Explore the best rated trails in Roanoke, VA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Jackson River Scenic Trail and Mayo River Rail Trail . With more than 24 trails covering 232 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
We have been on a lot of rail trails, scenic yes... but not for the average rider...
We rode this a 2nd time and it is so nice. Love the artwork. You ride right by Black Dog Salvage. Mostly level, not crowded. You can see the STAR from trail.
Hiked this trail in three days. Very scenic and peaceful. A lot of history to take in and enjoy.
Fantastic trail on a Fall day. Draper is a must stop.
We rode the New River Trail from the Ivanhoe Jubilee and Horse Show Park to the Byllesby Dam and back. We would have continued, but we were hemmed in by trail closures. There were lovely views of the river and fall foliage. We did find the trail rough in this section with larger pieces of gravel put on the trail, probably firm it up when muddy. It sure could use some regrading and a layer of packed fine gravel. The nuts in sections didn’t help with the twitchy ride. Where the trail had just packed dirt was much smoother. We rode on two inch tires and I wouldn’t want much less than that. We saw the Billy Goat near Bull Dam, which I had read about in a post from May 2022. Is he the mascot of the trail?
i rode from the trailhead in galax to close to ivanhoe. this trail is in fantastic shape. maybe the 7 dollar cost to park pays for the upkeep. I was very impressed and look forward to riding the pulaski section next year. the short spur was closed or i would have done that.
I have rode the creeper trail, high bridge trail and the tobacco heritage trail in south hill.. in va. this trail is in the best condition of all three.
Did this over 2 days stopping to camp in Watoga State Park. I don’t recommend paying for a river view camp site because we did and couldn’t see the river. We went from Cass to Lewisburg. Fairly well maintained trail but a few rougher patches and narrow lanes. Mostly shaded in Sept which was nice in the heat. Mostly downhill this direction but on gravel somehow it always feel like uphill. The tunnels and bridges were a fun part of this ride. Water available on the trail was cool and tasted great. My filter failed so this was a pleasant surprise.
This is a different type of trail that we normally ride. Normal to us is a wide paved or hard packed surface. Half of this is fairly wide hard packed or loose gravel. There are areas that are single or double lanes from a foot wide or more. For old folks like us it was challenging but not overwhelming The trail does travel next to a river, rock walls, forests, open fields and through cow pastures. Yep, cow pastures. The cows in the middle of the trail are easy to see and navigate around. They don’t seem to mind passersby’s. Their plops are more of a challenge, they are everywhere. Again, manageable. The biggest bother to me was opening the several gates along the way. You just can’t get a rhythm going. All that factored in the scenery, cows, deer, and eagles along the way was way cool. Even though it wasn’t the type of trail we normally ride, the difference was was both challenging and enjoyable. We rode the complete length. challenge challenge
We rode the portion of the trail for 20 miles from Marlinton up toward Cass for a 40 mile round trip. Trail riding doesn’t get much better than this. The surface was mostly double track crushed gravel except for about a mile of asphalt leaving Marlinton. It was in excellent condition with no rocks, ruts or washed out areas. North of the tunnel the brush along the trail could use some trimming. During this morning ride on a beautiful day we encountered only 13 cyclists (1 on an e-bike), no walkers and 2 deer. No other wildlife. Beautiful scenic, forested route you would expect following a river through West Virginia. Only one restroom facility and no food or drinks. Now one of our favorite trails.
We biked the Jackson River Scenic Trail in a day, out and back. Beautiful trail! We stayed at Rosewood Manor in Covington, which gave us easy access to trail head. We were so hungry biking and stumbled across “Restaurant” sign, near a gazebo. We biked a bit (1/2mike) crossing an old, but safe bridge and up a bit of a hill to discover the golf course bar/grill. Good bar food, friendly staff, cold beer. We were so happy to find food! Check it out! We highly recommend it!
We rode the trail from Foster Falls to Fries and back (44 miles). The ride was tree shaded almost the entire way which was a benefit at the end of July but didn’t afford too many views of the river. The surface at times was rough with partially submerged rocks and stones yet to be crushed. We were both riding hybrid bikes with 35 cc tires. At times I wished for fatter tires. Also, we lacked suspension in the front forks which would have cushioned the ride somewhat. It was especially rough between MM 35-40. All in all a nice ride though I my butt and arms ached unusually from the bouncing
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