First the bad news: Shenandoah National Park can be a disappointment to cyclists.

Now the great news: The Shenandoah area has some primo biking.

The park only allows bikes on Skyline Drive and in the campgrounds, and not on any of the trails. With low enough gear ratios and during off-times, Skyline can be a fine pedal -- if you're prepared for the hills. So ok, you climb the hill, and you want your payback view? Tough. Air pollution obscures the panorama. And if the Drive is full of scenic drivers paying more attention to the views than vulnerable cyclists, it can get hairy. Very hairy.

But if its mountain biking you're after, head to George Washington National Forest twenty minutes away. The national forest has almost 900 miles of trails and 2000 miles of roads, most all of them open to mountain bikes. There are trails up and down Massanutten Mountain, the famous Blue Ridge Dirt Ride, the Great North Mountain Trail -- and dozens more. Plus most all of the forest roads are open to bikers. Pick up a good map, and chart your own course.

For classical bicycle touring, you can't beat the Shenandoah Valley. If you like historic old towns, Harrisonburg, Bridgewater, Staunton and Lexington can't be beat. The countryside in between the towns is generally bucolic -- if you stick to the backroads. With a good map and maybe a guidebook, you can search out some satisfying goals. Like the caverns, especially the Grand Caverns near Grotto or the Shenandoah and Endless Caverns near New Market. History buffs can seek out sites and memorials from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Or you can just enjoy the famous pastoral scenery of the valley: the historic farms and orchards, the forests, the meadows, the streams. Isn't that what bike touring is all about?

Move on to Shenandoah National Park Index

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