Mountain Biking the Appalachians: Northwest North Carolina, Southwest Virginia

Even devoted readers of mountain-bike magazines may be unaware of the great rail trails of southwest Virginia and the outstanding trails in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. In northwest North Carolina, the rides around Boone and Blowing Rock, Wilson Creek, Linville Gorge, and Boone Fork are also little-known treasures. You'd better take advantage of the solitude now, because mountain biking this good will not remain untouched by fame. The high country of northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia is a labyrinth of single-track trails, logging roads, and overgrown jeep tracks. The 33 rides in this guide, ranging from easy to extremely strenuous, are some of the region's "classics." Each chapter includes information about trail access and elevation changes, along with a map, a difficulty rating, and a detailed, mile-by-mile account of the ride. The text is illustrated with black-and-white photographs throughout.

Before her untimely death, freelance writer Lori Finley published articles in a number of magazines, including Bicycling, Paddler, and Bike Report.

Thomas Horsch lives in Damascus, Virginia, where he was a former president of the Virginia Creeper Trail Club. He served on the Board of Directors of the Iron Mountain Trail Club and was a trail-maintenance volunteer for the U.S. Forest Service.