YOU will absolutely LOVE this year’s routes!

We start the tour in one of our favorite locations… Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista, Virginia.  When you arrive on Friday make sure to check in at registration.  Then get on your bike as you ride out of the park and through the town itself.  

As you will quickly discover, the town of Buena Vista is small and you will be on back-country roads decompressing from your journey in no time.  Friday’s route options are a bit shorter than the rest of the days and allows you to get out on the bike and get the blood moving for a snapshot of the rest of the 5 days of riding.  Once back at camp, enjoy yourself with food and laughter as you catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Saturday is one to remember.  We will ride through Goshen Pass where you will squeeze past the Glen Maury River looking down at the water and thinking, “Is this Virginia?!”  We will ride some of the best back country roads the area has to offer and get a taste of the wonderful town of Lexington VA as we make our way back to HQ.  Saturday will offer one of the 2 century ride options of the tour.

Sunday is a real treat as we make our way to one of the wonders of the area known as Natural Bridge.  This is a unique geological feature that will again have you saying once again, “Is this Virginia?!”  Depending on your route option you will experience the town of Buchanan, VA and see another great river, the James River.  From there you will make your way back to HQ and grab a well deserved snack and catch up with Friends as you recall how wonderful the past 3 days have been.

Monday we start our riding in the charming town of Lewisburg, WV as we continue our tour of the Virginia’S.  The West Virginia State Fairgrounds will be our HQ location and offers a great launching pad to see the Wild and Wonderful’ness of the area.  As you start your ride you will be almost instantly taken onto back-country roads so you can once again unwind and decompress as you ride along and pass though rural landscapes roll through a covered bridge.  Once back at camp grab some food or even play a round of disc golf on the fairgrounds disc golf course.

Tuesday will be a treat as you discover more beauty of our neighboring state.  You will ride through wonderful rural towns with names like Snowflake.  You will also cross yet another great river, the Greenbrier River, from which the valley is named after.  Tuesday will offer the 2nd of the century routes for those wanting to test their legs.

Wednesday will be the icing on the cake as we ride along the Greenbrier trail.  This rail trail is one of the unique features of the area as it flows beside the beautiful Greenbrier River.  You will have an opportunity to get lost in the caverns at one of the rest stops or even have a sip of some of the finest bourbon that is made right in WV.  We feel that this year will be one of the most special and spectacular Bike VA tours to date…and our date goes back to 1988!

What to find, see and do in BUENA VISTA, VA

by Mary Syrrist

Nestled beneath the warmth of the Western Blue Ridge Mountains & the Shenandoah Valley’s setting sun, Glen Maury Park in historic Buena Vista, Virginia, offers a gratifying riverside basecamp after full days of idyllic bike touring and sightseeing. 

Offering ample (300+) tent camping sites and 50 RV spots offering full water, sewer and electric hookup ports, on-site parking and easy-walking offsite overflow parking, Glen Maury Park’s 315 acres is a cyclist’s and general outdoor enthusiast’s best kept “secret camping spot” in the area.  

There are several onsite restrooms and showers to which BIKE VIRGINIA will supplement plenty of extra portable johns and a shower truck as needed. Also on location, toward the rear of the campsite is the historic ante-bellum Paxton Place, home of Elisha Paxton, which will be open at select hours for viewing.  Paxton Place overlooks the campsite, and situated conveniently beside it on the hill sits a large covered pavilion and stage for outdoor dining, dancing, entertainment, and mingling. It is in this area of the campground that food trucks will offer onsite meals for purchase. 

For 2024 the event will be BYOB policy, allowing alcohol only in your camp site to meet the campground regulations. . Per location *Alcohol shall only be consumed within the site area. No open cans or bottles are allowed on roadways, in pools, recreational areas, or other public areas; all persons must be 21 years of age to possess or consume alcoholic beverages. 

If you’re not a particularly ‘happy camper,’ there are upwards of 20 hotels, motels, inns, and local B&B’s available to accommodate your stay. Visit lexingtonvirginia.com for more details regarding lodging to fit your every need and budget.  

As in years past, BIKE VIRGINIA offers up to four mapped riding locations which will once again be used as in 2023 for navigation via the easy-to-use app Ride with GPS. Headquarters will also offer a large hands-on map of each of the daily ride options.  We at BIKE VIRGINIA have pinpointed rest stops en route including gas stations, breweries, vineyards, and/or other potential locales to satisfy your restroom or resupply needs.  For your convenience, we will verify hours of operation to help you better navigate potential stops to suit your individual preferences.  

When guests aren’t riding, take advantage of our free group yoga and meditation classes offered both am and pm, or look into other local points of interest. Bring a mountain bike or hiking shoes to explore the newly created trails within the campsite itself, or enjoy hiking or driving the Blue Ridge Parkway which is accessible within minutes of Buena Vista!  Maybe take a cool splash in Glen Maury Park’s olympic sized pool, or relax floating down the Maury River via the park’s boat ramp after a hot day of riding.  If, after your day’s ride, you’re still up for adventure, consider kayaking or canoeing the river from various access points all long the Maury River from Lexington to South of Buena Vista.  For the history buffs out there, visit Buena Vista’s own local Southern Virginia University, or take a ten minute drive west to explore charming downtown Lexington, Virginia (home of Washington & Lee University and Virginia Military Institute.)  We will also host onsite entertainment or pinpoint other local events occurring at the time of your stay. 

On days when food truck options are more limited, branch out to experience Buena Vista’s local railroad town hole-in-the-walls, or pop over to Lexington to taste the eclectic local cuisine.  Due to the variety of dietary needs these days, BIKE VIRGINIA encourages participants to fuel up before your ride by bringing your own preferred breakfast foods or to take advantage of any breakfasts offered by your lodging options.  We will supply a variety of snacks and water to start you off on your ride for the day. 

Post ride, try Lexington’s own Heliotrope Brewery downtown, and shop the quaint boutiques to boot!  We will also organize a BIKE VIRGINIA meetup one evening at a local beer or wine joint just to facilitate socializing and taking in the local experience amongst your like-minded peers.   

At any point in your experience, take an opportunity to engage our staff or volunteers for insider info on local haunts or recommendations as well!  There will be local tourism representatives available at Headquarters for your questions and convenience.  We truly look forward to sharing a slice of this beloved state in another one of our favorite riding spots in Virginia! Welcome to the best riding of VA and happy trails in 2024! 

What to find, see and do in LEWISBURG, WV

by Mary Syrrist

The second half of BIKE VIRGINIA introduces you to a refreshing change of pace as we move our Headquarters to elevation to explore the “other” Virginia.  Settled in and amongst the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, Lewisburg sits at 2,080’ above sea level.  In contrast to the valley camping experience of Buena Vista, our second location offers an expansive and convenient space at the State Fairgrounds in a plateau-like setting.  With 265 RV sites also offering water, sewer, and electric hookups and ample ground camping, you’re sure to find the perfect spot to set up base for your ‘bikecation.’  The fairgrounds provide about 20 plus showers and bathroom stalls divided into 5 separate bath houses located conveniently around the park. BIKE VIRGINIA will have access to 3 of the 5 bathhouses.  There is also an onsite coffee shop that is an easy walk from anywhere you may be situated within the grounds and we will once again offer a variety of food trucks for your convenience, predominantly on the day of your arrival.  We encourage you to explore the local dining as much as possible as the variety, location, and cuisine are exceptional.

Once again, if you prefer to lodge in more modern comfort, choose one of Downtown’s charming Inns, or find a contemporary and affordable hotel just 10 to 15 minutes north of the Fairgrounds in modern Lewisburg or the surrounding Greenbrier County.  For a highly personal experience, consider staying at owner Sparrow Eva Huffman’s The General Lewis Inn which is located right in downtown Lewisburg.  Possibly drop in for a private yoga class given by Sparrow herself (RYT 200 Hatha Yoga Instructor), or for a group experience, join us for free yoga and/or meditation which will be offered mornings and evening by our own certified yoga instructors at Headquarters. 

As you set out for your chosen ride route of the day, you will find it safe and easy to pop onto the road from the rear access point of the fairgrounds, which will be solely accessible to members of BIKE VIRGINIA during your stay.  Enjoy exploring Civil War era battle grounds,  covered bridges, farm and country landscape and local distilleries, vineyards, and breweries amongst other points of interest along your routes.  You can also access West Virginia’s scenic highway, which is a gorgeous stretch of mountain highway much like the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia with its reduced speed and scenic overlooks.

After your ride, take advantage of the Aquatics Center, conveniently located onsite at the Fairgrounds.  For the special BIKE VIRGINIA discounted rate, you can have access to an olympic-sized lap swimming pool, an indoor recreation pool (especially if you have children), and a fully equipped gym to keep up your weekly fitness routines and shower off in the facilities locker rooms.

Furthermore, not over a mile away and an easy bike ride if you prefer, you’ll discover the unique and historic offerings of Lewisburg, which has aptly been named one of America’s “coolest small towns” by an online poll.  True to its nomer, Lewisburg has the vibe of a young colonial America blended with an elegant southern ante-bellum aesthetic.  Complemented by the eclectic influence of neighboring Greenbrier Resort and West Virginia school of Osteopathic Medicine, this quaint downtown and its elegant 18th century neighborhoods offer a surprising selection of restaurants with one-of-a-kind, 5-star cuisine and several attractive antique stores and boutiques.  

Each evening Shane will offer a ride rap to prep you for the following day’s rides. Then possibly wrap up your evenings at one of the local taverns to socialize with your peers or lounge and enjoy your own beverages of choice within the campsite grounds.  As in Buena Vista, there is a BYOB policy in lieu of a beer/wine garden and a discreet ONSITE ONLY drinking policy.  

All in all, there is just so much to explore and to enjoy in America’s “other Virginia!”  At any point in your experience, take an opportunity to engage our staff or volunteers for insider info on local haunts or recommendations as well!  There will be local tourism representatives available at Headquarters for your questions and convenience. We truly hope to see you at one or both halves of BIKE VIRGINIA week in 2024.