Disclaimer: Trail activities are physically demanding and may result in injury due to falls, cuts, bites, burns, over exertion, weather conditions, etc. You should not undertake this activity unless you are in proper physical condition and have the necessary skills, equipment, etc. You assume all the risks, including those not foreseeable, involved in participation in this activity.
Trail ratings assume one is in reasonable physical shape! Moderate easily becomes difficult to strenuous if one is not in shape, and conversely, a harder rating becomes much easier if one exercises a great deal.
These directions were accurate at the time they were recorded. However, trail conditions change, signs are vandalized, droughts cause water sources to dry up, etc. Be prepared for the unexpected.
Trail users can never be over prepared and it is recommended that you always carry water, food, flashlight, rain gear, appropriate clothing, first aid kit, map, compass, and matches. Also recommended are a cell phone, toilet paper, and alcohol wipes.
Southern Traverse - outside of Staunton VA - Multi-use - 34 mile IMBA Epic Ride on the Shenendoah Mtn. Trail. I'd recommend
the Trails Illustrated Map #791. This was an interesting ride. It was a 4 mile climb to the Shenandoah Trail. Once on the trail I was
surprised at how well it was taken care of considering how off the beaten path it was. There were two sections of rock gardens surrounded
by stinging nettle (be careful not to touch). Once you hit the clearing at the Jerkemtight Road option you have an almost all downhill ride to
the next road that intersects the Shenandoah trail (great downhill that would be even better in a group ride. I'm sure there would be
countless hoots and hollers. We hit the road at mile 20, took a left onto the dirt road, and then started the 12 mile slog back to the car. It
seemed like the road would never end and would get back to the car.
Walnut Creek - Map - This park is just outside of Charlottesville VA. Multi-use - Take HWY 29 south out of Charlottesville
for about 7 miles. Look for a brown state park sign for the turn off for to the park. This park has a couple different races at it during the
year. Gina and I have been out here to trail run and bike a number of times. It is a nice park with about 12 miles of trail, a lake, frisbee
golf, and some boat rentals.
James River Park - Just outside of Downtown Richmond VA. Multi-use - Richmond MORE takes care of a significant
amount of maintenance and new construction of trails in Richmond. For detailed trail information and maps visit the above link.
These are some of my favorite trails. I've participated in the Urban Assault mtb race that is held the same weekend as the James River
Games and Richmond Xterra triathlon. This race is 13.5 miles long and takes you along Belle Island, Maymont Park, Forest Hill Park, and
the North Shore Trails. These are some fast twisty trails and it is hard to believe you are within a mile or so of the city center.
Sherando Lake - South of Waynesboro VA. Multi-use - This place reminds me of Douthat but with a lot more rocks. I'd rate the
trails as intermediate to advanced. There are a number of loops that you can create. I'd recommend the Trails Illustrated Map #789. Most
of the trails leading to the ridge are rocky and steep. The Bel Monte 25k and 50k trail races are held here in mid March.
Waid Park - Rocky Mount VA - Multi-use - This park is where they hold the MW Windows mtb race. It has about 5-6 miles of wide
trail with two river crossings (so be ready to get wet). There have been talks about adding some more single track.
Anglers Ridge Trail System - Danville VA - Multi-use - 12+ miles of single track trails. I got introduced to these trails as part of
the Virginia Derailer Mtn. Bike Series. This is a great area managed by the Southern Virginia Mountain Biking Association They are
also working on developing a trail system at Philpot lake (upwards of 40+ mile of trail potential). This is a great place to ride. The trails are
fast, rolling, winding, sweet single track. They hold a number of events there each year. It's a great place to race.
Chris Tompkins - SVMBA Founder - shared the following info - www.MTBR.com ranks Anglers is the fifth-ranked trail system in the
state for trails with at least 20 reviews and Singletracks.com ranks Anglers as the sixth best trail system in the state. We’re proud that our
hard work over the past 7 years is being recognized and enjoyed by so many.
Check out this helmet cam video - http://www.svmba.org/Videos/Anglers%20Helmetcam%20Video.WMV
Miles and miles of great rocky and rooty trail with fantastic views and endless elevation gain and loss (hiking only).
This is a compilation of my favorite AT hikes outside of the Roanoke Valley.
Sharp Top - North of Buchanon - 3 Mile out and back (Strenuous) - You can access Sharp Top from a number of directions. It is
15 miles south of Buchanon or 15 miles north of Bedford. This is a great 1.5 mile uphill hike that will take you to Buzzards roost for a 270
degree view or Sharp Top for a 360 degree view. This hike has the best reward to effort ratio out there. This has to be one of the best
mountain top views you can hike to.
Devil's Marbleyard - Natural Bridge Station - 3 - 8.4 miles (Strenuous) - this is just outside of Natural Bridge.
3 Mile Out and Back - You can get to this trail head a couple different ways. This is one of the most unique hikes I've been on. The hike
starts off as the usual hike through the forest. At about the 1 mile point you start to see the marbleyard. This is a section of the mountain
that is just full of granite boulders. The trail comes to the edge of the boulders and this is where you can climb on rocks forever, or if you
have an aversion to heights, snakes, or falling you may want to stay on the trail as it climbs to the Saddle at the top.
8.4 Mile Loop - We like to climb around for awhile and then head back down to the main trail and continue to head up the ridge to the
top where you can pick up the Gunter Ridge Trail. Take a left at this trail and head back down the mountain. This trail has about 14
switchbacks as you fly down the mountain. This will end at a the Glenwood Horse Trail (double track). Take a left on the Horse trail
(yellow blazes) and this will take you back to the Devil's Marbleyard trail. Take a right and head back to your car.
Tomlinson Run State Park - West of Pittsburg - MAP - Multi-use - We got to this place and it was raining hard, so we decided to
run instead of bike. The park had a nice selection of trails and from what I remember it had some hills.
Visit www.spokejunkies.com for more information on these places. This site has a lot of information on Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan trails. This site is what started my desire to make a site with Roanoke area trail information.
Mountwood - MAP - Parkersburg WV - this is a nice park with 15 miles of Multi-use intermediate trail. They have an interesting trials
area with ladder bridges and a teeter totter. I wasn't brave enough to try it all, but I played around for a little while.
Tomlinson Run State Park - West of Pittsburg - MAP - Multi-use - We got to this place and it was raining hard, so we decided to
run instead of bike. The park had a nice selection of trails and from what I remember it had some hills.
Cooper's Rock State Park - East of Morgantown - MAP - Multi-use - Guess what, when we got to this park it was raining like
crazy. The trails held up really well to the rain even when they started to look like creek beds. Man the water was flowing. We liked this
park even with the rain. Lots of rocks though. I thought it was a really scenic park. Lots of cascading creeks, boulders, and crevasses
that made us feel really small.
Wilkesboro - 21 Miles west of I-77 (exit 73) - We've been down here twice for the Annual 6hours of Warrior Creek mountain bike
race and a number of other Roanokers rave about the 24hours of burn that takes place on the Dark Mountain trails. These are some great
trails that are fast and loaded with burms that can have you going at high speeds into the turns. Fast and Flowy is the best description. Get
directions along with trail and race information at www.bmcc.us
Kitsuma - 20 Miles east of Asheville at the Ridgecrest Exit - Multi-use - If you are headed to Asheville, I would hit this trail on the
way. It is in Ridgecrest just outside of Asheville. This is one crazy trail. It has 14 rideable switchbacks in the first 1.25 miles. This leads
into some ridge riding and then a nice fast downhill into a park. In the back of the park there is an old abandoned road leading back up to
the top of the mountain and where you parked. Got directions from the trail reviews on www.mtbr.com
Dupont State Forest - South of Asheville between Brevard and Hendersonville. Multi-use - I took the info off the
IMBA epic rides link. I hit a bike shop in Hendersonville to get the official trail map. Once there we hooked up with some locals for a
great ride.
Montreat NC - MAP just north of Black Mountain and 15 miles east of Asheville. Hiking-Running - This place is a must
see. What a beautiful community. This is home of Montreat College est. 1897. The scenery here is amazing. Old growth forest with
houses and trails nestled throughout. When we were here there was no-one around due to the Christmas holiday. I would have liked to do
the Greybeard trails up to Greybeard mtn. had we had enough time before nightfall. We ran around a couple of the trails and walked
around the Convention Center and Lake.
Trace Ridge Trail - 20 minutes south of Asheville - 8-9 mile loop with 1550ft of elevation gain/loss. Multi-use - I took
along the Trails Illustrated Map #780. This is billed as one of the best rides in Asheville on the Bike NC website and also check out the
Hike NC website This was a 9 mile or so loop. We hike/ran up Trace Ridge and came down on Spencer Branch to the intersection with
the Fletcher Creek Trail and then took a left on Fletcher Creek (we could have stayed straight on Spencer Branch but wasn't sure where it
was going to come out. It ends up coming out at the reservoir where we were headed anyway). At the road we took a right to check out
the old reservoir (good place for a picture). From the reservoir it was about a 1.25 mile run back to the car.
Hiking or running - in either direction to make a loop would be fine.
Biking - I'd prefer to go counter clockwise and end by going down Trace Ridge. The top of the Spencer Branch trail is hike-a-bike
whether you are going up or down. The last 1/3-1/2 mile gains 400ft of elevation and is full of stairs/waterbars. The Trace Ridge Trail
looses elevation more gradually but has some steeps that would be a blast going down.
Bent Creek - This is just outside of the Asheville City Center. MAP - Multi-use - This park has 20+ miles of trail ranging from
beginner to intermediate. It also connects up with the foot travel only shut in ridge trail that heads to Mt. Pisgah for another 16 miles of trail.
It is a popular place due to being so close to the city.
Mills River Area - 25 minutes southwest of Asheville. Multi-use - This area and campground has tons of trails to choose from
with trails ranging from intermediate to advanced. We have done the Laurel Mountain Loop a couple of times. I took along the Trails
Illustrated Map #780. You can also get info on this ride at the Bike NC website This is a fun ride that climbs up the mountain (couple
of hike-a-bike sections) and then takes you down on some of the rockiest terrain around. It is rideable though. I like rocks, so this
downhill was a blast. You end up riding down rocks and rock slabs with a couple of switchbacks in them. Tough, but a great challenge to
ride without dabbing or dropping a load in your pants. Casualty factor is high, but you can always get off and walk. You end with a gravel
road climb back to the car.
Shut-In Ridge - This is a 16 (one-way) trail from Bent Creek (by the arboretum) to Mount Pisgah. Hiking-Running -The
trail climbs 3,000 feet. It’s one of the steepest hikes and runs in the Asheville area, but tackle the first three miles of the trail and you’ll be
rewarded with a view of the mountains skirting Asheville from the Walnut Cove Overlook. They hold a trail race here every year. The
winner usually finished in 2 hours 20 minutes.
Turkey Pen Trailhead - This is an access point for a number of trails southwest of Asheville. Multi-use
Stone Mountain - Hiking-Running - This is a cool park with a granite mountain at it's center. This is off of I-77 headed to Charlotte. Get
off on Zephr Road and head west. Follow the signs to the park. It is a popular place for rock climbers. We've stopped here a number of
times to get in a 4-5 mile run on the Stone Mountain Loop including Cedar Rock and Wolf Rock Trail. Once you start climbing on the
mountain you will start to see divots in rock where lightning has struck it. Pretty cool. We always make a loop by hiking up the huge
granite mountain, running along the top, and back.
South Carolina & Georgia Trails
Paris Mountain - Greenville SC - Multi-use - This is a pretty decent park just north of Greenville. Started at the mtn. and then rode all
the trails.
Dahlonega - North of Atlanta GA - Multi-use - I took the info off the IMBA epic rides link. We hit this place after a hard rain. The
terrain held up pretty well wet, but the overcast skies took a lot of the end of the day riding away. We'd like to get back here for some
more riding.
Bottom Creek - West of Alpharetta - Multi-use - Different trails that gradually increase in difficulty. Nice easy riding. Well maintained
park.
Carter Lake - Southeast of Dalton - Multi-use - Nice 5-6 mile loop. This loop is part of a local mtn. bike race course. It was a
really fast and loop with some short steeps.
Tanasi - Ocoee Whitewater Center outside of Chatanooga. Multi-use - I took the info off the IMBA epic rides link. This is a
network of 3 single track loops joined together by jeep roads. Fun ride. We saw a black bear from about 15 feet away (we waved, took a
picture, and were on our way). Ran into a couple at the parking lot that ran into two bears eating blackberries. One was laying on it's back
sprawled out pulling the berries down toward it's mouth and the other was laying down on it's stomach.
Racoon Mountain - Chatanooga - Multi-use - Man were we tired by the time we got here. This is a gem. There has been a ton of
work done around this reservoir. Lots of great rolling single track. 1000's of hours have been put into this area. They are constantly adding
trail here. Highly recommended. This place has been mentioned quite a few times on the IMBA site and in their quarterly publications.
Smokemont Loop Trail to Chasteen Creek Cascades (Hiking Only)- Great Smokey Mtn. National Park - Hiking
-Running - 6.5 mile loop with 1660ft of elevation gain/loss. This was on the way from Asheville to Gatlinburg off of 441N at the
Smokemont Campground. We parked at the exit of the campgound in front of the gate where there is an old bridge over the creek. The
first 3 miles, of the 4.9 mile Smokemont Loop Trail starts with a pretty good climb. From here the trail drops just as fast as it rose. After
you cross the log bridge the trail splits where you will want to head to the right on the Bradley Fork Trail. You will be on this for .5 miles to
the intersection with the Chasteen Creek Trail. From here you will want to head to the left for .7 miles on the trail to view the Chasteen
Creek Cascades. This trail (a rocky old road) gently climbs. At the .7 mile mark there will be a trail heading off to the left. There is a
hitching area for horses and at the back there is a small trail that continues to the cascades. Once you've had your fill of cascading water you
will want to head back down to the Smokemont Campground (1.9 miles from the cascades; .7 miles on the Chasteen Creek Trail and 1.2
miles on the Bradley Fork Trail).
Visit www.spokejunkies.com for more information on these places. This site has a lot of information on Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan trails. This site is what started my desire to make a site with Roanoke area trail information.
Lake Hope - West of Athens - Multi-use - This place could have used some trail work. There was a lot of new growth that smacked us
in the face. Once we got out on some of the more well used trails, things were better. I enjoyed the ride. It was similar to the cove.
Alum Creek Phase I and II - North of Columbus - Multi-use - This place was located just north of Columbus OH. I really enjoyed
this trail. It was very well planned out. Throughout the ride there were places where the trail split, with an advanced option one way and
an easy option the other. There were a bunch of ladder bridges and log climbs. Not much elevation gain either. Easy on the aerobic
system unless you ride it super fast.
Vulture's Knob - Wooster - THIS PLACE IS A MUST. Multi-use - There aren't many places that are as unique as Vulture's Knob.
Recently I tried to visit their webpage and nothing came up. I can't imagine that this placed has closed. I'd do a search or talk to a local
before I made an attempt to go here. Check out some of the reviews on www.mtbr.com or do a Google search. Also there are a few
www.youtube.com videos of the park. You have to see it to believe it. FUN, FUN, FUN. Great place for taking pictures. I do give a
poison ivy alert!
Mohican State Park - West of Loudenville - Multi-use - One of the only places I've ridden in OH with real climbs. This area has
some nice trails that travel through old growth forest. As of 2006 they were working on some new trail in the area. Locals talked about a
potential 30+ miles.
West Branch - East of Ravenna - Multi-use - This is one of my favorite places to ride. There are a couple different types of terrain in
this park. One section hugs the lake and meanders back and forth around the water and in out of coves. Then there are the moderate and
advanced trails. These trails require some real skill. There are tons of rocks in this area and they will keep you on your toes. You have to
have balance and the ability to put your bike where you want it. There are logs to ride and some small planks to ride across. If your in the
area, you have to stop by this place. It is well mapped and marked.
Gina and I traveled to Harrisburg PA for our 2008 4th of July Trip. I found a lot of info about the area trails by visiting the Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association (SAMBA).
Swatara State Park - Harrisburg - Multi-use - Nicely groomed trails. A good 6.5-7 mile ride. Not too challenging. It would be a fast
mtb. xc course. Similar to Explore Park.
Weiser State Park - North of Harrisburg - Multi-use - Rocky single track, jeep roads, and snowmobile trails. Would be a good place
to ride if you had a suggested route. Reminded me of the Dragon's back minus the lung busting climbs.
Govenor Dick - South of Lebanon - Multi-use - We ran and biked here. These are some rocky trails. Trail 15 is one crazy ride. Lots
of big rocks to maneuver over. I really like the ride on trail 15. It was pretty technical. Lots of black raspberries here for a mid ride
snack!
Michaux - South of Shippensburg - Multi-use - Supposed to have some of the toughest trails in the east. Lots of rocks here.
Reminded me of the Glenwood Horse Trail near Roanoke. We stopped by the Pine Grove Furnace Park office to get some maps and
recommendations. We ended up riding off of Ridge Road. We also had some old race maps from http://www.racemichaux.com I
would suggest getting a local to give you a suggested route. We spent a lot of time looking at our map. This place was loaded with
blueberries. They were everywhere. Nice treat.
Rocky Ridge County Park - York - Multi-use - For a county park this place has it all from beginner to advanced trail. Lots of
fun.