Carvins Cove

Mountain Biking at Carvins Cove

Carvins Cove is a mountain biking paradise. With nearly 60 miles of trails, it's earned a reputation as one of the best places on the East Coast for mountain biking.

Located less than 10 miles from Downtown Roanoke, the Carvins Cove Natural Reserve sits on over 12,500 acres and is the second largest municipally owned and managed park in the United States. 

In addition to fantastic cross country single track, free riding downhill trails, and fire roads for mountain biking, the Cove also features a 630-acre reservoir for paddling and outstanding opportunities for hiking, including access to the nearby Appalachian Trail.

For mountain bikers, you could easily spend a full day enjoying the various trails at Carvins Cove. It's a bucket list spot for any mountain biking enthusiast and the assortment of trails and fire roads are well-suited for riders of all skill levels.

 

A photo posted by RWP (@jeepguy7389) on Jan 3, 2016 at 12:14pm PST

Popular Trails

• Four Gorge & Extension: The Four Gorge & Four Gorge Extension trails combine to provide over 3.3 miles of fast, rolling fun along the side of Brushy Mountain. 
• Hi-Dee-Hoe:  A fast, challenging 1.5 mile ride with exciting switchbacks on both the ascent and descent.
• The Gauntlet: After you've tackled Hi-Dee-Hoe, hop on The Gauntlet for 2 more miles of heart-stopping fun and you make your way down the mountainside toward the lake. The trail features a 1,000 foot descent, or for the truly inspired, a 1,000 foot climb going back up the trail.
• Songbird: While it won't have as many twists and turns as other trails, Songbird is nearly two miles of exciting single track with some nice opportunities for jumps through a rock garden and creek. It's also one of the fastest trails in the park.
• The Trough: It's only a little over a mile, but The Trough has the reputation as one of the wildest trails at the Cove with it's thrilling descent. It can be reached via the Brushy Mountain Fire Road.
• Rattlin' Run: One of the toughest trails at the Cove, Rattlin' Run is over 2 miles of grueling riding that will be thrilling for expert riders. It's located near the Bennett Springs Parking Lot.

Group & Guided Rides

Nervous about tackling some new trails? No worries! The Roanoke IMBA regularly hosts group rides and you could also book a guided experience with Roanoke Mountain Adventures.

 

A photo posted by Roanoke Mountain Adventures (@roanokemtnadv) on Oct 10, 2015 at 7:21am PDT

Hours, Parking & Fees

Carvins Cove is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

All visitors are required to purchase an access pass, which is $3 for a day pass or $25 for an annual pass. These can be purchased (cash or check only) at the Marina, Bennett Springs and Timberview parking lots.

There are three entrances to the park - Marina (boat & water access), Bennett Springs and Timberview.

Bennett Springs is the most popular, especially for mountain biking, and can be accessed via Route 311 to Route 740/Carvins Cove Road.

Timberview can be reached via Route 419/Electric Road to Route 1404/Timberview Road. The Marina/Boat Dock can be accessed via Route 11/Lee Highway to Route 648/Reservoir Road.

Carvins Cove Trail Map

This PDF map serves as the perfect resource for navigating the miles of trails at Carvins Cove and includes info about parking, restrooms and difficulty levels of the trails.

Download it now to begin planning your biking adventure!

This interactive GIS map is also a terrific resource.

Looking for more epic mountain biking opportunities? See our complete list of mountain biking trails in Virginia's Blue Ridge.