Just moved to Johnson City, Tn and was wondering where some good AM/DH trails are in south VA.
Where's the good stuff?
- Thread starter milohead
- Start date
Really.......? here let me eat a breath mint......is that better? Y'all aint got to raise your hand, I know someones got to know something.
Carvin's Cove in Roanoke is a good place. Not sure of anything south of that.
Eastern Tennessee Univerity has had DS/DH races on campus in the past, Wolf Laurel in NC is less than an hour away from Johnson City and they have a DH lift service effort in the last few years. trails must still be in place... Asheville , NC scene is the direction you want to look. Not much DH population south of Blacksburg, VA which is 3 hours from you. 
appreciate it. already new of etsu and pisgah, just thought there would be some across the state line near bristol or abington.
I see you have a DH bike, but if you don't mind pedaling that lug up hills, Damascus is a great destination. The Iron Mountain Trail and the surrounding trails in Jefferson National Forest are awesome. They are fairly remote, often unsigned, and really fun to ride. The vertical drop there is not much over 1000 feet or so, but there are some pretty steep trails with some good downhill options. You might want to check out the Rowland Falls/Jerry Creek Trail loop. There is one really nasty downhill section that does not see much traffic. It drops maybe 800 to 1000 feet in a couple of miles. The trudge UP Jerry's Creek can be very muddy due to horse traffic. Other downhill oriented trails would be Beech Bottom (???-it is the one that motorcycle can use too---pretty much the first trail north of Damascus on 58), the Lum trail (albeit short), and many sections of the Iron Mountain Trail. There was a local site...
http://www.bikeguy.net/ ---------This site seems to be down now. Not sure. He had a great list of local trails, mileages, and configurations.
In NC, Beech Mountain is developing rapidly under the guise of Andrew Stackhouse and MANY locals. Look for posts on here and on MTBR in the Carolinas section. This is the website...
http://beechmtb.com/maps
http://www.bikeguy.net/ ---------This site seems to be down now. Not sure. He had a great list of local trails, mileages, and configurations.
In NC, Beech Mountain is developing rapidly under the guise of Andrew Stackhouse and MANY locals. Look for posts on here and on MTBR in the Carolinas section. This is the website...
http://beechmtb.com/maps
I've already been talkin to Stack.
How do I get to the downhill trails in Rowland Falls/Jerry Creek?
FYI, There were a few guys at the Bikes damascus? shop that shuttle people for the Creeper Trail that I talked to. They said they do some shuttling around the Iron Mtn area, but it's like any other shuttle. You gotta meet them face to face to get them to let you tag along.
Damascus is right up the road from you and you can knock out the Creeper trail with your kids. My girl did it at 5 on a 16" Barbie bike. Then afterwards you can buddy up to the locals.
He made it sound like they hit their local stuff after work. I got you Josh.
Damascus is right up the road from you and you can knock out the Creeper trail with your kids. My girl did it at 5 on a 16" Barbie bike. Then afterwards you can buddy up to the locals.
He made it sound like they hit their local stuff after work. I got you Josh.
Milo get a copy of the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Mt. Rogers map. It is a waterproof, tear-proof map. The scale is a bit larger than your typical USGS topo, but it is a great map with ALL of those trails highlighted. It is my "go to map" for Damascus and the Iron Mountain trails. To complement the larger scale of the Trails Illustrated map, I will print out detailed sections of the USGS maps I need when I'm exploring new terrain. Check out Mahoney's or any outdoor store. My favorite bike shop in Damascus is Adventures Damascus. They ride, know the local trails, and are willing to share information. Just buy a map and some energy snacks.
Here is my preferred route. Park at Skulls gap on SR 600. Ride north on the Iron Mountain Trail (IMT) until you hit FS 84. Turn left on FS 84 and follow for a bit to the trailhead for Jerry's Creek trail (#165). Turn right onto JCT and follow downhill for about 4 miles. Dead end into a rd. Take a right and follow for a bit until you see a trailhead for Rowland's Creek Trail (#164). Turn right onto RCT and follow uphill for 3 plus miles. Cool waterfall on right about 2/3 way up. There can be lot's of deep mud from horses
Trail becomes a road at end. Follow to a 4 way intersection. Turn right and follow gravel for a bit more. Look for "Old 84", trail # 4630. Turn right and meander back towards FS 84 near the start of JCT. Turn left and retrace route at this point. IMT back to Skulls Gap is a blast!!! Maybe 20 miles or so total.
Many more loops up there. This place is way underrated!!!
Here is my preferred route. Park at Skulls gap on SR 600. Ride north on the Iron Mountain Trail (IMT) until you hit FS 84. Turn left on FS 84 and follow for a bit to the trailhead for Jerry's Creek trail (#165). Turn right onto JCT and follow downhill for about 4 miles. Dead end into a rd. Take a right and follow for a bit until you see a trailhead for Rowland's Creek Trail (#164). Turn right onto RCT and follow uphill for 3 plus miles. Cool waterfall on right about 2/3 way up. There can be lot's of deep mud from horses
Trail becomes a road at end. Follow to a 4 way intersection. Turn right and follow gravel for a bit more. Look for "Old 84", trail # 4630. Turn right and meander back towards FS 84 near the start of JCT. Turn left and retrace route at this point. IMT back to Skulls Gap is a blast!!! Maybe 20 miles or so total.Many more loops up there. This place is way underrated!!!
That's the shop I was thinking of.
thanksMilo get a copy of the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Mt. Rogers map. It is a waterproof, tear-proof map. The scale is a bit larger than your typical USGS topo, but it is a great map with ALL of those trails highlighted. It is my "go to map" for Damascus and the Iron Mountain trails. To complement the larger scale of the Trails Illustrated map, I will print out detailed sections of the USGS maps I need when I'm exploring new terrain. Check out Mahoney's or any outdoor store. My favorite bike shop in Damascus is Adventures Damascus. They ride, know the local trails, and are willing to share information. Just buy a map and some energy snacks.
Here is my preferred route. Park at Skulls gap on SR 600. Ride north on the Iron Mountain Trail (IMT) until you hit FS 84. Turn left on FS 84 and follow for a bit to the trailhead for Jerry's Creek trail (#165). Turn right onto JCT and follow downhill for about 4 miles. Dead end into a rd. Take a right and follow for a bit until you see a trailhead for Rowland's Creek Trail (#164). Turn right onto RCT and follow uphill for 3 plus miles. Cool waterfall on right about 2/3 way up. There can be lot's of deep mud from horses
Many more loops up there. This place is way underrated!!!