Ride Guide
This short lollipop loop from Franklin explores the quieter backroads of southern Pendleton County, combining gentle riding along Thorn Creek with lesser-traveled gravel farm lanes circling the foothills of Flint Knob and Mitchell Mountain. The route highlights the pastoral character of this part of the Potomac Highlands, where small farms, wooded ridges, and narrow valleys create a peaceful riding experience just beyond town.
Early in the ride, the route wraps around the eastern flanks of Flint Knob and offers a worthwhile short detour to the community of Dahmer to visit Dry Run Spirits Distillery. Open seven days a week, the distillery produces traditional Appalachian applejack and 100% maple moonshine and sits on the grounds of the historic Ananias Pitsenbarger Farmstead frontier homestead museum. The site preserves the legacy of one of Pendleton County’s earliest European settlers and offers a glimpse into everyday life in the Appalachian frontier during the late 1700s.
From here the route continues around Flint Knob on quiet gravel farm tracks (be sure to close any gates you open) before circling Mitchell Mountain through the small rural community of Moyers. Rolling country lanes along Middle Ridge eventually guide riders back toward Thorn Creek, where a long, gentle downgrade follows the creek valley toward Thorn Creek Park. Thorn Creek itself is a cold, spring-fed tributary of the South Branch Potomac River and is known locally for its clear water and trout habitat, which helps explain the steady, gradual grade of the valley road that makes this section such a pleasant spin.
Resupply options are limited in this rural corner of the county, though riders can find snacks and supplies slightly off route at the Sinnett Lane Store along Moyers Gap Road. For a shorter version that skips the highway segment and saves roughly 9 miles and 900 feet of climbing, consider starting at Thorn Creek Park and heading south along Rt. 220 to join the loop.
