New River Trail State Park

Next Bicycle Tour:  2025 - TBD

View and RSVP for specific event dates on the Mid Atlantic Touring WhatsApp community . This event may be repeated throughout the year as a good training event for longer tours. 

Event Description

Bike Ride on the New River Trail in Virginia between Fries and Pulaski, VA

Please RSVP for this event on the Mid Atlantic Touring WhatsApp community so we know who will be participating, and can communicate in case of any changes.  

April 13-14, 2024 - Past Event

May 18-19, 2024 -  (Cancelled due to weather)

June 15-16, 2024 - Past Event

>>Please note:  Future events will also be posted on the Mid Atlantic Touring WhatsApp community for RSVP if/when additional dates are determined.<<  Join the WhatsApp Group Here:    Mid Atlantic Touring WhatsApp community

This is an Intermediate Level event since you do not need to carry overnight gear on your bike, the route is mostly level and shaded, but the distances can be substantial for new riders. 

Two days of shaded riding on a gravel trail - 40-50+ miles each day - on the New River Trail in New River Trail State Park, Max Meadows, Virginia.  

For park, camping, and trail information, see  https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/new-river-trail.

This trail runs along the New River, and is at a higher elevation (~2300'), which means cooler temperatures!  (Around 10 F degrees cooler than near sea level)

Camp or stay in a nearby hotel overnight.

Event Details

Day 1:  Drive to the main state park headquarters trailhead early Saturday morning - see map below for starting location (the red marker).

1. • Drive time is ~ 2 hours from Charlotte, NC, ~3 hours from Raleigh, NC, or ~4.5 hours from the DC area.  Please map it if you're coming from another location.

   • The New River Trail State Park headquarters address is:  116 Orphanage Dr, Max Meadows, VA 24360

   • This address will get you to the main park office.  Keep driving just a bit farther down the road to the park entrance booth.  There is a $7 fee for parking here.  

   • Park in the lot near the Foster Falls Railroad Depot (no longer a functioning railroad station) - no address, but map plus code is:   V4MV+QG Galena, Virginia  (Paste this into the search bar in Google Maps.)  See map below for pin drop location.

Start Riding at 11:00am.  Ride 40-50 miles (gravel) toward the Pulaski, VA end of the trail, starting from the parking lot described above, leaving at 11:00am so people can drive to the starting location from home in the morning.  You may also decide to come to the area the night before if your drive is too long to get there in the morning.

1. • Stop in Draper near the end of the trail for lunch at the Draper Mercantile and Trading Company:  https://goo.gl/maps/zrRGJBqbMZjjku3Z6

   • Continue on the trail toward Pulaski, and/or exit onto the Dora trail just before the end of the New River Trail to go all the way into Pulaski.

   • Ride back the way we came to the parking lot.

Stay overnight in a nearby hotel or camp site:

1. • Hotel Recommendations:  Make your own reservations.  Coordinate with others that RSVP via event chat on Meetup if you'd like to share a room.  

     1. Hampton Inn Hillsville, VA:  https://goo.gl/maps/G1NSXaev6Qyp2Kru7

     2. Holiday Inn Express Hillsville, VA:  https://goo.gl/maps/1CBTZ5XQwW9Ag5Ai9

     3. There are several other hotels in this location.  

   • Campground Recommendation:  Make your own reservation.  Coordinate with others that RSVP via event chat on Meetup if you'd like to share a campsite.  

     1. Foster Falls Camp - called Millrace Sites in Foster Falls on VA state parks reservation system, found under New River Trail State Park.    https://reservevaparks.com/Web/Default.aspx#!park/23/114

Day 2:  Meet at the same starting location again (#1. above) on Sunday morning at 8:00am (or start time designated by group the previous day).

1. • Ride another 40-50+ miles  toward Fries, VA, and back to the parking lot.

   • Lunch at the turn-around point in Fries at Windy River Cafe:  https://goo.gl/maps/SPh2aY1aTwP3tLvZ6

   • Maybe get some ice cream after lunch at the Frosty Monkey Express?  (only in summer)

Return home Sunday evening after completing the ride, or enjoy other activities in the area!

Meet at the red dot location in the map below - use Plus Code in Google Maps:  V4MV+QG (copy and paste this code into Google Maps search bar) and/or click the picture links below.

-The address of the New River Trail State Park (yellow dot below) is for the office location, not the meeting location.

Notes:

• There is no organizer fee for this event (unless you'd like to donate to the organizer to help offset group expenses).  The only expenses include:  Your transportation to the starting point, your food, drinks, snacks, your overnight lodging, and $7 entrance fee at the park. 

• This event will likely be repeated every so often since it is a fun, beautiful, and easy event and a great training ride for longer events.   Check back often for new event dates!  

• There are pit toilets and water available along the trail.  You may want to bring water treatment (filters, drops, or tablets), though the water within the park is listed as potable.  

• The elevation along the trail is about 2300ft, so the temperature is usually about 10 degrees cooler than sea level areas.  This feels great during these hot summer days!  Chilly in the early spring and late fall, especially overnight!

• The trail is all gravel, and mostly shaded.  The gravel is in pretty good shape for most of the way, but has a few bumpier spots.  Wider tires or some tread is recommended.  Thin road bike tires will likely not do well on this trail.

• E-Bikes are welcome.  Use in pedal assist mode, not faster than 20 mph assist, but we'll go much slower than that on the trail.

• Bring:  Sunscreen, bug spray, snacks, water, bike repair tools and parts, money (or credit method)  for meals, lodging, and entrance fee, etc.