I totally disagree with the person that had a bad experience at Foster Falls. Is a great trail with wonderful scenery. I do not know why they were admonished. Maybe they riding in an area where horse were not allowed. Certainly there is no excuse for an employee to be rude, but it too great a trail to discourage others from using. In good weather, my wife and I sometime bike some section it every week. We have found the staff to be helpful and friendly and most of the users the same.
Chris Bracknell

My wife and I rode from the train station in Pulaski via the Dora Junction trail that links to the NRT. It is paved for 1 mile while the last mile is crushed stone. Before starting we chatted with the owner of Pulaski Bikes which occupies one end of the restored station; he rents bikes and for anyone not from the area is great for trail advice. The town also has built a two bathroom shelter with water adjacent to the parking lot. I have ridden the trail many times, but never started from here. I am glad this trail connection exists to help lure trail users into town. I would love to see Pulaski benefit from the NRT as Abingdon and Damascus, VA benefit from the Virginia Creeper trail.

Took the family with horses, i thought we could ride some that day, i had no idea it would be that much trouble, a really rude employee yelled and told us to "git the hell away with them horses" when we rode close to the red barn at fosterfalls. will not be returning and would reccomend others keep driving when they see the parks signs.

I met my uncle down in Galax for two days of late October trail riding. We hit this trail the first day, then drove down to Abingdon and rode the Virginia Creeper trail the second day. Both were great, but for different reasons.

We did an out and back from the Galax trail head - out to Foster Falls, a round trip of about 55 miles. I brought my hard tail mountain bike for the trip, but I should have brought my cross bike. The trail is very smooth crushed cinder and hard pack the entire way. I don't think I even saw a pot hole the entire 27 miles we did. In fact, ours were the only mountain bikes I saw all day. Everyone was on hybrids and cruisers. Also, I think we timed the visit perfectly, late fall during the week. We only saw about 20 people the entire day, and none of them were kids or families. This really added to the experience, as we would travel for literally miles and miles before we encountered other people. And the ones we saw were all smiles - like we were all just thrilled to be out there. Compared to the trails where I'm from in Alexandria, Va., this was really, really great.

Many folks have mentioned the wonderful scenery - all true. Really great. Especially with the late fall colors. I highly recommend this trail, especially the time we visited. We will return.

My husband and I take our bikes wherever we travel. We try to ride any Rail Trails we find along the way. This summer we made two Rail Trail trips. The first was to the Creeper Trail in Abingdon, VA. We'd ridden this trail before, and we absolutely love it. This was our favorite ride until we took our second bike trip this summer to the New River Trail. If possible, the New River Trail is even more breathtakingly beautiful than the Creeper Trail, and has become our new favorite.

We rented a cabin in Ivanhoe, VA. It was very nice, clean and was nestled right between the New River and the New River Trail. It couldn't have been more convenient. The first day we rode from Ivanhoe to Pulaski. This was a great, flat ride. We stopped and explored Foster Falls State Park along the way. This park has primitive camping facilities,kayaking, fishing, stables, bike rentals, etc. If you're into primitive camping, you couldn't find a more beautiful spot to do it than Foster Falls. Riding on from Foster Falls to the Pulaski end of the trail were some beautiful scenic views of a wider, boating and jet skiing section of the New River. Everyone living in this area was definitely enjoying their river paradise.

On our second day, we rode from Galax to Fries Junction, then from Fries Junction to the town of Fries. From Galax to Fries Junction the trail follows Chestnut Creek. The scenery is gorgeous here. There are numerous beautiful water falls and rock formations along this leg of the trail. When you get to Fries Junction you make a U-turn and continue the ride to the town of Fries. From Fries Junction to the town of Fries the trail follows the New River. Whoever said this section of the trail wasn't scenic must have missed the U-turn, because the New River is incredibly beautiful along this leg of the ride. Really...you don't make much progress because you're stopping every few feet to take pictures. Once we reached Fries, we ate lunch at "Big Daddy's". The people were so friendly. The owner of the restaurant even came outside to take our picture in front of "Big Daddy's" for us.

If you're limited by time, or don't want to ride the entire trail, we suggest the Galax to Fries ride. You couldn't possibly see anything more beautiful than this anywhere. We're going to be going back this fall to see it when the leaves have turned. We can't wait to do this ride again.

I rode this trail from Galax to Fries to the Buck Dam. The trail was well marked, easy to follow, and had ample bathroom facilities along the section I rode.

There were severe thunderstorms the night before I was there, and several trees fell across the trail. The trail maps (available at the trailheads) were a little confusing to a visitor unfamiliar with the area. It would have been helpful if I could have taken a detour to bypass the downed trees using the roads. However, by afternoon, the VA Parks people had them cleared (or at least moved off to the side).

Conditions:
Dirt pathway with some gravel. It has been a very rainy spring, and there were a few minor muddy patches.

Scenery:
Section from Fries to Fries Junction was mostly residential and not that scenic. Section from Fries Junction to Buck Dam offered very nice views of the New River. Section from Fries Junction to Galax offered nice views of Chestnut Creek.

Access/facilities:
Trailhead in Galax is right off US 58 and was very easy to find. Trailhead in Fries was down a side street (which was marked) although the actual parking lot was not marked. There were several outhouses, water pumps, and campgrounds along the trail.

Recommendations:
Might be a little tough on a road bike, but it was no problem on a mountain bike. Tunnel was unlit so bring a flashlight if you want to explore.

I haven't been on this trail, although I'm looking forward to doing so. Can anyone recommend a bike rental shop?

Just a note about horses. The horse people some of the posters have mentioned seem like real jerks. As a former horseperson who has been on horses spooked by bikes, though, I thought it might be helpful to know what type of problems horse people experience.

Horses have weird eyes and weirder brains.

-For some reason, they get freaked out by moving bicycle spokes glittering in their vicinity. So they do better with stationery bikes than bikes that are coming toward them or past them. If you can stop the bike while they pass, it's much better than if the bike is moving.

-Because they are prey animals, they are programmed to bolt when anything that could be a predator comes up quickly behind them. That combined with the passer being on a bike makes it every worse. For that reason, if you overtake a horse and rider from behind and have to pass, it's best to get off and walk past. It's especially helpful if you can speak before and while you're doing to. (E.g., "Good morning. Is it ok I pass? Nice day isn't it [etc etc]...") so the horse is less likely to be surprised.

-A lot of horses are very nervous about crossing bridges. It's best to avoid being on bridges---especially with bikes---when horses are on them.

Two years after a devestating fire the 19th century era depot is scheduled to re-open soon. It will contain a town welcome/information center and meeting rooms as well as the farmer's market in season. There will also be a new bike shop opening there in mid-April that will sell, service and rent bikes. The depot is at the Pulaski trailhead.

We rode the trail from Pulaski to Galax on Oct 18 and returned to Pulaski Oct 19. The trail was beautiful and we were lucky to have a good deal of leaf color. The moisture level was perfect-no mud, no dust. We encountered many friendly people on the trail and enjoyed talking with them. We only saw 2 horses and they were tied up at the edge of the path. The trail is in excellent condition, but we we would suggest that the areas that have a grassy center be scraped and packed to have the complete width to ride on.
We stayed at the Doctor's Inn in Galax and enjoyed it very much. We also enjoyed our lunch near Fries at the convenience store along the trail. (We rode to Fries on our return trip.)
We would also like to suggest that there be more informational signage about local history, nearby sites of interest and more railroad history along the trail.
We are glad to have discovered this gem of a State Park and are grateful for a safe place to ride and relax in a beautiful setting.

I have had similar problems on that section of the trail this year. It even sounds like the same group. A couple of tactics I've seen them use: 1) they will ignore when you call out to pass on the left (the riders at the end of their line will turn around and scowl at you and say nothing) and then act pissed off when you slowly go around; 2) they will block the entire trail whenever they see bikers approaching. Why are they even allowed on this trail? Walkers and bikers are here to get exercise but these horsey people seem determined just to ruin it for everyone else.

To adddress the below reveiw by gbread. Common trail procedure is for bikers to stop their bikes as horses pass. However most of the horseback riders will motion for you to come ahead. There is no excuse for the horseback rider to confront you in the manner that you describe. I also recently had a very negative expereince with a horseback rider on the same section of the trail. My wife and I had pulled to the side for a drink of water and heard a commotion coming from behind. There were about eight bikers coming and right behind them were two horseback riders in a run only a few feet behind very young bikers. The tendency for a young biker is to drift in the direction they are looking when they turn around to look behind them. This literally could have been a fatal situation as the horses proceeded to pass the bikes. Many bikers who ride this trail avoid this particular section as there has been a horse camping area developed next to the trail in Ivanhoe and on some weekends and holidays there are literally hundreds of horses in this area. Not only are the situations ocurring as you described but the surface of the trail is also suffering due to heavy horse use. 95% of horseman and 95% of bikers follow the rules and co-exist. However, the other 5% really can cause some problems. I'm afraid that it's really going to take a serious accident before these problems are addressed. I would urge you to registar your complaint via the Commonwealth of Virginia, State Parks web site. I certainly did in the incident that I had.

My Husband and I are new to trail riding. We rode 1/2 of the creeper trail during the summer (Damascus to Abingdon)and thought we would try this one during Labor Day 2010. We started at Fries and rode toward the shot tower. We were having a great time, enjoying the views, watching the geese and cranes along the way. We rode for 18 miles and met many different people (all friendly) riding bikes or walking or on horseback. We decided to turn around before we got to tired (to late) and started back to fries. On the way back we ran into a group of horseback riders who were spread across the trail with no way around. As with the other times we met horses we slowed down and got as far as possible to the right of the trail. We coutinues to ride but made sure not to spook the horses. As we got closer the group got over to one side and as they passes one Man rode his horse up to me making the horse shy and jump and shouted (if you can't get off then maybe getting knocked off will teach you) Then a woman in the group started shouting that we were suppose to stop and get off and let the horses by. I didn't understand that, every other time we met horse riders they were friendly and if the horse was shy (a couple times they were) they stopped until we passed. This of course ruined our ride. We really want to go back and ride the rest of the trail but are not sure about it. Did we do something wrong! If we were to stop every time we saw a horse we would never get anywhere. I thought as long as we respected and looked out for each other and allowed plenty of space, things would go smoothly and we would all get alone and have a great time. Again, am I wrong and what is the best way to handle horse riders. Could you clue me in? I would really like to continue trail riding without this hanging over my head.

My family just rode the New River Trail for the first time. We have previous experience on the Creeper and Blackwater Trails. This is now our favorite trail. We stayed in the wonderful Whistle Stop Inn in Allisonia. Just feet from the trail and a great view of the river. The Holt's have done an excellent job of preserving this bit of history. We were able to rescue one rider with a flat tire and gave a tour of the Inn to another family riding through. The area is beautiful and peaceful as well. Everyone that we encountered was quite nice.

We took a short ride across the Hiwassee River Bridge and back our first day. I wish we had ventured on to the town of Draper as well. On our second day, we waited out a hard and steady morning rain by having brunch in the always delicious Cracker Barrel. The Foster Falls shuttle service was very kind in letting us postpone our departure until the afternoon. They shuttled us to Galax where we began our enchanting ride along the Chestnut Creek and New River. We rode the 28 miles to Foster Falls in about 4-1/2 hours. This included numerous stops to take pictures and enjoy the views. Our 10 & 12 year old children were real troopers in completing this longer than our usual ride.

What a well maintained trail. Our helmets off to the Park Service/volunteers for doing such an incredible job! We only saw two pieces of trash the entire trip. Other than a VERY recent beaver downing a small tree across the path, it was clear and recently mowed.

We are already planning a return trip with other friends to tackle the entire trail. I highly recommend this trip to anyone that wants a peaceful escape to enjoy nature.

I am manager of the New River Trail Cabins in Galax, VA. I have many guests who have ridden to Fries from our Galax entrance. Come and enjoy!
Jennifer
NewRiverTrailCabins.com

According to a news release form the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation:
The trail will be closed from mile marker 39.8 (Fries junction) to mile marker 42.3 (Gambetta Road) from now until May 1, 2010 to restore the tunnel on that section.

I spoke with a member of the trail maintainence staff and they actually hope to have the work done faster than that, but they wanted to use a safe estimate of May 1 on the completion date.

Rick Banks

We had heard the stretch from Galax to Fries was extraordinarily beautiful--and it was! We made plans to bike this stretch of the trail and stay in a nearby B&B to celebrate our anniversary. We selected The Doctor's Inn on the basis of information relayed in previous posts--it, too, was wonderful. The Inn is beautiful, cozy, and spotless! Brenda, the host, is truly delightful and could not be more accommodating. We give the trail and the Inn highest marks and plan to return another day!

I just spent two nights camping on this trail, riding out and back from the Millrace campground at Foster Falls and from Allisonia to Pulaski. I have always thought VA did a great job on their parks, and this beautiful stretch along the New River just shows how far ahead they are. By the way, please don't go here. What I meant to say is this place stinks! You have to camp along this beautiful, I mean ugly, stretch of the New River (New. HA! All the rock outcroppings and rapids- Come On. This river is old). The camping is primitive but there is water and firewood nearby. Very convenient to major roads and very well kept and attended. Damn, I mean its awfuly hard to find, and you'll just spend days lost in the woods. The people you meet on the trail are friendly....no they are thugs on motorcycles like Hells Angels. Please do not go here to camp, especially the last week of September-first week of October. That's when I....eh, that's when I've heard they have the most trouble with floods, tornados, and savage disease ridden beasts.

My husband and I rode the New River Trail from Galax past Fries Junction to the first dam. We went out 15 miles and returned 15 miles. The scenery was beautiful. Lots of waterfalls and quaint reminders of the original purpose of this trail.

The ride from Galax to Fries is very slightly downhill (hence the waterfalls on the New River) so just be sure to remember that if you plan to ride back to Galax. The return trip is slightly uphill which is very managable but will require at least 1 gear difference on your bike.

We stayed at The Doctor's Inn after reading the recommendation from a previous post to this sight. Awesome place! The Innkeeper, Brenda, was a delight and hostess extraordinaire! The house is meticulous with all the original features restored but it is subtly updated with modern amenities in case you need them (WiFi, flat screen TVs, DVD player, WII). Breakfast was scrumptious and she even accommodated my food allergies. We will definitely consider taking this trip again.

Cathy and Ted Mazanec

My wife and I rode the entire length of the NRT last year. We broke it down into five different segments and rode each one on a different weekend. The shortest segment was the Fries to Fries Junction which was about six miles each way. The longest was from Foster Falls to the Fries Junction which was about fifteen miles. That one almost got me. I swear it was uphill all the way, both ways. But each segment we rode was even prettier than the one before. It is the most gorgeous park I've ever been in with the exception of the Grand Canyon. We plan on going back this year and doing it again. And next year too until we're too old or the bikes are just worn out. This fall we want to see about renting a cabin nearby and ride the trail every day for a week. Maybe someday we'll ride the entire length of the trail on the same trip.

Camille and I spent 2 days on the trail over Easter weekend. The trail surface was excellent. Camille has thin "Hybrid" tires and the trail was plenty hard enough for her to ride easily. We started at Galax on Saturday and rode the 24 mile round trip to the Fries (pronounced freeze) spur, the next day we started at Fries and did the 12 mile round trip to the spur junction again. The scenery is spectacular with waterfalls and rapids, flowering trees and railroad trestles. There is plenty of company on the trail without being over crowded. Galax has plenty of places to stay and eat. We stayed at a B&B called "The Doctors Inn" the Innkeepers are fabulous & the hospitality was Superb.

Oh yes, I should mention that, Camille and I are in our 70's and we were able to complete the trail with ease. We were also delighted to meet several groups of Senior citizens along the trails. Everyone shared their stories of trails that We had not traveled, wetting our appetite to return for additional challenges.

One bit of advice that would be helpful in case of an accident or just exhustion , would be for riders or walkers to purchase a disposal cell phone with local service. We found that our cell phones were not functioning in the area that we explored. We mention this to Brenda, The owner and manager of the B&B, she thought this was a great idea and was going to provide them for her future guests.

Ray and Camille Dumentat

The trail extension from the current trailhead of Dora Junction will officially open on June 7, 2008 into downtown Pulaski. This two mile spur will allow riders easier and safer access to restaurants. This extension is not part of the State Park but was constructed by and will be maintained by local government. Kudos to the Town of Pulaski! This project was long awaited and is much appreciated.

We began our ride at Foster Falls Station, which unfortunately was closed for painting, and cycled south toward Shot Tower Historical State Park. The weather was beautiful and the trail was in great shape. Shot Tower was also closed so we continued on toward Fries. The trip included one tunnel and several crossings of the New River before reaching the junction of the Galax and Fries spurs. Since I had done the Galax spur on a previous trip, we chose to head toward Fries. This section of the trail runs along the New River and is very scenic. With noon approaching we asked several passing riders for a lunch recommendation and were told there was only one option in Fries, Big Daddy’s. Big Daddy’s provided us with plenty of good food and friendly conversation.
After lunch we retraced our route, with a small side-trip to visit the second tunnel approximately 0.5 miles up the Galax spur. Overall it was a very nice ride and highly recommended.

"My wife and I enjoyed our first ride on the New River Trail on 16 September 2007. We started our trip at Fosters Falls and rode to Byllesby Dam (27 miles RT). We had a level ride for most of the trip. We did feel a slight grade as we approached Byllesby Dam, but that made it easier on the way back. We went through one tunnel at Austinville and a long bridge at Ivanhoe. There were plenty of places for breaks and several restrooms along the way. There was no food or drink available in this stretch. The weather was perfect. The temperature was in the low 60s in the morning, reaching about 70 by afternoon, and sunny. Our only complaint is the large quantity of horse droppings along the trail. We were dodging them the entire way. Fosters Falls was a nice place to start our trip. They have snacks and drinks at the gift shop. There is also a bike shop and canoe livery on site. We will definately be going back to enjoy other parts of the trail."

"Fall arrived early in SW Virginia this year. I began my ride to Pulaski on a crisp, wet morning at the Galax trailhead (MP 51.7). Severe hail producing storms had passed through the area the night before leaving the trail covered with wet leaves and ushering in much cooler temperatures. Despite the overnight precipitation, the trail was in good condition with very few puddles. The trail from Galax takes you along the Chestnut Creek before finally reaching the New River (MP 40) and it is here that the trail is joined by the Fries spur. Much of the trail is carved into the hillside and you are often riding with a towering rock wall on one side and a 30’ wooded slope to the river’s edge on the other. There are plenty of covered picnic tables and restroom facilities along the trail however, few places to purchase snacks or drinks. From Galax to Claytor Lake the trail is very flat however there is a noticeable incline from the lake to just beyond Draper. The incline is not severe but did have me checking to see if my brakes were stuck on or my rear tire was going flat. The trail is fairly isolated and I passed only two other cyclists and six pedestrians over the entire 51 mile ride. The many river crossings and two tunnels made for a more interesting ride and overall this was scenic and well maintained trail. I would recommend saving this one for spring when the temperatures are warmer and the trees are all in bloom."

"My wife and I started out our three state (Va., tenn, Ohio) biking vacation taking the Pulaski to Alsonia trek. Great day, great ride, could not have gone better. Friendly riders along the way, never overly crowded. Especially for a Saturday morning. The tressels gave great views. The river that wound along side of us gave spectacular company. The little store in Alsonia was the perfect break. A long, gradual hill back to our starting point gave us the challenge we were looking for. I would highly recommend this trail to anybody. Well maintained, easy to negotiate. "

"We recently rode the trail from Galax to Alisonia on a beautiful fall day. We rode it on our recumbent bicycles which are ideal for paved surfaces but ""borderline"" for a trail like this (even 'tho the trail is in excellent condition). We stayed at the old railroad stationhouse in Alisonia (refurbished by Don & Chipper Holt; 540-250-1135). It was a perfect, cozy place to stay complete with a deep soaking tub for those aching bones and lots of entertaining ""antique junque"". We contacted New River Riders in Galax (877-510-2572) for a shuttle from Alisonia to Galax where we started our ride. They were right on time (to the minute!) and picked us up right at our front door! As has been said by others, the trail is beautiful and was definitely worth the 5+ hour drive from Virginia Beach! The only things we wished we had taken were gloves and headbands for the first 15 minutes or so of the ride (we started at 9:30 a.m. and it was a bit nippy ... but warmed up fast. "

"Myself, wife, son, 2 daughters, one son in law and 5 grandkids finished all the main trail with the exception of the Fries spur in one full day and half day on sunday. What a great ride and great scenery. Even the 6 and 5 year old with a one speed bikes did fine. The 4 year old on a trail bike and the 3 year old on a bike seat were a real treat to be with. We witnessed a pretty bad accident, luckily the MD who flipped his bike was wearing a helmet, I would have hated to see his head if it had taken the impact that his helmet showed. A ranger happened along the scene and took control. WEAR YOUR HELMETS!!"

"Draper was the start point for my wife and I when we rode our Cannondale road tandem on July 10. It was a hot and muggy day but the cool shade in the woods made it very tolerable. Again, our 700x35c Pasela tires worked very well with our 500+lb mass on the mostly smooth packed surface. On the way to Alisonia the description mentioned a few trestles to cross. These turned out to be thrillingly high tower-type bridges where the tracks (now trail deck) rest on the very top of the structure. It was like flying. Plus, the long bridge over the New River is a scenic highlight of any rail trail. Access is easy in Draper (right off 81) and the little store across the street cannot be missed. This trail section has grades we could definitely feel but managed in the best double-headed locomotive way. Altogether we felt safe, comfortable and pleased to be there. Be aware of the chains across the trail center at road crossings. We will be back soon and try more, maybe at the Shot Tower park.
J & B"

"My brother and I rode this trail in July 04'. We started at the Xaloy entrance and rode to Galax. We camped near Galax at Cliffview campground. The next day we rode back to Pulaski.

If you are biking the trail the Pulaski to Galax is a slight uphill grade for most of the trip so you will need to spin the entire time. Rest areas and trail are well maintained.

Make sure you bring plenty of water if you decide to go long distances. The only water stops I know of are the store in Draper, Foster Falls, the store in Ivanhoe, and Cliffview campground. Foster Falls and Cliffview campgrounds have potable water tanks.

The store in Draper has a good rainbow sherbert cone which is a nice way to finish a trip."

"I have ridden this trail several times over the past three years. The Galax to Fries segment is challenging yet very doable for the cyclist with some endurance. The views from the bridges are breathtaking and the one tunnel adds to the overall experience. Favorite part of the trip is to have lunch in Fries with lunch consisting of a hamburger and french ""fries."" Overall it's a very scenic trail ride."

"We biked the southern half of New River Trail State Park in late May 2003 and 2004 from Foster Falls to Galax to Fries. This trail is not only scenic, but it's in great shape even in the spring. It is in much better shape than the North Bend Trail in WV, which is also quite scenic.

Near Galax, there is a trail store that has some books about the history of the railroad. The map and guide is excellent. There is a nice riverside place about two miles before Fries that I think also rents bikes on the weekend. There is also a small restaurant at Fries itself but no bike shop.

There are excellent bike rentals in Galax and Foster Falls, where at the latter paddle boats can be rented. I hope to do the northern half soon. This is one of the most scenic and well-maintained unpaved trails I have seen."

My grandparents live just a few miles from the Austinville entrance to the trail and I ride on it every chance I get. It's a beautiful trail with many amazing scenic views.

I've almost killed myself spending too much time enjoying the scenery and not enough time making sure I stayed on the trail!

"We rode the NRT from Galax to Fries Junction to Fries. We stopped for lunch in Fries and retraced our ride back to Galax. It was a very nice ride of about 34 miles. It was flat and hard packed all the way. All in all, it was a nice scenic ride."

"This is an awesome experience for anyone interested in the outdoors, hiking, biking, or just railroading. I recommend trying Virginia Outback, which rents bikes, tubes, and kayaks in Austinville. "

This was the first bike trip for my wife and I. We entered the trail at Galax. It was awesome! The trail by the river was a good ride. It was beautiful! The Park Police and staff were most helpful in giving us details of this trail for our first ride. We experienced a bridge over the New River and a tunnel. The junctions are well marked for directions and mileage.

"The NR trail is about an hour from my home in Floyd. I enjoy several rides a year. I have several photos of the Trail. I am not sure if I can write the URL of the address in this text box, but here goes: http://freepages.travel.rootsweb.com/~hohnke/index.htm

This is one of the finest rail trails around. I think this trail should remain unpaved to preserve its uniqueness, because so many of the others are paved. However, some of the horses create a rough surface in certain parts of the trail because of their iron shoes."

"Scenery abounds on this trail which follows the New River in VA. The trail conversion preserved the train trestles with several high and long ones. Quite an exerience crossing Claytor Lake and the New River on some of the longer ones. Also, the railroad was cut into the sides of the hills. Sheer cliffs plus some tunnels make this trail a unique riding experience. The scenery varies too with farm pastures, river scenes, and lake views. Never a dull moment! We biked the entire trail just this past Sunday (10/29/2000). The trail had numerous access points but parking did seem limited at several of them. We biked from north to south and knew we'd be going with a slight uphill most of the way. After 30 miles, I felt it but it wasn't bad. There are two converted train stations which serve as gift shops and information centers. We saw development going on to improve park facilities and the website indicates this as well. Many small picnic shelters and benches are available along the trail. We saw a few groups of horse tours and at least one stable at Foster Falls. There were many places to tie up horses and park bikes. There were also adequate restroom facilities. The only couple of things lacking were water supplies and more detail on historical points of interest (POI). Bring plenty of your own water if you're going to do long distance along this trail. Only found a few places to refill my camelback container. Also, bring lunch as some places to eat at are way off trail. Since we had covered a lot of ground in the morning, some of the places we thought about stopping at were already past. Also, the town of Fries doesn't have much and it was basically closed on Sunday. Fortunately, Riverside Foodmart at mile 43.2 had sandwiches and snacks to buy. Plus fresh water as well. Now, the only indication of a POI is a mileage marker. So you have to either have a map or stop and look around. We missed the Shot Tower because it was way up on the side of the trail and not marked. Believe we had to go off trail to actually visit it. We also didn't have the map we bought ahead of time and that's essential. You can get this great map of the trail for $4 I think through Custom CAD Maps, Rt 1 Box 117-A1 Draper, VA 24324 (540) 980-2433. We planned our visit based on this map. Since it was only 2 of us and we were driving a long way, we didn't want to take 2 cars. Well, New River Riders in Galax (877) 510-2572 (toll free) will shuttle you from one trailhead to the other for a fee. Saved us some time and was good to not have to drive after 60.8 miles of biking. Take supplies to fix problems on long rides in the park. Not many facilities just off the trail. My friend developed a problem and had to run his bike 6 miles before figuring out a way to deal with the problem until the end of the trail. There are campgrounds in the park with some others under development. Best one I saw was at Cliffview, southern end. The gift shops had interesting items for sale and the one at Cliffview had snacks and drinks as well. There are a few road crossing but none of these were bothersome as some trails have much higher cross traffic. Hope you enjoy the trail as much as we did. Feel free to email if you have questions."