Five Spots for a Weekend in the Great Outdoors -- Car Optional

Looking for campsites accessible by public transportation or a bike ride? Here are five places worth visiting:

C&O Canal National Park

Swains Lock (Lock 21), Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Potomac

Why should I go? The lovely views of the Potomac River are hard to beat. T he Swains Lock camping area is just north of Great Falls in Maryland but far enough away that you won't see too many tourists. Park Service spokeswoman Kathy Kupper, who used to work along the canal, says Swains Lock is one of the most popular of the small sites that dot the canal.

Kupper estimates that 90 percent of the people who visit the canal usually stick to the area between Georgetown and Great Falls, so getting just beyond the popular trail means better opportunities to have it to yourself. Also, the towpath is one of the best (okay, easiest) places to go for a bike ride in the Washington area.

Rob Warren, a volunteer who helps maintain the towpath, says he enjoys riding along the trail because it helps him manage stress and because "I am an older guy now. I can't run like I used to, [and] it's one way I can stay in shape."

How far is it from Washington? About 17 miles from Georgetown, where the canal begins, and two miles north of the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center (11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac).

How do I get there? Begin in Georgetown along the C&O Canal and head north. The bike ride should take a novice a couple of hours.

Cost? Free; first come, first served.

What else do I need to know? Bring water, and don't take a bath in the Potomac River. The park has no trash cans, so plan to carry out what you carry in. Call 301-739-4200 or visit http://www.nps.gov/choh.

Greenbelt Park

6565 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt

Why should I go? Greenbelt Park is special because it was specifically designed for Washingtonians as a place to camp near the city. In 1937, Greenbelt became the first city planned by the federal government. The planners wanted to keep some of the land wild, so they set aside more than 1,000 acres. Years later the National Park Service acquired it as part of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and it became Greenbelt Park.

"It is like a green oasis," says Fred Cunningham, the Park Service manager for Greenbelt and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. "You don't have all the hustle and bustle."