Gravel & Bikepacking

This intermediate gravel route explores some of the most scenic backcountry roads surrounding Durbin, riding 92% on unpaved surfaces through the heart of the Monongahela National Forest. The eastern half of the loop climbs onto higher ridges with several longer ascents and descents at steady, rideable grades — rarely steep but enough to remind you that you’re deep in Appalachian terrain. From the ridge crest, the route gradually transitions to gentler rolling miles for the return toward town.

Along the northeastern edge of the route, a short descent off the ridge leads to Laurel Fork Campground, a peaceful Forest Service campground tucked along Laurel Fork and a great option for riders turning this ride into a bikepacking overnighter. The surrounding landscape borders the remote Laurel Fork South Wilderness, known for its quiet spruce forests, cold streams, and rugged backcountry character. Much of this road network traces corridors first developed during the region’s timber era and later maintained by Civilian Conservation Corps crews.

The northernmost point of the route reaches the small community of Glady, once a bustling timber settlement and now the northern terminus of the West Fork Rail Trail. A church pavilion there offers welcome shade and a place for cyclists to rest, along with a convenient outdoor water tap. Heading south from Glady, riders soon pass an interpretive panel marking the Laurel Divide, a subtle but significant watershed divide where the road transitions from a gentle uphill leaving town to a long rolling descent that continues for roughly the final 15 miles back toward Durbin.

Back near Durbin, riders reconnect with the region’s rich railroad history. The nearby Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad operates the famous Tygart Flyer, a heritage excursion train that follows the Tygart Valley River deep into the mountains to High Falls, one of West Virginia’s most beautiful and secluded waterfalls. The excursion echoes the rail corridors that once hauled timber through these valleys.