Bikepacking New River Trail State Park

Bikepacking along New River Trail State Park offers an immersive outdoor experience for riders of all skill levels. Spanning 57 miles, this linear park runs alongside the New River and follows the path of a former railroad, providing a gentle slope.

With three primitive campgrounds, the trail is perfect for multi-day bikepacking trips. Along the way, you can stop at small towns, old railroad trestles and tunnels, adding a sense of adventure and history to your journey.

If you’re new to backpacking and not sure how to start planning a trip, check out our Q&A with bikepacker Misty Prewitt. From essential gear to trip highlights, Misty provides great insight into bikepacking New River Trail State Park.

1. What was your bikepacking experience before your trip to New River Trail State Park?

I had done several smaller bikepacking trips with my husband, Chris, kids and friends, including many trips to False Cape State Park and one to Sky Meadows State Park. In addition to bikepacking, I cycle regularly in Virginia Beach, which is where I live.

2. What inspired you to want to bikepack New River Trail State Park?

I love biking and was jealous that Chris had already completed a bikepacking trip at New River Trail. I knew this trip was going to be more rigorous than what I’ve done in the past, so I wanted to see how far I could go.

Chris along the New River Trail

3. How did you prepare for the trip?

I increased the amount I was riding to make sure I was prepared for the mileage with all the gear on my bike. I found, even with the additional weight, it wasn’t much harder than normal biking.

4. What else did you do to ensure a seamless adventure?

We booked our campsites, checked the weather to make sure we didn’t need extra cold-weather gear and packed all our food so we wouldn’t have to worry about leaving the trail for essentials. We also downloaded trail maps to make sure we didn’t get lost.

Since we didn’t want to do an out-and-back trip, we dropped our car off at the end of the trail in Pulaski and arranged a shuttle back to our starting point in Galax.

5. What did you pack for your trip?

Our packing list included:

• Pannier bags
• Camp chairs, a small tent, sleeping pad, sheet, blanket and playing cards
• Helmets, headlamps, safety lights for the back and front of our bikes and string lights for the campsites
• Two sets of clothing with layers and buffs
• Enough water, dehydrated meals and snacks for three days
• A cooking kit, fire starters and battery packs for our phones

Preparing breakfast

6. Tell us a little bit about how you planned your trip and what each day entailed.

Since Chris had already biked the park, we planned our daily mileage based on his experience and rode for three days.

Day 1: We had a five-hour drive to New River Trail, so we knew day one would be our shortest. Our shuttle dropped us off at the start of the trail in Galax, and then we rode 4 miles to Cliffview Campground where we had a site next to Chestnut Creek.

Chris setting up the tent at Cliffview Campground

Day 2: After breakfast, we packed up the campsite and started our 26-mile journey to Foster Falls.

I was looking forward to this portion of the trail the most because it gave me the chance to face my fear of bridges. The first one we crossed was easy, and we worked our way up to the scarier ones. While I was worried about the bridges, Chris would probably tell you they were awesome, and, in the end, they were.

Foster Falls was gorgeous. Honestly, I’d take a trip just to camp at Millrace. All the things to do and see around there were beautiful. The Shot Tower is nearby, the river was right by our campsite and there were stars for miles once the sun went down.

Like the 4 miles from Galax to Cliffview, this portion of the trail had very little elevation gain, so it was a relatively easy 26 miles.

The stars at Millrace Campground at Foster Falls

Day 3: We woke up to a thick fog on day three, but it was incredibly beautiful. It was much cooler, so we started a fire to enjoy our coffee before packing up and setting out for the final day.

We had 22 miles to pedal to reach our car in Pulaski and experienced a little bit of an elevation increase compared to the first two days. This, combined with how I was feeling after two nights of tent camping, made day three a little harder, and we had to walk our bikes a few times.

A foggy morning along the New River

7. Did you learn anything about bikepacking or yourself during your New River Trail trip?

I’ve done a few bikepacking trips since New River Trail, and I’ve discovered that rails-to-trails is the way to go for me.

8. Do you have any advice for people who are considering bikepacking New River Trail?

If you’re thinking about bikepacking in Virginia, New River Trail is a great place to start.

Take it slow and have fun. If you rush through it, you’ll miss all the little treasures and awesome things there are to see.

Camping along the New River Trail

About Misty: Misty is the owner of Misty Saves the Day, a Virginia Beach-based marketing, branding and social media company. She’s mom, wife, dog owner, photographer and lover of the outdoors. Learn more on Facebook or Instagram.

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Does Misty’s trip make you want to give bikepacking New River Trail a try? You can follow her bike path or design your own adventure.

In addition to the activities Misty mentioned, like Shot Tower, the park also offers the Hoover Mountain Biking Area, seasonal canoe and kayak rentals, plenty of fishing opportunities, a gift shop and picnic shelters.

Before you hit the trail, check the park's website for any alerts, such as trail closures, that may impact your trip.