local trails?

[melius]

My autnt and 2 young cousins are coming into town for a couple days the first week of april. My 2 cousins keep begging me to take them for wheeling. ANY place ligit to take them on an afternoon after work? I work off peters creek and get off around 4. I dont want to be wheeling with them in the dark. driving back in the dark is ok just not on the trails. My aunt wont allow that. Oh also its just going to be my heep so nothing to seriouse. :rotflmao5:

[Hokie98zj]

there is lignite but i think someone said thats closed off for the winter.one place that isnt much but water crossings is broad run.sounds like you need a bunch of lights

[melius]

Oh i have enough lights to light up the woods. she just dosent want them boucing around the woods at night is all. :rolleyes-1:

[melius]

wheres broad run at?

[cootees]

Broad run extends from 311 out towards catawba mountain road in botetourt.

From 311 take a right onto Broad Run Rd.

From botetourt turn on Catawba Mtn Rd. Take a right onto Route 666(haymakertown rd) and turn right on Stone Coal Gap.

[WilliamAWebb]

I drove through broad run today because I had nothing better to do. It is a nice ride, nothing but some creek crossings, but it is pretty. You can see where some other people have gone off the road on some other trails, but I am sure that is all private property.

[rubican!]

8 years or so ago broad run was a blast. But it got popular and people started buying lots and now its jsut a road :(

[DAZYDG]

We need some good write-ups on the local trails and complete directions to them. With maybe some kind of trail rating or something like that. I know a bunch of you ahve been to Broad Run and Bobcat a million times and could drive it in your sleep, so you could easily do a quick write-up. And there a a lot more trails out there that only a few know about...

[xjtrailrider]

8 years or so ago broad run was a blast. But it got popular and people started buying lots and now its jsut a road :(

It was even better 20 years ago! It was 2 dirt tracks through the woods and some nice creek crossings. I used Broad Run as a training ride for mountain bike races.

[WilliamAWebb]

I think there are still some trails through there, but I wasn't sure who owned the land or if they let people drive on it or what, so I just drove on the road.

They already posted how to get to it, but I will write it up again for anyone who wants to ride it. All it is is a gravel/dirt road with a couple fun creek crossings, none of them are more than 3-3.5 feet deep. I kept it in 2 wheel drive the entire time. You can run it two ways I guess, the first is from the catawba end, the second from closer to New Castle.

From Catawba,

From 311 at Catawba, turn left at the gas station onto Catawba Creek Rd.
Continue on Catawba Creek Rd, which will turn into Catawba Rd, for another few miles. Catawba Rd will turn into Haymarkettown Rd at a slight left, continue for another .5miles or so and take a left onto Stone Coal Rd. You are there.

From New Castle,

Take 311 towards Catawba. Turn left onto route 618, Stay to the left on this road (there are some other gravel driveways and such). You are there.

Like I said above, there is nothing really to this. It is a fun scenic drive for a warm day, I had the top off of my jeep.

[drakan1908]

My autnt and 2 young cousins are coming into town for a couple days the first week of april. My 2 cousins keep begging me to take them for wheeling. ANY place ligit to take them on an afternoon after work? I work off peters creek and get off around 4. I dont want to be wheeling with them in the dark. driving back in the dark is ok just not on the trails. My aunt wont allow that. Oh also its just going to be my heep so nothing to seriouse. :rotflmao5:

Poor Mountain is another option. Like Broad Run it is mainly a gravel road but the view is beautiful. Just don't leave the main road because a lot of it is private property.

[JLSeate]

The wife and I plan to take a ride through Broad Run today thanks to the awesome directions from this thread!

If anyone would like to come along. Post up! No set time. Probably a little closer to 4. Send a PM or post up!
:driving:

[WilliamAWebb]

I will drive along with you all. I have nothing going on.

[xjtrailrider]

Guys, just be careful and stay on the fire road. The forestry service is cracking down on off trail violators. They are fining people and confiscating their vehicles.

See the link posted in the "Patterson Creek" thread.

[JLSeate]

I will drive along with you all. I have nothing going on.

I'm still in town thinking about leaving soon. My cell is 467-1605. Call me if you still want to go. If not, I'm probably not going. The day didn't turn out as nice as I was anticipating to justify the fuel costs of a not-so-eventful trail.
But if you're still into it. Let me know.
:driving:

[WilliamAWebb]

We went out and drove through Broad Run today. Here are some pictures if anyone else is thinking about driving through. Like I said above, there is nothing much to it, about 10 or so creek crossings along a gravel/dirt road. There are some other trails off of the main road but those are probably private property.

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun1.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun2.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun3.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun4.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun5.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun6.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun7.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun8.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun9.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/BroadRun10.jpg

[melius]

thanks for all the info. Now that i have seen the pics and the directions i have been on this road before for a bit. found it by acceident. im still learning my way around. I have only been in the area about 8 mounths. Cant wait till this wedding is done so i can have free time to start wheeling again! I like the idea of an area for strickly description of trails and direction to the trail heads and maybe some pics.

[1rccarnut]

pour mnt. did have some great views my son and i went through there today. he fell asleep lol still a nice ride.

[WilliamAWebb]

pour mnt. did have some great views my son and i went through there today. he fell asleep lol still a nice ride.

Where is that and how do you get there?

[JLSeate]

Where is that and how do you get there?

x2 ........

[drakan1908]

go 460 to west of Salem(Glenvar) turn left at Rte 612 (I think) then a right on Poor Mountain road. Just follow PMR up and over the mountain and you will come out at Bent Mt/Back Creek area . HAHAHA I know how to get there, I just have a problem of telling someone else how to get there. The turn from 460 is where the divided highway begin,there used to be a place called Appalachian Outfitters there years ago. It was the old red building on the left as you head out of Salem Hope this helps.

[jhowery]

Don't venture off the road. Everything on Poor Mtn is private land. They have had trouble with people not following the rules.

Poor Mtn Rd comes eventually leads to 221 at the top of Bent Mtn.

[WilliamAWebb]

I drove through Poor Mountain today, nothing to it but some good views. If you just want some good views go for it, otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.

Directions

Take 460 W through salem.
Turn left onto Barley Dr (this is a little road that is easy to miss, it is right before the technology park (technology drive)
Turn right onto Poor Mountain Rd.

Here are some pictures

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/poorm1.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/poorm2.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/poorm3.jpg
http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww82/WilliamAWebb/poorm4.jpg

[WilliamAWebb]

Somebody out there has to know some good local trails/fire roads/anything. Post them up with directions. The weather is getting warm and I am itching to do some more discovering.

[drakan1908]

Wasn't there a trail in Bedford called Suck mountain that a few in TTB drove thru? Is it a legit trail??

[DAZYDG]

Wasn't there a trail in Bedford called Suck mountain that a few in TTB drove thru? Is it a legit trail??

I am checking to see how much of ther trail is actually private. I'll let ya'll know when I find out for sure.

There are a bunch of roads (fire roads and Jeep trials) on the map that I want to look into, most of them are in northern Bedford County, Southern Rockbridge and Amherst County. Some appear to come out on the Park Way.
Maybe we should just set out one day to explore...

[drakan1908]

I am checking to see how much of ther trail is actually private. I'll let ya'll know when I find out for sure.

There are a bunch of roads (fire roads and Jeep trials) on the map that I want to look into, most of them are in northern Bedford County, Southern Rockbridge and Amherst County. Some appear to come out on the Park Way.
Maybe we should just set out one day to explore...

That sounds like a good idea. Maybe one Sunday some of us could get together and scout out some new trails. :2thumbsup:

[JLSeate]

More Broadrun from 3.21.2009.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009003.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009007.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009008.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009006.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009009.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009011.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009012.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009015.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009013.jpg

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/JLSeate/Broadrun3212009016.jpg

[WilliamAWebb]

Anybody else know of any trails out there? I went exploring today all through Buchanan, Troutville, Bedford, and some other places but couldn't find much of anything. I ended up on the parkway for a couple hours and it was a beautiful day for it. I got off of the parkway and onto a trail that led me to the natural bridge. Just took 81 back to salem cause it was getting late. Somebody has got to know some good trails. The only thing I have been able to find are dirt road mountain passes. It seems like all of the good stuff that I did find was closed by the forest rangers.

[1984jeep4x4]

When you went off the parkway and you was at the bottom was there a damn on your right? if so that is a nice little gravel road. me, my mom, and my grandma went up there in December and it was a winter wonder land when we went.

[WilliamAWebb]

I don't remember seeing one. I got off at the Thunder ridge trail area. The dirt road turned into a paved road that went by a juvenile correctional facility.

[WilliamAWebb]

Has anyone ever heard of or ran Reese Mtn Rd? It is right off of exit 128 on your right, literally as soon as you get to the end of the ramp, you take a right into the road. It turns into fire trail rd and then later into a trail that may be forest acre trail. It comes out at Bradshaw Rd right at 311. I tried to go up there today and I am pretty sure it is a public road, but there was a gate across it about 1/4 mile up it. It is not in GWNF and there weren't any forestry signs with it, just a locked metal gate. On the google topographical map it looks like a nice trail. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Reese%20Mountain%20Rd%2C%20Montgomery%2C%20 Virginia%2024087&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&client=firefox-a&hs=K1B&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&tab=nl

[1rccarnut]

Anybody else know of any trails out there? I went exploring today all through Buchanan, Troutville, Bedford, and some other places but couldn't find much of anything. I ended up on the parkway for a couple hours and it was a beautiful day for it. I got off of the parkway and onto a trail that led me to the natural bridge. Just took 81 back to salem cause it was getting late. Somebody has got to know some good trails. The only thing I have been able to find are dirt road mountain passes. It seems like all of the good stuff that I did find was closed by the forest rangers.
this is hopper creek rd to arnalds valley rd i think

[melius]

Has anyone ever heard of or ran Reese Mtn Rd? It is right off of exit 128 on your right, literally as soon as you get to the end of the ramp, you take a right into the road. It turns into fire trail rd and then later into a trail that may be forest acre trail. It comes out at Bradshaw Rd right at 311. I tried to go up there today and I am pretty sure it is a public road, but there was a gate across it about 1/4 mile up it. It is not in GWNF and there weren't any forestry signs with it, just a locked metal gate. On the google topographical map it looks like a nice trail. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Reese%20Mountain%20Rd%2C%20Montgomery%2C%20 Virginia%2024087&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&client=firefox-a&hs=K1B&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&tab=nl


So has anyone been up on these? Looks like they have "trails" all along there.
Sounds like a day trip on a nice day with the top down.......:wings:

[WilliamAWebb]

I might try and access it from the other way. It just made me mad because I don't think it was the park rangers or anyone who gated it because it isn't in GWNF. It is marked as a public road so it shouldn't be blocked off.

[WilliamAWebb]

from the close up satellite image, it looks like there are trails all over the mountain.

[melius]

from the close up satellite image, it looks like there are trails all over the mountain.

Yea i deff need to find a day to go exploring that way. :wings:

[WilliamAWebb]

I figured out that that area is Havens Wildlife Management Area and you can not access it in a vehicle. All roads leading in are blocked off, it is for hiking and hunting only.

[WilliamAWebb]

now that we have some more new members and since we all have another summer under our belts, anybody find any good trails or know of any good ones. I got back to roanoke (I am a student at roanoke college, I am from the Richmond area) and I am itching to get back out and go exploring and find some new trails or explore some scenic fire trails. So post up if you all know any good trails.