Find the top rated mountain biking trails in Front Royal, whether you're looking for an easy short mountain biking trail or a long mountain biking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a mountain biking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Just completed the C&O Canal Towpath in September 2026, riding west from DC to Cumberland. Overall, this was an awesome trip and I’ll definitely be recommending it to others. I thought I was pretty well prepared, but there were a few things I learned along the way. I lost the trail in Georgetown thanks to a combination of detours and GPS error, so keep an eye out when you’re leaving DC. If you’re taking Amtrak, also expect that your train could be delayed by up to an hour or more. I was running 40s at 35 PSI, and I’d say the trail felt reasonably smooth about 75% of the time. The rest ranged from chunky and rough to exactly what you’d expect from an old canal towpath. One thing I absolutely wish I had packed was something for stings. Near the end of the trip, I had something chasing me and managed to get stung right in the neck. Definitely not how I pictured finishing the ride. Also, if you’re planning on stopping in Harpers Ferry, check the current construction situation before counting on it as a stop. Of all the towns I passed through, Brunswick was probably my favorite. It was clean, nice, and felt like a great place to stop and reset for a bit. One unexpected bonus: in three days, I never had to use a port-a-john. That alone deserves a five-star rating. Overall, I loved the trip. The scenery, history, towns, and feeling of being completely disconnected for a few days made it well worth doing. I’m already looking forward to doing it again!
We rode the GAP from Cedar Creek Park to the Boston trailhead at the base of the Historic Boston Bridge and back. About 36 miles round trip. What a great ride. Smooth trail with lots of benches and several picnic areas and toilet facilities. Well maintained. Passed through several little communities along the trail. No major highways and very few little roads to cross making it very safe. Got a delicious huge “medium” size ice cream cone at the “Big Twist” in Blythedale, right off the trail. Highly recommend this ride!
I enjoyed the ride. A lot to see and do since trail goes through part of Luray. Good parking areas and friendly people along trail.
We were just passing through the area and wanted to do a quick bike ride. Began at the Big Pool trailhead (MM0). Cycled about 8.5 miles before turning around. This section of the trail was nicely paved and shaded. As others mentioned, the one drawback was at about MM2, the trail parallels the freeway and it is quite noisy. However, we were aware of this when we started. If I was passing through the area again, I would try another section of the trail.
Discovered this comfortable place with great accommodations for two bike travelers. They offer a pullout sofa if you do not wish to share a bed. Indoor bike storage with a comfy bed and a hot shower! Distillery right next-door and two restaurants to fuel up in the morning to get back on the trail. Close to the panhandle of West Virginia. Their name is Harmony Trail Haven on Airbnb.
We went on a Sunday at the end of May. The weather was perfect and the trail was impeccable. We didn’t go the entire way- we went 15 miles up and then turned around so we didn’t see the tunnel. The honeysuckle was in bloom and the entire trail smelled heavenly. We stopped for lunch at Buddy Lou’s - it’s right on the trail and we highly recommend it. We sat outside on the balcony for lunch and could watch the other cyclists and runners on the trail while we ate in the sunshine. The trail is pretty shaded in many spots so even in warm weather you’d have a comfortable ride. I was surprised, considering the perfect weather and what a great trail it is that it wasn’t busier. This is 10 out of 10 for a great trail experience.
This is one of the nicest trails out there. Lots of elevations changes and a nice brewery ( caboose brewery) along the way. I did the upper end a few weeks before and the lower end later. Lots of rest stops and bathrooms. Nice towns until you get to the dc area and it all looks the same.
Highly recommend this beautiful and well kept trail. Beautiful to ride along the trees and over the 2 epic ohiopyle bridges.
I did an up and back 35 miles. Great paved trail and. It many people at this end. Looking forward to riding the rest. I hate dc traffic
The Washington & Old Dominion is the best trail hands down. It is also one of the busiest trails that hosts running clubs, cycling clubs, nature walkers, neighborhood walkers, walking and biking commuters and is at its busiest before 7 am in extreme heat.
What makes this 44 mile trail so unique is the amenities that sit along side of it making it the best trail to plan an activity on with family and friends. Just pick a city that you want to visit and you can find convenience stores adjacent to the trail within walking distance as well as myriad of restaurants for all ages, ice cream parlors, grooming services, bike shops and over the past few years breweries have been added to the scenery right on the trail.
The location is prime to the cities of Northern Virginia with access to getting into Washington DC to see the monuments and Hains Point. Nothing beats the W&OD Trail!
This is probably the most I could handle on a bike ride. We rode the GAP and C&O back to back like many do in 8 days. It was great fun but the C&O is noticeably rougher, fewer port-a-Johns and very scarce potable water sources. On our 7th day from Williamsport to Brunswick we ran out of water midway and rode the remaining 25 miles without water. Fortunately the shade offered by the beautiful canopy of trees made it bearable. We made sure to load up on extra water on our final day. The mix of loose sand that caught us by surprise & the larger stones on the trail made for a more challenging ride than expected. On the one rainy day we had from Cumberland to Little Orleans, some of the puddles we encountered offered a new sense of “oh dear” as we didn’t know how deep the hole we were riding thru when there was no room to go around the puddle.
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