Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains run North to South across the entire state, from border to border with Maryland and North Carolina. The range is known for stunning views, waterfalls, and idyllic scenes that characterize the essence of Appalachia. Public Lands abound the entire length of the ridge, including National Parks and National Forests with icons like the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, and the Appalachian Trail. Simply put, this is an outdoor playground for all.
Vince’s Sendero Steel in Bikepacking mode with Custom Dispersed Bikepacking Bagset
While the region is best known (and suited) for activities like hiking, hunting/fishing, and auto tourism, the Blue Ridge does have a handful of mountain-biking options scattered throughout the state. Because much of its public lands are designated as national parks, wilderness areas, and national scenic areas, much of the singletrack is off-limits to bikes.
However, there is an outlier – the Glenwood Horse Trail in the Jefferson National Forest just north of Roanoke.
The Glenwood Horse Trail is a ribbon, welded together by singletrack and dirt roads, spanning a mostly uninterrupted 65+ miles. Along the path are stunning ridges, trout streams, and some of the most beautiful singletrack and doubletrack in the state. The GHT is perfect for building multi-day trips. Even better, it is open to bikes.
A beautiful rocky section on the Mineshaft traverse!
Sections of the GHT worth including are Dody Ridge, the Mineshaft traverse and downhill from Bobblets Gap, and McFalls zone below Chesnut Ridge. And while the horse trail is the backbone for creating long routes, the side trails can be used for extra connectivity and fun. These include (but are not limited to) classic descents like Spec Mine, Cornelius Creek, Little Cove Mountain Trail, and Pine Ridge. Streams are plentiful in the area, and finding water seems relatively easy unless there is an arid stretch of river. There aren't many resupply options for food in the Jefferson National Forest, so packing all your consumables is the trick to optimizing time on dirt.
Red foliage on top of Dody Ridge
At the time of this writing, a truly defined bikepacking route for this region of the GHT has yet to be determined. You could do a point-to-point. Overnight loops are also an option. 5+ days of riding in the national forest, while weaving between the national parks and wilderness areas on the Glenwood Horse Trail, are easily doable.
Virginia’s Blue Ridge is full of beautiful places to visit for every recreationalist. If mountain biking is your thing and you want to experience some of the best dirt in the state, be sure to check out the trails of Jefferson National Forest and the GHT near Roanoke. - Hunter Davis, Rhoda Project
Next post will be a video where Vince shares the details of his Sendero Steel Bikepacking setup, reviewing components, bagset and their contents! Subscribe to view.
Thanks for sharing these notes from our recent trip Hunter!
Hunter is a local trail builder who volunteers his time and energy to improve trail quality and connectivity throughout the Charlottesville, VA area. Whether bench cutting singletrack or raising funds for new trails Hunter throws his passion for VA mountain biking into his efforts! Give him a follow @rhoda.project
