicycle and pedestrian trail and transportation corridor through public and private land in Lawrence and Hopewell Townships in Mercer County, N.J. The idea for the LHT grew out of a commitment to improving the quality of life for all of those who work in the region. The LHT supports an active, livable and sustainable community with alternative forms of transportation to reduce the reliance on automobiles. It also promotes health and fitness, recreation and outdoor education. The LHT is a key member of the Circuit Coalition, a 750-mile network of bicycle and pedestrian trails connecting people to jobs, communities, and parks in the Greater Philadelphia Region. For more information about the LHT, please visit www.lhtrail.org.
About Mercer Meadows: The Mercer County Park Commission manages diverse offerings within its more than 10,000 acres of parks, recreational facilities, and open space throughout Mercer County. Mercer Meadows, where the Super Moon Bike Ride will take place, consists of more than 1,600 acres, divided among five separate districts. Miles of mowed and gravel trails provide visitors and their families with scenic walking and biking routes through the meadows and woodland. Fishing is a popular activity at the park’s four water bodies. For more information, please visit www.mercercountyparks.org.
