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.”
The trail network uses the 12 Mon Forest Towns of 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 more than 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.
Connor related how Franklin almost serves as a hub of sorts for the central part of the trail network, saying, “There are five routes that originate, pass through, or are close by the Town of Franklin and another five routes near Seneca Rocks. There are also numerous multi-day itineraries that pass through and connect Franklin, Seneca Rocks, Petersburg, Durbin, and the other eight Mon Forest Towns.”
Lengthy extensions also connect the network with two capital cities, Charleston and Washington, D.C.
The result, styled the Mon Forest Gravel and Bikepacking Route Network, “is one of the largest curated gravel and bikepacking route systems in the eastern United States.” Its website states that “With over 1000 miles of gravel to grind across our million-acre public land playground, take in a birds-eye view of our eight-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.”
Focusing on Pendleton County should drive even more visitors to the still-growing tourist economy. “In Pendleton County,” shared Connor, “we will be leveraging these new routes to build upon the success of local events like GRUSK (Gravel Ride Up Spruce Knob), which is a premiere annual gravel cycling and bikepacking festival. In 2026, GRUSK is celebrating its 10th anniversary, July 9–12 at Spruce Knob Mountain Center in Circleville.”
