Botetourt County Loop

The Botetourt County Loop comes highly recommeded from everyone who's done it. It features some rarely-traveled roads and non-stop views of the surrounding mountains. As you enter the Jefferson National Forest you'll face a fairly significant climb up Price Mountain, and then plummet down a steep descent with several fast, heavily banked turns. There are a few miles of gravel road but they're mostly flat and smooth.

For clarity, The ride is shown here stopping and starting where Blacksburg Road intersects Hwy. 311 but it's usually ridden from Blacksburg. Harding Ave./Blacksburg Rd. makes a direct path to the start/finish spot shown here (21 mi from town), and after reaching 311 again in Newport, you can return in any of several ways. The table shows chapel-to-chapel loop distances for some possible return routes.

Maggie Valley94 mi
Rt. 4289 mi
Craig Creek83 mi
Mt. Tabor (Newport) Rd.83 mi
Blacksburg Rd.85 mi


11/9/2002 - I did this ride today and have updated map and cues with the correct turns and road names.

Loop (as shown) Distance: 42.5 mi
Climbing Elevation: 4089 ft

Route Map (157KB)


Elevation Profile


 
Cue Sheet
Distances referenced from Blacksburg Rd./311
--- Turn Right on 311
0.5 mi Turn Left on Catawba Creek Rd. (779)
10.1 mi Turn Left on Haymakertown Rd.(600)
11.6 mi Turn Left on Breckenridge Mill Rd. (600)
14.3 mi Turn Left on Lee's Gap Rd. (666)
17.5 mi Turn Left on Grove Hill Rd. (606)
23.8 mi Turn Left on 615
30.3 mi Turn Left on 311
37.7 mi Reach Craig Creek Rd. (621)
40.7 mi Reach Newport (Mt.Tabor) Rd. (624)
42.5 mi Reach Blacksburg Rd. (785)