By Stephen Smoot
In the West Virginia mountains, finding a route on which to enjoy a scenic drive is not the problem. Picking a good path for a road trip, however, brings one almost to an infinite set of selections. Those not familiar with the area might have trouble putting together a set of routes that takes them to what they wish to see or do.
According to a release from Mon Forest Towns, “the network spans routes ranging from family-friendly day rides to intense multi-day bikepacking adventures, all accessible through the newly expanded monforesttowns.org and Ride With GPS.”
Despite the focus on towns and areas near the Monongahela National Forest, Hardy County offers multiple ways to experience the network.
The trail network uses the 12 Mon Forest Towns, Elkins, Parsons, Thomas, Davis, Durbin, Marlinton, Richwood, Cowen, Petersburg, Franklin, Seneca Rocks, or White Sulphur Springs, as hubs and/or points of departure. Routes extend through the Monongahela National Forest into the surrounding regions and beyond. Some even connect with the George Washington National Forest straddling the West Virginia-Virginia line.
Mon Forest Towns representative Michelle Connor explained that “the Mon Forest Gravel and Bikepacking initiative was developed through a collaborative effort which engaged all 12 Mon Forest Towns which included Franklin and Seneca Rocks.”
The process started over a year ago. Connor explained that for the upstream Potomac Highlands region, “individuals from Franklin and Seneca Rocks met with bikepacking enthusiasts from V2V Trails, Mountain Rides LLC, and Bikepacking Roots at Sweetwater Farm Trail Center in Sugar Grove/Moyers to begin the mapping process.
“Ever since, “the V2V Trails, Mountain Rides LLC, and Bikepacking Roots team brought the vision to life.”
A number of routes form convenient loops, allowing those staying along them to start and stop at the same location when going and coming. Others extend between two points and some connect other routes.
Lengthy extensions also connect the network with two capital cities, Charleston and Washington DC. The two to three day (estimated) route to DC starts in Petersburg and traverses back routes through Moorefield and Lost City east into Virginia. Other trail routes include a 70 mile loop that starts in Petersburg and runs through Moorefield and Lost City before returning to Grant County.
A four mile loop that includes the Smiley Face Rocks landscape feature takes travelers through rugged Hardy and Grant County countryside near the Spring Run Trout Hatchery. A longer route in the same region takes users through Peru into Virginia near Bergton and back.
Many ways exist to mix and match these trails and other roads so that each can have a unique and special mountain experience.
These routes form the local part of the Mon Forest Gravel and Bikepacking Route Network. The MFT website states that this “is one of the largest curated gravel and bikepacking route systems in the eastern United States.” It adds that that “With over 1000 miles of gravel to grind across our million-acre public land playground, take in a birds-eye view of our 8-county route collection.”
Paths and routes take different forms. Those taking them can choose from hiking trails, gravel roads with limited vehicle use, dirt and paved backroads, or main highways.
All that stated, Mon Forest Towns does not operate primarily to facilitate tourism. The purpose lies in helping member towns to identify economic opportunities, including tourism, to grow and thrive.
“This network is more than just a bike trail system, it is an engine for economic development” explains Connor, who added that “as cycling enthusiasts come to our community to experience the beauty of our rural backroads they also visit, shop, eat, and lodge in our community. This creates opportunities for new tourism and outdoor recreation revenue which in turn creates jobs and thriving main streets.”
