From beginners to experts, our region offers some of the best outdoor activities in the country.
Sam Dean
The Roanoke Valley and nearby environs are officially a mountain biking destination. Who says so? The International Mountain Bicycling Association for starters. IMBA has designated Virginia’s Blue Ridge as a Silver-Level Ride Center™, a tag which is drawing visitors to check out some of the natural trails open to mountain bikers at all levels.
“This announcement is a real game changer,” states Lee Wilhelm, Chair of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, when the designation was awarded in 2018.
America’s East Coast Mountain Biking Capital, a title Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge has bestowed on the area as part of its “Be a Trailsetter” campaign, currently has more the 320 miles of trails (single track, double track and fire road) available for two wheelers.
Another 40 miles are already planned for Carvins Cove, says Kristine McCormick, a Roanoker and the former president of Roanoke IMBA – now called Blue Ridge Off-Road Cyclists (aka BROC).
The struggle is finding enough volunteers to help build the new trails and maintain the system. She proposes raising the funds necessary to hire professional trail builders.
“That’s going to be the future of trail development,” contends McCormick.
A conversation McCormick had at an IMBA conference several years ago about ride centers led to the Silver-Level designation.
“It was definitely a community project,” she is quick to add, with local governments and the U.S. Forest Service at the table.
That process also led to a first time trail inventory for the entire region. Now, she has become Director of Marketing for the national IMBA organization based in Boulder, Colorado (another favorite outdoor destination).
As for new mountain bikers, McCormick says the fire road at Carvins Cove that is accessible from the boat launch area is a good beginner trail.
“That’s an excellent place to start if you’ve just bought your first mountain bike.”
After that, some of the lower trails accessible from the Bennett Springs parking lot are a good next step, she says.
Happy Valley and Brushy Mountain are other good starter trails at the Cove as you work your way up to “Black Diamond” routes like Hi-Dee-Hoe and The Trough. Watch out for runners, hikers – even horseback riders – on these shared-use paths.
Closer to downtown Roanoke, Mill Mountain offers about 10 miles of trails ranging from easy to “most difficult.” Some of these are favorites for McCormick, who can use the Roanoke River Greenway from her home in Grandin Village to reach trails in the shadow of the famed Mill Mountain Star.
“That’s my favorite ride [and] I never get in my car.” She calls the trails on Mill Mountain underrated and “a gem.”
She stitches together many of those short trails – as do others, for a loop run. Speaking of the Roanoke River Greenway, there’s now a one-mile starter mountain biking trail just off the greenway in Morningside Park at 9th Street Southeast, adjacent to the Boys & Girls Club and open to all. McCormick calls it a “flow and jump trail.”
As part of its “Adventure Plan” for Explore Park, Roanoke County will expand on the 10 miles of dedicated trails already available to mountain bikers there. A park in the works at Explore where mountain bike skills can be developed has her excited.
McCormick also hopes that “roadies” will try a trail when they become wary of distracted drivers or crowded greenways. “I think that’s already happening.”
Check out Jefferson National Forest for rides on the Glenwood Horse Trail, the Arcadia Loop and single-track routes where there is also considerable elevation gain. That includes North Mountain near Dragon’s Tooth on Route 311 (“super challenging,” warns McCormick) and Brushy Hollow in Clifton Forge.
McCormick is a big fan of the off-road biking trails at Falling Creek Park in Bedford County, where the Fat Tire Frenzy course is a 7.6 mile loop with 644’ of ascent. Further away from the Roanoke Valley, but not too distant, the Jamison Mill Trail skirts along the banks of scenic Philpott Lake in Henry County.
Waid Recreation Park in Franklin County offers several miles of easy to more difficult trails than can also be cobbled together for a longer ride. The Pandapas Pond day use area near Blacksburg off US 460 features 26 miles ranging from easy to challenging. The Patterson Creek trail system near the Botetourt/Craig County line north of Fincastle is another option.
The sport of cyclocross has taken root in the valley and Virginia’s only permanent cyclocross course at Fallon Park in southeast Roanoke – a combination of grass, dirt, gravel, sand, manmade barriers and other challenges - now hosts the Go Cross event for amateur and pro riders at all skill levels. Around 1,000 participants took part in 2019.
The Downshift bike shop in Roanoke sponsored men’s and women’s teams last year: “We have great riders from beginners to experts,” says owner/lead mechanic Steve Ambruzs. “[This event] draws riders from all over the region. A lot of people have a blast.”
Blue Ridge Off-Road Cyclists offers weekly group rides, as does Roanoke Mountain Adventures (RMA also has area trail maps on its website). Blue Ridge Gravity is another local group, with a focus on downhill rides. See visitroanokeva.com/biking for access to listings of local mountain biking opportunities and trail maps.
The apps Mountain Bike Project and Trailforks are also good resources for information in the region, based on GPS location. Visitvbr.com/mtb features a breathtaking and very slick short video on mountain biking in the region that’s sure to boost your heart rate a beat or two.
If Mountain Biking Isn’t Your Thing – At Least Not Yet:
The Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon coming to the valley on June 7 is a swim-bike-run event expected to draw several thousand participants. Athletic running shoe/apparel outlets like Fleet Feet Sports and Runabout Sports offer training courses for those new to the triathlon world – much like they do for runners.
There are footraces – road or trail – almost every weekend except during some the coldest times of the year, from the Blue Ridge Marathon weekend in April to the more typical 5k and 10K runs. Check out the Star City Striders group, Mountain Junkies and Run Roanoke online for schedules.
Visit with C&C Runners on Facebook – more than a thousand people (and growing) who support each other at group runs and with updates on races. The informal, free group is now routinely offered race discounts. Roanoke Valley Elite (also on Facebook) is focused on runners that are fast enough in some cases to qualify for the coveted Boston Marathon. There’s also the Crooked Road Running Club based in Rocky Mount.
The Roanoke River Blueway initiative encourages people to paddleboard, tube, canoe or kayak through the heart of the valley. You can also ‘yak or take part in other watersports/recreational activities at Carvins Cove, Smith Mountain, Claytor, Leesville and Philpott Lakes. Head to the James or Cowpasture rivers nearby if battling whitewater rapids is desired.
A number of area outfitters can get you geared up for river floats or biking adventures with a rental. Needless to say, hiking opportunities abound on the Appalachian Trail, in national forests, along the Blue Ridge Parkway and elsewhere. Or just walk the growing greenway network in the valley.
Recreation can also mean indoor activities like Salsa Noke, a dance instruction and social organization now a decade old (connect on Facebook). There’s yoga, swimming or a myriad of fitness classes at venues like YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Green Ridge Recreation Center, Carilion Wellness, Carter Athletic Center, CrossFit, etc. Check out the Roanoke City, Roanoke County and City of Salem websites for links to youth and adult recreation league opportunities, or independent organizations like the Valley AFC and Virginia Blue Ridge Soccer clubs.
So pick your poison when it comes to recreation and related social opportunities in the Roanoke Valley: you will find them right here.