I used to do that lots when I lived in New England, and I imagine there are ways to manage it in the Rockies and on the West Coast, too. And Europe. Vancouver area also has some options. The thing is, you need to find a camping area that's reasonably near densely populated areas and has good local public transit. That'll get you to within a few miles of campgrounds, trails, etc.
The thing to be careful about is roads and visibility, because if you get dropped on the side of a busy road with no sidewalks (and I can't say I've ever seen sidewalks near a good camping/hiking area), you can be walking along and find that you're actually in a dangerous spot, with no shoulder to speak of and cars going by at 50-60 mph. Google street view will probably help a lot in identifying those areas now before you get there, but do dress highly visibly and look out, especially around blind curves. Depending on where you're going, it may be worth getting dropped at a small local town and paying for a cab to the trailhead.
In a lot of urban areas that are near forests, wilderness, etc. you can often find local books with good day-trip bike/hike routes. Ask at an independent bookseller or bike/gear shop.
Make sure you bring a cellphone and battery pack; check before you go to make sure there's good coverage in the area. Test the weight of your pack well. And if you're camping overnight, make sure tent camping is okay -- a lot of places now just assume you're coming in an RV.
15 May 2014, 10:10 pm
