Ride Guide
This route leaves downtown Morgantown and the Mon River Trail, climbing gradually along the Deckers Creek Rail Trail into Preston County and the town of Masontown. From there, the terrain shifts to the sharp, rolling hills and mixed surfaces that define rugged gravel riding in north-central West Virginia’s Mountaineer Country.
Don’t underestimate the effort required to earn these hilly, often chunky miles as you head south through Preston County, linking the towns of Kingwood, Tunnelton, and Rowlesburg. In Rowlesburg, you’ll cross the Cheat River and intersect the Allegheny Trail, which features a primitive camping shelter just outside of town.
From the Cheat River valley, climb east toward Aurora, where the route transitions to quiet paved country roads. A scenic, rolling stretch along Stemple Ridge drops you to St. George on the Cheat, followed by one final road climb into Parsons.
Resupply options are available in each of the towns along the way. A primitive Allegheny Trail shelter sits near the Cannon Hill turnoff outside Rowlesburg (roughly the halfway point), and additional camping can be found near Parsons. Overnight lodging is available in Morgantown, Kingwood, Rowlesburg, and Parsons.
For more detailed planning information, explore the broader Mountaineer Gravel route network on Ride with GPS.
Contributed by David Landis & Mountaineer Gravel
