West Virginia: From the Bottom to the Top
Over the course of last summer, Pinkbike wanted to explore some of West Virginia's finest mountain biking commodities, which include trail networks found in and around some of its largest population centers. Its backcountry and wilderness mountain biking has been heralded for decades, but more recently there have been an ever-expanding network of trails and bike communities closer to the state's largest cities, including the state capital, Charleston; its 3rd largest city, Parkersburg; as well as the home to West Virginia University, the state's largest university, in Morgantown. These three towns certainly offer plenty to do off of the bike when compared to some of their neighbors throughout the state perhaps more well known among riders, but are also surprisingly competitive when comparing the opportunities available aboard two wheels.
Charleston, West Virginia is the state's largest city, serving as both the state capital and the county seat of Kanawha. As "large cities" go, Charleston is rather tiny, with Burlington, Vermont the only city in America with a smaller population that can claim to be the most populous in its respective state. Still, Charleston serves as the hub for state politics, as well as energy and technology industries. Located in the southwest portion of the state, Charleston is a 4-season city, albeit with relatively mild winters due to its low lying position on the western slopes of the Allegheny plateau. The city itself is home to several parks and forests, but the crown jewel for this area can be found about 7 miles south of downtown: Kanawha State Forest.
With close to 1,000 vertical feet of terrain to clamber up and rocket down, as well as 37 miles of riding spread across 24 total trails, Kanawha offers plenty of opportunities for riders of all levels looking for experiences of all types. The State Forest has been host to one of West Virginia's longest running races, the Black Bear Mountain Bike Race, which saw its 32nd annual affair in May. The West Virginia Enduro Series also utilizes the terrain here for its own purposes at the Black Bear Enduro, and every Memorial Day weekend sees an annual event - the Kanawha State Forest Mountain Bike Festival - take place on the trails as well.
The Capitol building and the grounds that surround it are a beautiful homage to West Virginia, as well as its many brave veterans who have served in a number of wars over the course of American history.
While mountain biking and other outdoor recreational opportunities might be a big part of the state's future, coal will forever be engrained in the history of this beautiful land.
Locals Josh Harrison and Brad Schmalzer take us on a tour the crown jewel of Charleston mountain biking: Kanawha State Forest.
The riding here is similar to what one might find a few hours to the south in Western North Carolina, a characteristic local like to hang their hats on.
Kanawha is loaded with natural features to play bikes on.
 | It's easily one of the most technical places to ride. It's got that country-raw feel to it. It's steep up and down. One of the biggest things that I noticed when I came out here was the learning curve involved with just trying to navigate this kind of terrain coming from Wisconsin, which was dead flat. |
| There are a lot of opportunities here in the forest to make more progressive trails. Our interaction with the superintendent here is great. We have a very strong community that we can build around here and the park will support us. In the future the trails here will keep getting better and better, and will be more progressive |
While much of West Virginia's skyline is dominated by layers of blue ridges, bald summits, and spruce-covered peaks, the western border of the state trends towards mostly rolling hills and low lying areas near rivers. In a state known for mountainous and rugged terrain, a place like Parkersburg, which sits on the shores of the Little Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, and stares directly at the state of Ohio from across that very confluence, is a decidedly unassuming place for mountain biking. The 3rd largest city in the state is more well known for its oft-used flood wall, and locally for its dominance in high school sports than it is mountain biking opportunities.
But the truth is that within a 45-minute radius lies an abundance of trail networks in what is known as the Mid-Ohio Valley that can satisfy the appetites of riders starving for some singletrack. 200 miles worth of gluttonous riding more accurately. Mountwood Park is a 2,600-acre wooded park with over 30 miles of singletrack that utilizes roughly 500 vertical feet of terrain. The River Valley Mountain Bike Association has been working with city, county, state, and federal land managers for decades to build and maintain the scores of riding opportunities near Parkersburg, and Mountwood sits at the top of the heap of trail networks for the region. The park plays host to the most popular race on the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association's calendar, and on any given day of the week, the trailhead parking lot is likely going to be full, or even overflowing with daytrippers and local getting in some after work riding in. While most of the park offers up XC oriented riding through lush and beautiful deciduous forests, and fern lined gullies and ravines, plans are in place for gravity-oriented trails, flow lines and more which should serve to broaden the appeal of an already awesome place to ride.
The topography relaxes a bit in this part of the state, but the beauty is still very abundant.
Mountwood has over 30 miles of fast, rolling singletrack, with plans for a lot more in the near future.
The trails here weave their way through some stunning sections of old Appalachian forest.
High speeds plus flat corners equals a lot of fun.
Splashing through puddles is fun for kids of all ages.
There are sections of trail here that appear to have been transplanted from parts of the Pacific Northwest, much less the Mid-Ohio Valley.
The River Valley Mountain Bike Association has worked hard to develop lasting relationships with land managers at every level. The results have been fruitful, to say the least.
| We have a lot of really well maintained and well thought-out trails in and around Parkersburg. We also have a lot of miles, with close to 200 miles of trail within 45 minutes of downtown and over 30 miles at Mountwood alone. |
| This place is a bit of a chameleon. There aren't a whole lot of rocks and roots, but there is enough to challenge you. The riding here is fast as well. The RVMBA makes it a lot of fun to participate in the mountain bike community here. It's good to put some positive energy back into Appalachia. |
Make no mistake: Morgantown is a college town. The city's population nearly doubles during the school year, with close to 30,000 full-time students enrolled at the state's largest home for higher education. Because of this, the town is afforded quite a few extracurricular options, with a surprisingly diverse and abundant amount of dining, drinking, and entertainment opportunities throughout the town. Morgantown is located at the western edge of West Virginia's eastern panhandle, just below the Pennsylvania border, and just west of Maryland's.
The town itself has a handful of small trail networks within city limits and a greenway that allows for easy access to all of them. But the real draw for riders to the area surrounds the city, with Valley Falls State Park 30 miles to the south, Coopers Rock State Forest just east of town, and Big Bear Lake Camplands another couple of miles east of that. Morgantown itself is a rather hilly affair, with a smattering of 1,500-foot peaks throughout the city, but the landscape surrounding town is where you find plenty of relief. Valley Falls utilizes a rather precipitous 800 vertical feet that rises up from the Tygart Valley River. Coopers Rock tops out at over 1,000 feet above Cheat Lake, and Big Bear Lake boasts the highest base elevation and rises 600 feet from the parking lot to the highest point on the trail. Between these three preeminent trail networks you'll find some of the state's finest all-mountain riding, from the steep and loose terrain at Valley Falls, to the blisteringly fast and technical trails at Coopers Rock, to the stunning beauty and top-notch dirt of Big Bear Lake. You can have a lot of fun in Morgantown to be sure, but it's most certainly a different kind of wild and wonderful in the mountains that surround the city.
Morgantown lies in the heart of the Appalachians, and offers up a variety of recreational activities downtown, on the water, and in the hills.
This corner of the country offers up an abundance of breathtaking scenery.
Big Bear Lake is mostly known for its challenging singletrack and raw beauty, but there are plenty of places to throw shapes as well.
Charlie Brand is one of the original trail builders at Valley Falls and takes some time here to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Nate Parrish does some trail work aboard the bike at Valley Falls.
John Herod founded the West Virginia Enduro Series alongside fellow shredder, Ben Klimas, putting his days of professional DH racing to good use.
Annie Simcoe is one of the local mountain bike community leaders and is responsible for the artwork and logos that can be found on Big Bear tee shirts and event flyers.
Just because it isn't "purpose-built", doesn't mean you can't send it.
| There is a real mixed bag of old-school pioneers, long time racers, and new school riders in these parts. Being close to WVU helps make our mountain bike culture what it is; we see new riders all of the time. The best part is that you can see all of these folks riding together. There are so many places to ride in West Virginia and there just aren't a lot of people, although we are seeing a lot of new out-of-state riders looking to us as a destination for vacations and weekend getaways. I would describe the culture here as an inclusive run-what-ya-brung type. We are also starting to see the kids of the mountain bike pioneers out there shredding the trails too! |
| This place is a bit of a chameleon. With Coopers and other trail networks, our goal is to have as many trails open as possible. Throughout the year and before our events we are making sure the trails are clear and ridable. This often includes some trips into the woods with hand tools and chainsaws for the big trees that have fallen across our trails. Most of us carry a small hand saw religiously when we ride. |
Additional Information:
Please visit West Virginia Tourism Office website for additional travel and lodging information.
Check out the full gallery of images here.
Please visit West Virginia Tourism Office website for additional travel and lodging information.
Check out the full gallery of images here.
Author Info:
Member since Dec 5, 2013
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P.S. Cranksgiving?
awesome article, I'm coming !
I maybe visiting Richmond East Virginia next year in August, will the weather be ok for a trip out west to ride? Also any advice on where to stay for bikers?
Wait Tea Creek? Seriously?
One trail there is hardly worth stopping for. Spent a day there trying to explore, very disappointed.
This was framed as places to ride whenever your visiting some of the state's biggest towns
There isn’t any significant mud on the Kanawha State Forest trails as the hills are really well drained. I grew up riding tech rocks in Ottawa/Gatineau and north shore Van so this is like a mellow version of Seymour with good climb options and sweet singletrack on the top of the ridges before dropping in.
I still can’t believe this place isn’t overrun with riders...
I just dropped an edit from riding here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8-jgd8m_7M
Keep it classy
Thank you for replys. I love climbs with rewarding decent