Bike Adventures for Kids

Bike Adventures for Kids offers week-long bike camp sessions that include daily trail rides and Spring After School Rides. Camp days include riding on Marin trails such as the Cross Marin Trail, around Lake Lagunitas, to Phoenix Lake, up Shaver to Five Corners and down Deer Park Fire Road, from Fairfax to the Ross Bike Path to Corte Madera Park and back, up Eldridge Grade to Lakeview, Lake Lagunitas and down Shaver to Fairfax, up Porcupine to the Flow Trail and back, up Eldridge Grade to the East Peak, and at Camp Tamarancho.

• Ages: 4–17 years old
• Schedule: 1 week sessions with week-long camp options for Beginner–Advanced Riders and separate week-long sessions for “Littles” Riders
• Price: $475 for a 1 week session; $900 for a 2 week session; $1200 for a 3 week session

The program was established in 2006, and Laura started Bike Adventures for Kids 18 years ago. It is described as Fairfax's First Bike Camp and is women-owned and run, with week-long sessions that feature different rides each day in the birthplace of mountain biking. The program offers separate weeks for Beginner–Advanced Riders and for “Littles” Riders, with ability-based ride outlines for Littles, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced riders, and many kids return year after year as campers and then as counselors.

Bike Adventures for Kids is led by founder Laura Childress, a former head coach of the Drake Mountain Bike Team and current head coach for the Archie Williams Mountain Bike Team, who is also a registered nurse and Wilderness First Aid Certified. Hannah Childress is a seasoned veteran at Bike Adventures for Kids, a former racer and captain of the Drake High School Mountain Bike Team, a recipient of the NorCal Mountain Bike League's 2017 Achievement Award, and the Head Coach of the Fairfax Fat Tire Flyers Mountain Bike Development Team. Laura has been inspired by the dedication and perseverance of high schoolers as they train and race through her coaching roles, and Hannah has seen many campers join the NorCal MTB League at the middle school level and then move into high school competition and beyond.

The mission of Bike Adventures for Kids is for children to discover the possibilities for adventure in their own backyard and feel the freedom of exploring Marin's outdoors by bike, with an emphasis on teamwork, confidence building, and bike handling. Laura believes that riding bikes should be fun whether a child likes to “shred” or just take in the scenery.

Families are given a specific packing list for camp days. On their body, riders are asked to have a helmet, gloves, glasses, a short sleeve shirt, close-toed shoes, and a light jacket. In their backpack, riders are asked to bring a backpack, hydration pack, lunch, extra snacks, a tube that fits their tire, money for ice cream, and a bathing suit. Riders classified as “Littles” must have a bike with at least 6 gears, hand brakes, and 20-inch wheels, be able to ride in a straight line down the street, tell when they need to use the bathroom, and be 4–6 years old, and parents are asked to have their child's bike safety checked several weeks before camp to be sure it is in good running order.

Parent feedback includes comments such as a parent describing that two sons at different skill levels each faced new challenges, polished their riding skills, and enjoyed the group's adventures during a week of camp, and that they left each morning eager and came home exhausted and proud. Another parent described it as the “Best bike camp ever!!” A third parent shared that a child who started the week as a very tentative bike rider finished as a confident rider who loves to get on a bike and learned important safety and motivational lessons, and described Laura as a great teacher and role model, especially for a girl.

Last updated August 15, 2026.