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Narrowback Mountain Loop

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 4.5 (80)
  1. Areas
  2. VA
  3. …Shenandoah Valley
  4. George Washington National Forest
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“Ridge-top riding, progressively built trail, outstanding two mile descent...this loop has it all. ”

Paul Stahlschmidt
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Map Key

15.2

Miles

24.5

KM

60%

Singletrack

2,386' 727 m

High

1,760' 537 m

Low

1,490' 454 m

Up

1,480' 451 m

Down

4%

Avg Grade (2°)

17%

Max Grade (10°)

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Overview

With plenty of goods to chose from in this area, its hard to keep it to a short list. Although many people will say you just cant go wrong, some of the trails on this featured ride do usually come up as must-ride suggestions.

Located in the North River District of George Washington National Forest, there is a bit of everything on this loop including ridgeline riding, rocky sections with alternate lines, and one memorable descent off the mountain.

Need to Know

Many trails in this area of GWNF are featured in the Shenandoah Mountain 100, an event that celebrated its 15th year in 2013. Some epic distances can be pieced together by combining trails used in this event and others.

There are plenty of accommodations nearby, but if camping, its hard to beat the ride in/ride out option at Todd Lake Recreation Area which has showers and flush toilets. Campsites are first-come first served here though (no reservations).

Description

This ride starts at the bottom of Tillman West trail on Tillman Rd. at a small pull-off. Begin riding the gravel north on Tillman Rd.for about a mile to Dog Graveyard - FSR 101B. It is a steady climb for about a mile.

Dog Graveyard is a gated road that sits next to remnants of old pet cemetery with signs and headstones still visible in the woods. Go around the gate and continue climbing. This road levels off after a short while next to a shale pit. Look for the gate on the right and continue up the two-track. Youll eventually roll past a meadow with nice views on the left. Beyond that, top out the climb, and then youll start to descend a bit and the doubletrack ramps up with speed.

The right turn on Narrowback Trail comes up very fast (2.4 mi. into this ride) and is easy to miss. Turn here and climb a short distance to the Narrowback ridge. At the top of the hill youll be at a signed intersection with Festival Trail and Tower Trail. Turn left on Festival Trail (432B) and continue along this great section that follows the the rocky ridgeline. It flows great in this direction. After topping out the Narrowback Mountain summit, (2224 ft.) youll start a nice downhill and meet a sharp right hand berm that drops to the east side of the ridge. The terrain here turns into an old road bed, but the wide corridor has been tightened to singletrack and rolls quickly until it intersects with Narrowback Road (536).

Follow Narrowback Road for 3 miles to the next intersection with Narrowback Trail again. This trail is short, but steep from the road. After passing through some thick rock gardens, the trail begins to mellow a bit and turns to more of a bench-cut trail until you get to the ridge again. Intersecting with the Festival Trail, youll be back on familiar terrain since you passed through here before. Turn left, and follow Tower Trail to the south.

Tower Trail follows the south end of the Narrowback Ridge, climbing steadily to the highest elevation of the ride at 2400 ft. This is the site of some recent trail reroutes. The reroutes now traverse several scree fields with plenty of rock. There are some amazing lines here and in many places the tread itself is a causeway of stone. After about a mile of this great section. Youll intersect with Tillman West.

Tillman West is a two mile drop off the ridge that travels through open clearings from a timber sale. This trail has been enhanced by recent RTP funding and though it is good in the up direction as well, it is one great DOWN. This trail will level off near the bottom, cross Big Run Creek, and end at Tillman Rd. where the ride began.

History & Background

Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) continues to make a huge impact on trails all over the Harrisonburg, VA region and particularly in the George Washington National Forest. Through SVBC's model partnership with the USFS, some amazing results have been produced. SVBC's work in the North River District of GWNF is ongoing, with the club maintaining even the remotest of trails. Also, monetary contributions secured through the RTP and other sources have funded projects a grand scale and optimized the riding experience.

Contacts

Local Club: Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition

Feb 28, 2024: 30+ Years of Partnership at the Massanutten Western Slope

Feb 26, 2024: Action Alert – Safer Bicycling

Feb 17, 2024: The Future of the Western Slope

Land Manager: USFS - George Washington & Jefferson National Forests

Shared By:

Paul Stahlschmidt with improvements by Kyle Lawrence
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.5 from 80 votes

#1

in George Washington National Forest

#106

Overall
  4.5 from 80 votes
5 Star
56%
4 Star
39%
3 Star
5%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in George Washington Nati…

#3

in Virginia

#106

Overall
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35,793 Since Aug 6, 2013
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Photos

Annie Brown cruising up Tillman West Trail after riding up from the Stokesville Lodge / Ride Center at IMBA Fallfest 2013
Mar 14, 2014 near Bridgew…, VA
First time participating in the Stokesville Lifestyle Ride. Wiped out about 5 minutes into the video but had a blast!
Apr 9, 2021 near Dayton, VA
Biking Bad - Mountain Biking Narrowback West | Reddish Knob | Soo Sick
Sep 5, 2022 near Dayton, VA
A technical bit.
May 7, 2016 near Bridgew…, VA
Biking Bad - Mountain Biking Tillman West | The Original Three Saws | Reddish Knob
Sep 5, 2022 near Bridgew…, VA
Back end of the 40km Stokesville Lifestyle Ride on MUDDY Tillman West. Nurturing a rib injury that happened about an hour before this bit :)
Apr 9, 2021 near Bridgew…, VA

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Sep 10, 2024
Andrew Ludbrook
18mi — 3h 01m
Oct 24, 2021
Zvi Pardes
wonderful 23.5mi — 4h 33m
Oct 11, 2021
Rob Jarvis
Not full loop
Aug 26, 2021
Irvin Peckham
Aug 20, 2020
Carlos Pou
Aug 2, 2020
Chas Semon
Apr 25, 2020
Chas Semon
Mar 21, 2020
Chas Semon

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