Meeting Places
For Consolidating Boats, Pit Stops, Gas and Food
These are places where we can gather, leave off excess cars, and head for our destination with only minimal single-car driving on the trunk roads. It’s useful for these places to be close to said trunk road, but essential that they be safe to leave a car all day. A potty is nice, as is gas and a convenience store. Compass directions are from Washington, DC.
With a few exceptions, put-in and take-out spots along the rivers are not listed, as that would be interminable.
LEGEND: Park and Ride = P+R, Bathroom = B, Food =F, Gas = G
In sequence: 1 - Little Falls, 2- NE up I-95, 3 - N up I-83, 4 - E, 5 - W out I-66 + Va 211, 6 - S down I-95, 7 - NW out I-270, I-70, 8 - So Fk Shenandoah, 9 - SW down US 29,
1 - Little Falls
- Fletchers Boathouse – Lower Pkg Lot B Reservoir Rd & Canal Rd (Washington DC) 38.917469, -77.101428 Canal Rd – Inbound 6:15-10:00 Outbound 2:45-7:15
2 - Heading Northeast – up I-95 to Baltimore & beyond:
- Beach Drive & Connecticut Ave – just N of Beltway, cross Rock Ck + turn right at the traffic light 2 parking places: gravel to the left and 300 yds farther asphalt to the right. 39.008831, -77.078914 So. Kensington
I-95 Laurel Md Welcome Center, Exit 74 B northbound. You can leave off cars, but need to do a two-mile fishhook to retrieve your buggies. 39.140280, -76.846484
I-95 Fallston P+R, Joppatowne – Exit 74 off Old Mountain Rd S - parallel & S of I-95 S (The larger Mountain Rd [Md 152], runs parallel to Old Mtn Rd, and is easily accessed from the P&R) 39.441402, -76.349737 39.441261, -76.350699
Ellicott City (N of) – N end of US 29, go right on Rogers Ave, pkg on Old Frederick Rd 39.301197, -76.820134
Ilchester Rd & Patapsco R – takeout & parking: 39.2507232, -76.7645874,
3 - Heading North – up I-83 to York, PA
- Off I-70 (Mile 80) -& Md 32 (Sykesville Rd) P+R just W off 32 and ½ mile N of I-70, W of Baltimore - 39.316477, -76.950315
- Off I-83 – Exit 27 – Parkton P+R - just W of the interstate, & N of Md 127 (Mt Carmel Rd) 39.592579, -76.674143 To leave cars when en route to Holtwood, Codorus, etc. For Upper GPF, where no car-leaving is needed – the Exxon station right at the northbound exit, is more convenient to cross-load. G, B, F
4 - Heading East
- Parking lot for the National Agricultural Library. Between Rhode island Ave & US 1. ¼ mile N of the Beltway. Totally empty and unused on weekends. On weekdays, use the parking lot behind the building. 10301 Baltimore Ave (Rte 1), Beltsville, 39.0227751, -76.9217516
5 - Heading West Out I-66 & Va 55 and Va 211 – Sperryville – Luray – Petersburg WVa – Cheat Watershed
- Manassas I-66 with Rte 234 - exit 47B, 50 yd N on 234 to traffic light, right on Vandor Lane just before gas station; cul-de-sac at Wyndham Gardens Inn B, G 38.802208, -77.518028
- Centreville I-66 with US 29, exit 34 14700 Lee Hwy & Stone Road, westbound on US 29 - 38.835395, -77.454992 safer than Manassas spot for leaving the car overnight since it's lighted, etc
- Front Royal P+R - Off I-66 & US 522 – From I-66 go south ca 0.3 miles on US 340/522. The P+R is to the left on Riverton Rd. 38.956100, -78.196686 G, B, F nearby
- Cedar Ck takeout at US 11 (1 mi. from end of I-66 w/ I-81) – From I-66 go southbound (actually it’s west) down I-81, crossing Cedar Ck and leave in 1.5 miles at US 11. Go right, doubling back one mile, crossing Cedar Ck. Parking between two lanes of US 11. 39.0069225, -78.3177603
- Rte 55 with I-81, just N of Strasburg. Roadside next to 55, westbound. For meeting only, poor for all-day parking, 39.013664, -78.362602
- "Golgotha" - Three-crosses Restoration Fellowship Church on right of Rte 55, a half mile from Rte 81. Huge parking lot. 39.019448, -78.360279
- Warrenton - Food Lion - just after Rt. 211 branches off US 29 - F, G, B 38.7173827,-77.8127692
- Rte 211 at Little Washington – at the Park next to Rush R B 38.711616, -78.152253
- Fletchers Mill (Thornton R. Put-In) Sperryville, VA 22740 38.6472181,-78.2241797
- Rte 211 W of Luray - Shenandoah put-in – under the bridge 38.646471, -78.534865
- Moorefield, WV, Sheetz Gas #144 - T-fork of US 48 exit with US 220/WV 28 G, B, F
- Cheat Canyon - FOC (Friends of the Cheat) Put-In 39.4947 -79.6445
6 - Heading South: Down I-95 to Richmond
- I-95 South – Dale City Rest Area - mile 156, B, 38.619042, -77.298534, be alert and follow the blue signs for "REST AREA" which lead you to a parallel service road a mile before the area itself. No all-day parking, go park at Exit 152 G, F 38.582742, -77.324283
- (or) Dumfries – P+R – I-95/ Va 234, Exit 152, go east 38.576413, -77.314778
- Fredericksburg Welcome Ctr – southbound only, B, no long-term pkg 38.316210, -77.505361
- Falmouth/Fredericksburg - McDonald’s at the intersection of I-95 and Rt. 17, just north of the Rap at Falmouth. 44 Stanstead Rd, Falmouth, VA 22406, visible from I-95 38.342945, -77.493516
7 - Heading Northwest: Out I-270 – I-70 – I-68 to the Yough and Bloomington:
- McLean: Just off Beltway in VA, 1 mile in from the AmLegion Bridge: TWO PLACES: 38.953453, -77.191867
1) Georgetown Pike (Rte 193) southbound: St Luke's R.C. Church - B or. . .
2) Cooper Middle School (weekends, vacations & summer) – or next door on service road parallel to Gtn Pike
- Rockville/ I-270 – Exit 5 (Falls Rd) on Potomac Valley Rd, the first right - 5 mins from the Beltway - convenient & safe 39.075392, -77.162174
- Gaithersburg P+R / I-270 – Exit 10 (turn right on MD 117W (Diamond Ave), turn right on Quince Orchard, go thru under pass, lot is on the right. When returning from the north, you take exit 11 and it dumps you right into the park and ride.
- Urbana P+R – I-270, Exit 27 – Md 80 parking area B, G. 27 mins from Beltway - the lot just below the gas station 39.324520, -77.35477
- Frederick, MD Fred. County Sq Shopping Center – just N of US 40 (1003 W Patrick St) and W of US 15 39.4177123, -77.4433458
- Harpers Ferry: “Cindy Dee’s” Restaurant (then Lowry's, now Guide House Grill) - on the MD side of the Rt. 340 bridge over the Potomac at about a half mile below Harpers Ferry. A huge gravel parking lot, close to, but not too visible from 340. If headed toward HF, at the last traffic light before the river, go L on Keep Tryst Rd, . B, F 39.330130, -77.700505
- Harpers Ferry Off US 340 - Potoma Wayside on the S (Va) side of the river – G immediately after the 340 bridge: 39.320835, -77.713894
- Myersville P+R - I-70 / Rte 17 – Exit 42 – P+R is just to the S. G, B, F just N of I-70 39.477050, -77.536649
- South Mtn Welcome Ctr (westbound) - B - 39.5237172, -77.605698
- Hagerstown I-70 / Rte 65 – Exit 29 Next to Prime Outlets 39.607838, -77.730455
- Clear Spring I-70 / Md 68 – Exit xx P+R behind MacDonald’s B, F – go N from I-70, on the right: 39.655664, -77.926698
- Sideling Hill Rest Stop – off I-68 mile 75 39.717917, -78.280543
- I-70 (Exit 76) P+R, en route to Balto. – P&R at Md 97 / Georgia Ave, 39.322115, -77.018918
8 - Shenandoah (up the South Fork)
Any Places to suggest?
9 - Heading Southwest – from Gainesville down US 29 to Charlottesville:
- Buckland Farms Market on US 29 - 3 mi after US 15 intersection & before SR 600. On NW (right, outbound) side. B, F 38.7719466, -77.6980413
- Remington (Kellys Ford) on old US 29 – 14 miles SW of Warrenton (Bus 29/29 split) Pkg opposite Andes Grocery G, F 38.531421, -77.81003 12 miles on to Culpeper
- Culpeper on US 29 + Bus 29/ Va 299 – Willis Ln (NE quadrant) - 38.454268, -78.020709
- Prince Michel’s Vineyard on US 29 – 6 mi SW of Culpeper (Bus 29) no all-day parking, but convenient. B, F 38.4346726, -78.1564385
Thanks to Megan O’Reilly, Nick Bowley, Charlie Duffy, Ed Evangelidi, Matt Anderson, Tim Tilson. Please send other suggested Meeting Points to AlfCooley@gmail.com rev. 8 Jan 2019