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West Virginia is a top destination for cyclists and mountain bikers, offering scenic routes, rugged mountain trails, and thrilling downhill runs that attract riders from across the country. With popular spots like the Greenbrier River Trail, Snowshoe Mountain Bike Park, and the challenging singletrack trails in Kanawha State Forest, West Virginia delivers a perfect mix of terrain for road cycling, gravel riding, and technical mountain biking adventures. The state’s breathtaking Appalachian landscapes, rolling hills, and well-maintained trail systems offer cyclists endless opportunities to explore nature, stay fit, and enjoy the fresh mountain air. As more remote workers and outdoor enthusiasts relocate from big cities, West Virginia’s welcoming biking community and expanding network of bike-friendly towns and trails make it an ideal place to live, ride, and experience the freedom of the Mountain State’s great outdoors on two wheels.

Three cyclists, including a child, ride bicycles along a gravel trail bordered by trees and open fields.
Biking

West Virginia trail advocates envision trails within 15 minutes of every resident

by David Sibray

PIPESTEM, W.Va. — West Virginia trail advocates are considering how to bring every resident within 15 minutes of a recreational trail as they pursue better access to outdoor recreation, improved public health, and stronger local economies. The goal was among the ideas discussed following Monday’s W.Va. Trails Conference at Pipestem Resort State Park, where 170 … Read more

Three hikers silhouetted against daylight at the entrance to a historic brick-lined railroad tunnel on the North Bend Rail Trail in West Virginia.
Biking

National relay highlights untapped tourism potential of North Bend rail trail

by David Sibray

CAIRO, W.Va. — A coast-to-coast relay celebrating America’s 250th anniversary will pass through northern West Virginia in November, bringing national attention to a historic rail trail whose neighboring communities have struggled to capitalize on tourism. The American Discovery 250 Relay will travel east from Belpre, Ohio, to Pennsboro, West Virginia, on November 6, continuing to … Read more

A bicycle rests beside the Meadow River along the Meadow River Rail Trail, an 18-mile route between Rainelle and Nallen in southern West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Meadow River Rail Trail)
Biking

New 18-mile trail is revealing a hidden West Virginia river valley

by David Sibray

RAINELLE, W.Va. — Several weeks after the Meadow River Rail Trail completed its 18-mile route through southern West Virginia, bicycles are appearing outside businesses, cars carrying bikes are arriving from other states, and visitors to the nearby New River Gorge National Park and Preserve are finding their way to a valley that many West Virginians have … Read more

One of the largest networks on the East Coast, the routes activate thousands of miles of gravel roads across the Mon Forest for visitors and communities. (Photo: Getty Images)
Biking

Gravel, bikepacking network connects towns across Monongahela National Forest region

by Clyde Craig

MARLINTON, W.Va. — A new gravel and bikepacking network connecting 12 towns across the Monongahela National Forest region, colloquially called “the Mon,” has launched, offering more than 60 curated cycling routes across eight West Virginia counties. The network, launched by the A lone motorist travels US-250 through the Monongahela National Forest. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Dept. … Read more

The International Mountain Bicycling Association announced the newest recipient of its Ride Center designation—the Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
Biking

Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center unveiled today by IMBA

by David Sibray

The International Mountain Bicycling Association announced this week the new recipient of its IMBA Ride Center designation—the Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. “It is our pleasure to welcome Snowshoe Highlands as IMBA’s newest Ride Center and first Ride Center in West Virginia,” said Dave Wiens, executive director of the association. “The … Read more

A mountain biker explores trails at the Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve near the New River Gorge.
Biking

World-class trails at scout reserve now open to mountain bikers

by David Sibray

A 35-mile system of world-class mountain bike trails are now open to bikers off-season at the Summit Bechtel Reserve near Beckley, West Virginia, thanks to a partnership between the scouts and the New River Gorge Trail Alliance. The agreement allows bikers to ride the reserve’s cross-country and downhill-oriented mountain bike trails, which have been built … Read more