COUNTRY ROADS, TIME TO ROAM

Mon Towns Partnership Announces New Gravel and Bikepacking Route Project Across National Forest Region

The Mon Forest Towns Partnership (MFTP), a regional non-profit working to advance outdoor recreation and downtown development in twelve towns across eight West Virginia counties, has announced a new collaborative gravel and bikepacking project with Village to Village Trails, Bikepacking Roots, and MountainRides.

Following community conversations with local cyclists, the project aims to not only deliver over 30 day-ride routes and eight multi-day bikepacking itineraries but also provide support for businesses to help maximize the economic impact of recreation tourism. “The initial excitement around the launch of a new route network will immediately bring cyclists who will frequent a range of local businesses. Then popularity of these routes builds steadily year over year creating a snowball of economic impact,” remarked Noelle Battle, Executive Director of Bikepacking Roots.

“As word gets out about this new route network, the Mon will be a popular place for riders to come escape and explore.”

Once a niche sport, the impacts of today’s gravel biking movement are being felt across the country after exploding in popularity in the mid-2010s, in part due to the success of events like the Mon’s own Gravel Ride Up Spruce Knob (GRUSK), a four-day festival with races ranging from 19 miles to over 300 held at West Virginia’s highest peak. Travis Olson, owner of MountainRides and GRUSK organizer, said “GRUSK was founded in late 2015 after seeing the success of similar events in the Mid-Atlantic region and the growth, albeit smaller at the time, of gravel riding across the country.” When asked about the Monongahela’s potential, Olson continued, “The draw of the Mon for me has always been the attraction of finding adventure in beautiful places…and that’s easy to achieve in the Mon.  I’m confident others feel the same.  Spruce Knob has always been a magical place for me, whether fishing the streams flowing off the peak, hiking to remote areas few others have seen, or biking up to the highest peak…sharing that magic with others has been incredibly fulfilling.”

From the annual Kite Festivals to extreme races and gorgeous mountain views, Spruce Knob, located less than an hour from our towns of Durbin, Seneca Rocks, Franklin, and Petersburg, is one of the top locations for visitors and residents alike; however, the mountain represents only a tiny fraction of the Mon’s outdoor recreation activities. Olson believes more cycling events are on their way, “I think it’s a natural progression.  Events like the Allegheny Mountain Loop, which is the O.G. of Mon Forest bikepacking, and GRUSK have wetted the appetites of gravel riders across the U.S.  As word gets out about this new gravel road and bikepacking route network, the Mon will be a popular place for riders to come escape and explore, and it’s fair to say more events will pop up across the Mon Forest Towns.”

Gravel riders from across the US venture to West Virginia for the annual GRUSK event. Photo Credit: Bruce Buckley

With nearly a million acres of National Forest, over a dozen State Parks and Forests, 1600+ miles of forest roads, and no shortage of scenic views, the Mon Forest region has all the ingredients to become the next premier gravel biking destination. Bringing a wealth of experience to the project, David Landis, owner of Village-to-Village Trails, added, “The Monongahela is a natural playground for gravel bikers and bikepackers. With its extensive network of forest roads and long-distance rail trails, it offers seamless access to rugged backcountry adventures.”

“Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to sustainably leverage existing outdoor assets to connect towns in new ways while sharing the area’s unique history with an ever-growing audience.”

From rugged dirt roads to gravel routes and paved rail trails, the Monongahela National Forest has endless options for every style and skill level. Photo Credit: Bruce Buckley

“It goes beyond just mapping out routes, it’s about building long-term partnerships.”

For the MFTP, however, this project is about more than revving WV’s outdoor recreation engine. “It goes beyond just mapping out routes,” Landis continued, “it’s about building long-term partnerships. By collaborating closely with local businesses communities, we’re providing resources, marketing support, and strategic planning to ensure that the influx of adventure tourism translates into sustainable economic success for every Mon Forest Town throughout the network.” Josh Nease, MFTP Executive Director, offered, “Since the earliest conversations between towns in 2017, our communities have expressed a strong desire to be more connected to both the forest and one another. Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to sustainably leverage existing outdoor assets to connect towns in new ways while sharing the area’s unique history with an ever-growing audience.”

As the Mon’s gravel and bikepacking potential expands, the partnership is keeping sustainability, responsible use, and positive community relations at the forefront. Battle asserted, “A strong focus of Bikepacking Roots work is to ensure that bikepackers minimize their impacts on landscapes and maximize their positive impacts on the communities they visit. To support this work, we created the Love Where You Ride Campaign, in partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. This project adapted specific Leave No Trace for bikepackers but also created a set of Positive Impact Practices to inspire bikepackers to go above and beyond, making a positive impression on the people and places they interact with.“

To share your thoughts and learn more about the partnership, follow @monforestgravel and submit your route recommendations at https://forms.gle/1eHQoSUcnjy9Fmez8.

Public Meeting Dates: TBA