Backroad Cycling
& Mountain Biking

The Shenandoah Valley is receiving national attention for biking and beer. Cities in the area are winning awards like Best Beer Town in the Blue Ridge, Top Ten Mountain Bike Towns, and Best Biking Community. They’re also hosting top cycling events.

Backroad Cycling

The Valley’s beautiful back roads take you past farms, over streams, and through some of the most scenic areas on the East Coast. 

  • Bike shops like Black Dog Bikes, Shenandoah Bicycle Company, Rocktown Bicycles, Bluestone Bike & Run, and Rockfish Gap Outfitters are the best resources for road riding routes.
  • The rural roads of Augusta County have spectacular road biking. The 23.4-mile Staunton Polyface Ride leaves Staunton and rolls past farmland, creeks, and ponds and provides amazing views of the Alleghany Mountains. You’ll end up at Joel Salatin’s famous Polyface Farms, a leader in sustainable farming. 
  • The curvy and beautiful 45–mile Goshen Pass Ride in Rockbridge County meanders through the countryside past the Virginia Horse Center and into Goshen Pass, a magnificent mountain gorge. Breathe in the mountain laurel, listen to the rushing whitewater, and stop for a picnic on the way.
  • Bike the Valley outlines several local gravel rides that wind through farmland and the national forest like the 20-mile Middlebrook Fat Tire route or the 31-mile Stokesville Strade Gravel Grinder.

Mountain Biking

You’ll find some amazing singletrack in the mountains as well as in our town parks.

  • Check out the Massanutten Mountain Bike Park at Massanutten Resort. The four-season resort has been hosting downhill mountain bike races since 1989. It uses chairlifts to service the four trails, all with varying levels of difficulty. You’ll also want to purchase a pass for the nearby Western Slope stacked loop trails system. The trails offer something for every skill level and the pass money supports the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, which built and maintains many of the area trails. 
  • For miles of well-marked biking trails with various difficulty levels, hit the mountain bike trails at Harrisonburg’s Hillandale Park. Make sure you try the pump track while you’re there. If you ride it right, you won’t even need to pedal!
  • Staunton has fun, twisty riding at the Montgomery Hall Park Trails. With nearly 5 miles of singletrack, short climbs, and minimal obstacles, these trails are a good way to find your groove.
  • The City of Waynesboro is in the process of converting the 107-acre former landfill into Sunset Park. Set for completion in 2023, the park will offer scenic views as well as 4.5 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails.
  • In George Washington National Forest near Stokesville, you’ll find Narrowback Mountain Loop, a 13-mile trail with ridgeline riding, rocky sections with alternate lines, and one crazy, memorable descent off the mountain. This ride is widely regarded as one of the top three rides in the state!
  • Serious riders will rise to the challenge of the Whetstone Ridge Ride, an epic 29-miler that starts near Lexington and climbs to the remote Whetstone Ridge Trail and offers steep climbs, drops, and technical riding.

Family Rides

If you have beginning riders in your party, you’ll want to ease them into pedaling on one of these flat bike trails.

  • Bike lanes and paths criss-cross Harrisonburg, making it easy to navigate on two wheels. Do some urban riding on the 2-mile Friendly City Trail, which winds through Harrisonburg connecting visitors to schools, parks, and other attractions. Other nearby family rides include the North End Greenway and Rockingham Park at the Crossroads.
  • Waynesboro’s South River Greenway is a level, paved trail that follows the South River and is great for families with young cyclists.
  • Lexington boasts the beautiful and peaceful Chessie Trail that stretches for 7 miles along an old railroad bed between Lexington and Buena Vista.

Annual Biking Events

Cycling enthusiasts will find a number of fun annual races, challenges, and events. Check out the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition schedule for more information.

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