About This Blog

This Blog contains information on Gravel/Dirt road routes in Virginia , Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Also some links to Gravel/Dirt road databases (for planning your own route). Mainly close to the Washington D.C. Metro area. There will not be a lot of new posts. But the posts will be updated regularly. New posts will be added only when there is a new area needed to be added. I hope this will be helpful.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania

High Rock Rd., Franklin County, Pa.

These routes are centered around Michaux State Forest in Franklin, Adams, and Cumberland Counties, Pennsylvania.

Michaux is a great place to ride gravel roads and even better mountain bikes. But this blog is about gravel grinding. Check out Mountain Bikes of Michaux for rides and singletrack info. If you come to Michaux be prepared to climb. The roads vary from well maintain gravel roads to double track forest roads. For these routes a cross bike or sturdy touring bike with 28mm tires or fatter are the best tool.

Southern Michaux Grinder 38 Miler Forget the cue sheet on this one. Download the GPX file and use a GPS to navigate. Several roads do not have signs so the cue sheet will not help. This route starts on Rattlesnake Run rd. off of Mentzer Gap rd. You can park at Caledonia State Park at mile 15 on the route but that is the only water stop on the route. Plus Rattlesnake Run Rd. is the closest place to start if you are coming from the DC area. Park on any of the small pull offs along Rattlesnake Run Rd. Don't let this route fool you. It may only be 38 miles long but with approximately 4500ft of climbing it is not walk in the park. After a short warm up the climbing starts. District Rd gets steep after Carbough Reservoir but you are rewarded with a nice downhill. After the downhill you will come to the first of two gated forest double track sections, New Baltimore rd at approx. mile 13.4. It does not last long before it turns into a gravel road. The Second gated forest double track road is at mile 17 Corls Ridge Rd. It is a steeper double track climb up to the top of a nice ridge with views. This double track road is a little more then a mile long. You have another shorter climb on Snowy Mountain rd before you bomb down Swift Run rd. Which is a fantastic 3 mile downhill. Then it back up Staley Rd for a 3 mile climb. Save a little energy for the end. Mentzer Gap rd is steep in sections. Be aware there is local traffic on Old Forge and Mentzer Gap roads at the end of the route, nothing major. The Gravel/Pavement ratio on this one is 87% Gravel (33 miles) and 13% Pavement (4.8 miles). One water stop on this one at mile 15.

Enjoy and stay tuned for more routes in the area.