The big day
Snowshoe Mountain
Snowshoe Bike Park. Lift-served downhill on 1,500 feet of vertical, with terrain that has hosted UCI World Cup racing. The best of its kind on the East Coast.
Full guide to Snowshoe Mountain →Mountain Biking
Most established mountain bike trail in West Virginia is natural-surface and technical, following old logging and game trails over rock and root at steep grades. Newer construction is different: the Mountaineer Trail Network in the north and the Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative in Pocahontas County are building machine-cut, sustainably graded singletrack. Snowshoe Mountain operates lift-served downhill and has hosted UCI World Cup downhill racing.
Most trail in West Virginia is natural-surface and technical. Two newer projects, the Mountaineer Trail Network and Snowshoe Highlands, are building machine-cut singletrack, and Snowshoe operates a lift-served bike park.
Predominantly rocky, rooty and steep, with newer purpose-built networks opening in the north and the highlands.
Our recommendations
Where we'd send you
The friendly introduction
Arrowhead Trails
Arrowhead Trails near Fayetteville. Purpose-built flow and cross-country inside the national park — bermed, rolling and progressive, which is deliberately unlike the rest of the state.
Full guide to Arrowhead Trails →The local's answer
Kanawha State Forest
Kanawha State Forest, fifteen minutes from downtown Charleston. Twenty-five miles of steep, wooded singletrack inside the city's commuting radius.
Full guide to Kanawha State Forest →Practical note
Wet-weather closures on the newer purpose-built networks are enforced and they exist for good reason — new tread destroys easily. Check Trailforks the morning you ride, not the week before.
What to know before you go
- Trailforks is the most current source for West Virginia trail conditions and status
- Snowshoe Bike Park is the state's only major lift-served downhill
- WVMBA organizes riders, races and advocacy statewide
Regions that do it best
Highest terrain, ski areas, wilderness backpacking
Potomac Highlands
All terrain in West Virginia above 4,000 feet lies in this region, including Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet.
Cheat River whitewater and rail-trail networkMountaineer Country
The northern counties around Morgantown.
Sandstone climbing, big whitewater, a national parkNew River Gorge
The New River has cut a gorge roughly 1,000 feet deep through Nuttall sandstone, protected since 2020 as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Water trails and forest trails near CharlestonMetro Valley
The Kanawha and Guyandotte valleys around Charleston and Huntington, containing the largest share of the state's population.
Every place we cover for mountain biking
Trail · New River Gorge
Arrowhead Trails
Purpose-built flow and cross-country mountain bike singletrack inside the national park near Fayetteville, built by the Boy Scouts and open to the public — a deliberate contrast to West Virginia's traditionally rugged riding, with bermed corners, rollers and progressive difficulty.
12+ mi singletrackFlow style
State Park · New River Gorge
Babcock State Park
Home of the Glade Creek Grist Mill, the most photographed building in West Virginia — a working reconstruction assembled from parts of three historic mills, sitting on a boulder-strewn creek.
4,127 ac park1976 mill rebuilt
State Park · New River Gorge
Pipestem Resort State Park
A full resort park perched above the Bluestone Canyon, with an aerial tram descending 1,100 feet to a lodge on the river — the only state park tram in West Virginia.
4,050 ac park1,100 ft tram descent
National Park · New River Gorge
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Designated a national park and preserve in 2020, protecting roughly 53 miles of the New River where it has cut about 1,000 feet through Nuttall sandstone.
53 mi protected river1,600+ climbing routes
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Watoga State Park
West Virginia's largest state park at over 10,100 acres, built largely by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
10,100 ac largest state park1930s ccc-built
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Blackwater Falls State Park
A 57-foot falls where the Blackwater River drops into an eight-mile canyon, its water stained amber by hemlock and spruce tannins.
57 ft falls8 mi canyon
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Canaan Valley
The highest large valley east of the Mississippi, at about 3,200 feet — a 14-mile-long bowl of wetland, bog, beaver meadow and northern hardwood that behaves climatically like central Canada.
3,200 ft valley floor17,000+ ac refuge
Ski Area · Potomac Highlands
Snowshoe Mountain
The largest ski resort in the mid-Atlantic, built upside-down: the village sits at 4,848 feet on the summit ridge of Cheat Mountain and you ski down from it.
4,848 ft summit1,500 ft cupp run vertical
Trail · Potomac Highlands
North Fork Mountain Trail
A 24-mile ridge trail along one of the driest mountains in the eastern United States, running through pine and oak with repeated Tuscarora quartzite outcrops looking down into Germany Valley and across at Seneca Rocks.
24 mi lengthDry no water on ridge
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Lost River State Park
A 3,712-acre CCC-era park in Hardy County with cabins, stables and the Cranny Crow Overlook — a rock outcrop at 3,200 feet with a view said to reach into four states.
3,712 ac park3,200 ft cranny crow
Trail · Potomac Highlands
Blackwater Canyon Trail
Ten miles of former railroad grade from Thomas down the Blackwater Canyon to Hendricks, dropping through hemlock and past waterfalls with the river below.
10 mi lengthDownhill north to south
State Forest · Mountaineer Country
Coopers Rock State Forest
A 12,747-acre state forest above the Cheat River Canyon.
12,747 ac forest1,200 ft above the cheat
Trail · Mountaineer Country
Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Area
Purpose-built modern singletrack in Preston County, the anchor project of a regional effort to link northern West Virginia into a single mountain bike destination.
Growing mileagePurpose-built design
Trail · Mountaineer Country
Big Bear Lake Trail Center
A long-established private trail center in Preston County with dozens of miles of cross-country singletrack and doubletrack around a lake, plus camping.
Local knowledge
50+ mi trailsLake on site
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Valley Falls State Park
A series of ledge drops on the Tygart Valley River near Fairmont, popular with photographers, picnickers and — at the right levels — playboaters.
1,145 ac parkLedges river drops
State Park · Eastern Panhandle
Cacapon Resort State Park
6,000 acres on Cacapon Mountain near Berkeley Springs, with a lodge, a Robert Trent Jones golf course, a lake beach and a trail system climbing to the 2,300-foot ridge.
6,000 ac park2,300 ft cacapon mountain
Wildlife Area · Eastern Panhandle
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area
Nearly 23,000 acres on Sleepy Creek Mountain — the largest WMA in the Eastern Panhandle, with a 205-acre lake, primitive camping, hunting, and a long ridge trail system.
22,928 ac wma205 ac sleepy creek lake
National Forest · Eastern Panhandle
Trout Pond Recreation Area
Home to the only natural lake in West Virginia — a small sinkhole pond in the George Washington National Forest section of Hardy County, alongside the larger man-made Rockcliff Lake, a campground and trails into the Lost River State Forest country.
Local knowledge
Only natural lake in wvSinkhole origin
State Park · Mid-Ohio Valley
North Bend State Park
A 1,405-acre park on a horseshoe bend of the North Fork of the Hughes River, with a lodge, cabins, campgrounds, a 305-acre lake nearby and direct access to the North Bend Rail Trail.
1,405 ac park305 ac north bend lake
Trail · Mid-Ohio Valley
Mountwood Park
A county park outside Parkersburg with a 50-acre lake and one of the better mountain bike trail networks in the western half of the state, plus camping, disc golf and the site of the old Volcano oil town.
2,600 ac park50 ac lake
State Forest · Metro Valley
Kanawha State Forest
9,300 acres of steep, wooded hollow just fifteen minutes from downtown Charleston, with more than 25 miles of trails, a well-known mountain bike network, a swimming pool, campground and some of the best spring warbler birding in the state.
9,300 ac forest25+ mi trails
State Park · Metro Valley
Chief Logan State Park
A 4,000-acre park in Logan County with a wildlife exhibit, trails through reclaimed coal country and an outdoor amphitheatre.
4,000 ac parkLogan County location
State Park · New River Gorge
Camp Creek State Park & Forest
An unusual pairing of a small developed park inside a much larger state forest in Mercer County, with two waterfalls on Camp Creek, mountain bike and equestrian trails, and camping.
Local knowledge
550 ac park5,300 ac forest
State Park · New River Gorge
Little Beaver State Park
A park just off I-64 near Beckley with an 18-acre lake, a seasonal campground, an extensive trail network used for running and mountain biking, and easy access from the interstate.
562 ac park18 ac lake
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Greenbrier State Forest
Just outside White Sulphur Springs, adjoining the Monongahela National Forest, with cabins, a campground, a swimming pool and trails climbing Kate's Mountain.
5,130 ac forestKate's Mountain ridge
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Canaan Valley Resort State Park
The state's only resort park with lift-served downhill skiing, plus a lodge, cabins, a golf course, snow tubing and cross-country trails, sitting on the floor of Canaan Valley beside the national wildlife refuge.
6,015 ac park850 ft ski vertical
Golf Course · Eastern Panhandle
Cacapon Resort Golf Course
A Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Robert Trent Jones Sr. designState park rates
Golf Course · Potomac Highlands
Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe
A mountain course near Snowshoe at around 4,000 feet, laid out across steep terrain with substantial elevation change between holes.
~4,000 ft elevationShort season jun–sep
Trail · Potomac Highlands
Canaan Mountain Backcountry
The plateau between Davis and Canaan Valley, from 3,100 to 4,145 feet, built around the eight-mile Plantation Trail with a dozen short connectors hanging off it.
Local knowledge
8.0 mi plantation trail4,145 ft high point
Trail · Greenbrier Valley
Tea Creek Trail System
Forty-four miles of interlocking trail off the Highland Scenic Highway, and the best-known mixed hiking and mountain-biking network on the Marlinton district of the Monongahela National Forest.
44 mi trail systemRt 150 access
AdvertiseThis space is available
Guides and rentals for mountain biking
Reserved for a West Virginia operator serving this activity. The listings above and below it are unpaid.
List your business hereQuestions people ask
Is West Virginia good for mountain biking?
Yes, particularly for technical riders. The state has a reputation for rugged natural-surface trails, plus lift-served downhill at Snowshoe and new purpose-built networks through the Mountaineer Trail Network and Snowshoe Highlands.
Where is the best mountain biking in West Virginia?
Snowshoe Bike Park for downhill, the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Area near Morgantown for modern singletrack, Kanawha State Forest near Charleston, and the Arrowhead Trails near Fayetteville.
Organizations, agencies and resources · 21
Groups that handle access, maintenance, licensing and conditions data for this activity. Starred entries publish updates worth following.
WVU DIY Outdoors
One of the most important WV-specific resources, covering hiking, backpacking, climbing, biking, whitewater, canoeing, caving, swimming holes, skiing and more.
Visit WV GIS Technical Center / MapWV
Statewide
Statewide GIS information and the public trail inventory — the authoritative spatial data layer for West Virginia recreation.
Visit WV TRAIL — Trails & Recreation Advocacy & Information Link
Statewide
Statewide organization covering non-motorized trails of nearly every type: hiking, biking, water trails, equestrian, rail trails and accessible trails.
Visit Trailforks
Biking
The most current source for West Virginia mountain bike trail status, conditions, difficulty and closures.
Visit MTB Project
Biking
Crowd-sourced mountain bike route database with West Virginia trail descriptions and GPX data.
Visit West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA)
Biking
Statewide mountain biking organization — race series, advocacy, trail building and club coordination.
Visit
Mountaineer Trail Network
Biking
Building a connected purpose-built singletrack network across north-central West Virginia.
Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative (SHARC)
Biking
Regional trail development around Snowshoe and Pocahontas County, home to an IMBA Ride Center designation effort.
Ride with GPS
Biking
Route planning and navigation with a strong West Virginia gravel and road route library.
Visit Harrison Recreational Trails
Biking
Develops hiking, biking, running, equestrian, accessible and water trails in Harrison County.
Snowshoe Mountain
Winter
The largest ski resort in the mid-Atlantic, with a summit village, night skiing and a lift-served bike park in summer.
Visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
Federal lands
America's newest national park — 53 miles of protected river, 1,600+ climbing routes, hiking, rafting and mountain biking.
Visit WV Connecting Communities
Trail systems
Initiative linking West Virginia towns to trail networks and outdoor recreation infrastructure.
Visit New River Gorge CVB
Tourism
Destination marketing for the national park region — outfitters, lodging and events.
Visit Visit Fayetteville WV
Tourism
The gateway town to the New River Gorge — climbing, rafting, biking and Bridge Day.
Visit Nature's Mountain Playground — Pocahontas County
Tourism
Snowshoe, Cass, the Greenbrier River Trail, Cranberry Glades and the National Radio Quiet Zone.
Visit Get Tuckered — Tucker County
Tourism
Davis, Thomas, Canaan Valley, Blackwater Falls and Dolly Sods — the state's highest-density adventure county.
Visit Visit Mountaineer Country
Tourism
Morgantown, the Cheat, Coopers Rock and the Mon River rail-trail system.
Visit Visit Mercer County
Tourism
Bluefield, Princeton and southern gateway access to the Bluestone and New rivers.
Visit Visit Greater Parkersburg
Tourism
Ohio River recreation, Blennerhassett Island, North Bend Rail Trail and Mountwood Park.
Visit Berkeley Springs–Morgan County Tourism
Tourism
The country's oldest spa town, Cacapon Resort State Park and Sleepy Creek WMA.
Visit Related activities
Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.