New River Bicycle Trail

by

Gerrit M. de Wit

Introduction

1. This article is about a bicycle trip I made in July 1999 along the New River in southwest Virginia. The 51 mile trail runs over an abandoned railroad bed and is entirely located in a Virginia State Park.  The purpose of this page is not to give comprehensive information about the New River trail. It is to complement the information from other sources and to express my appreciation for the trail and the park.

2. There is excellent information available from other sources. First, there is a  web site that gives a detailed mile-by-mile description of the trail. Find it at http://www.cccyclery.com. Cherry Creek Cyclery, which maintains the site, is a bicycle shop near the trail at Foster Falls. Secondly, there is the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation that maintains a website  at http://www.state.va.us/~dcr/dcr_home.htm, which contains a page about the park and trail. Finally, you can write or phone the park's offices at:

New River Trail State Park
RR 2, Box 126 F.
Foster Falls, Virginia 24360

tel.: (540) 699-6778

They publish a most useful brochure with a detailed map of the trail. For reservation of a camping site, the telephone number is (800) 933-7275.

3. There is also an excellent article about the New River in general in the National Geographic Magazine of June 1999. It features a map, which shows the location of the park in relation to the overall geography of the river. Please click on the thumbnail at right to see the map in full size.

Scenery

4. The park and trail are certainly worth a visit, even if one does not live close to it. If there is one feature worth noting, it is the park's tranquility, both on the trail and on the campgrounds. Then there is splendid natural beauty and exiting views, particularly of the river and its many rapids.

5. The area the trail passes through is also interesting. The New River area was industrialized at an early stage because of its mineral wealth and the power provided by the river. The natural scene is about the same as that of the towpath along the Potomac River although the many rapids and river crossings make it more spectacular. Beside natural beauty, there is history. Remnants of the past, both good and bad, are everywhere, from old structures to an industrial wasteland left behind by mining.

6. The trail from Fries Junction to Galax runs along the Chestnut Creek. This is an attractive stream. If a choice has to be made between biking the Galax or the Fries branch, the first might be a better (but only slightly better) candidate.

7. Nowhere are there signs that the water of the New River or the Chestnut Creek is unsafe. There are no signs that fishing or swimming is prohibited. That is a good thing because there are no showers at the Cliffview or Foster Falls campgrounds. Taking a dive in the river in the morning feels oh so good.

Location

8. The trail runs essentially north-south. In the north, it starts at Pulaski, just off the I-81. The starting point is not easy to find. From I-81 take Route 99 for about two miles into Pulaski. Just before the point where the commercial strip begins (with a Food Lion store on the left) there is a road to the right. Take it and you will immediately see the trail's starting point at a place marked Xaloy. There is ample parking available, even for horse trailers. However, official documentation says that horse trailers may only be parked at the Cliffview, Fries, Draper and Foster Falls entrances to the trail.

9. The Xaloy terminal is temporary. The trail will eventually continue for another 2 miles into Pulaski. It is easy to see where the old rail bed continues. If you try to follow it, you will soon run into a still active railroad track and there is no way to continue biking any further.

10. There are two southern terminals to the trails: at  Fries and at Galax. At about 40 miles from Pulaski, at a point called Fries Junction, the trail splits. From there it is 11 miles to Galax and 5 miles to Fries. Galax is a small industrial town where supplies are available. There are also a few motels. Fries is a even smaller town, where supplies and lodging may be more difficult to find.

11. The New River Trail is a linear trail. It is not well possible to start at one end, bike to the other end and return by another way. Unless one makes arrangements for return transport from one end to the other, the entire trail has to be biked twice. Therefore, it does not really matter where one starts. A good point to start is at Foster Falls, where there is a beautiful campground and facilities for canoeing, fishing and rental of riding horses (although there is no accommodation for private horses, which are confined at that point to the trail). 

12. If one wants to bike to both Galax and Fries, there would seem to be no other possibility than to bike to one, return to Fries Junction and then bike to the other. However, there is another possibility. Supposing one bikes first to Galax, on the return trip, about one mile out of Galax, turn left on Route 721 (coming from the Cliffview campground turn right). For about one mile, you will be faced with a rather steep climb and, depending on your equipment, load and physical condition, you may have to walk some stretches. When you reach Route 607 you are at the top. Turn right and go a short distance. The first road on the left is Route 721 again, but pay attention, because it is not marked from the side you are coming. Take it for a pleasant down ride to the trail 1-2 miles from Fries.

Facilities

13.  There are many small but nice picnic facilities regularly spaced along the trail. However, there are no sanitary facilities or drinking water, except at Cliffview.

14. There are two camp grounds, one near Galax (called Cliffview) and the other at Foster Falls. Sites must be reserved in advance and cost $8 per night. They are very nice and spacious and are equipped with a picnic table, a barbecue and a lantern pole. Reservations can be made at Virginia State Park Reservation Center, tel.: 1-800-933PARK.

15. Both Foster Falls and Cliffview campgrounds are said to have no water or sanitary facilities. This is true for Foster Falls, although most camp sites are on the river's edge. At Cliffview, however both drinking water and sanitary facilities are available (click on thumbnail).

16. The campground at Cliffview is very quiet. I was alone during the week and  there was no evidence of use. The Park Ranger acknowledge that it was only very lightly occupied. The campground at Foster Falls is also lightly used, although it may be difficult to get a site during weekends at the height of the summer.

Info for Horse Owners

17. The trail is very suitable for horseback riding. The footing of the trail itself is good and there are generally wide grassy strips on both sides. Water is almost always available from the river or creek, but the water's edge is often not readily accessible for horses so that a drinking bag is needed.

18. There are a few challenges for horses on the trail, which may not be a problem if you are riding a stable quarter horse, but which may pose a problem if you are riding a temperamental thoroughbred. Look at the pictures at the bottom of this page. Would your horse pass over the bridge at Hiwassee, cross the bridge (and there are many of those smaller ones) with a roaring waterfall on the side or confidently enter that dark hole ahead, which is the entrance to a rather long tunnel.

19. The only place horses are allowed in the park is on the trail and in the Cliffview campground. There are three sites for horseback riders, each with three stalls. They are hardly used. Droppings research revealed only one prior occupancy by one horse. Yet the sites and the stalls are beautiful. However, they are about one mile from the nearest point that is accessible by car and that appears to be the reason for their light usage.