On Sunday, I took the Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot for a cruise along Five Mile Meadow Road and Flat Ridge Road with Kyle who was riding his Van Dessel Country Bob. The tempature hit a surprising 50 degrees as we started out in Lords Valley, PA at Rt. 739 and winded down a gravel jeep trail to Rt. 84 and back. The road goes over a wooden bridge and funky looking beaver dam. After heading back and crossing over Rt. 739, we climbed over and past the old Boy Scout Camp into the Pennsyvania State Forest.
Five Mile Meadow Road winds along on hard packed gravel for around 6.4 miles(shouldn’t it be Six Mile Meadow Road), climbing and descending all the way to Silver Lake Road in Dingmans Ferry. Along the way are tiny hunting cabins, situated just off the road. The road is never plowed in the winter but is still pretty accessible on a fat bike or snow shoes. 
After making a right onto the pavement on Silver Lake Road, you climb a steep hill for about a half a mile then turn left onto Flat Ridge Road. Flat Ridge is more hard packed gravel, with the climbs not being as steep as Five Mile, but longer. Flat Ridge ends at about the 6 mile mark and becomes a trail that winds around Minisink Lake in Bushkill.
We opted to turn around and explore some of the off shoot gravel roads that surround the area. The entire region is littered with gravel emergency access roads throughout the Pennsylvania State Forest.
Heading back, my legs were shot. Kyle, a stronger rider, pulled back a little so I could keep him in sight. When we hit the last incline on Five Mile Meadow, it started to get cold. We sped down the road and across Rt. 739 to the parking area. The entire ride amounted to 25.5 miles and a little over 2,000 feet of elevation, but adding some of the emergency access roads could yield a nice 50 mile gravel ride.
Here is the link for the Strava map – https://www.strava.com/activities/433431978.
ridingmilford.com 