Roanoke, VA, is building purpose-built MTB trails 1 mile from downtown

Rising 800 feet above downtown Roanoke, Virginia, Mill Mountain stands as an iconic backdrop, its famous star visible from across the city at night. Spanning nearly 600 acres, Mill Mountain currently has 10 miles of multi-use singletrack divided into 25 different trail segments.

Soon, shovels will hit the ground and begin etching out new trails on Mill Mountain, increasing the current mileage by nearly 50%. Among these new trails will be three mountain bike-specific downhill trails, the first at Mill Mountain.

Mill Mountain history

Mill Mountain and the surrounding area were privately owned for nearly 250 years. During those centuries, money-making ventures, most of which were unsuccessful, took place on the mountain’s slopes with little to no concern for their environmental impact. Years later, the landscape still bears the scars of this past exploitation.

Private ownership continued until the 1940s when a Roanoke resident purchased Mill Mountain. The mountain was then gifted to the city with the stipulation that it would be turned into a park for the community.

Mill Mountain wouldn’t see its first trail plan until 2005. In this first plan, the city sought opportunities for multiple user groups, including horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking. They also strove to accommodate adaptive trail users.

Trails were built to the Forest Service and International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) standards and recommendations.

Over the years, trail development continued at Mill Mountain. While trail systems surround Roanoke, none are as close as Mill Mountain. With its proximity to Roanoke, the added gravity trails, and the potential for more, the mountain could even give popular systems like Carvin’s Cove a run for their money.

Purpose-built mountain bike trails are under construction on Mill Mountain

The Roanoke Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting the mission of Roanoke’s Parks and Recreation Department, is spearheading this project. While the foundation’s vision has existed for nearly a decade, it didn’t officially form until 2022.

“The goal was to have an avenue through which we could get federal dollars that the city government might not be available to pursue,” Andy Gill, Founder and President of the Roanoke Parks Foundation, told us. “We also wanted it to be a place where community folks could invest money directly into projects that resonated with them.”

While the organization can pursue federal funding and grants, this project was financed with funds raised by the Roanoke Parks Foundation. Upon completion, the foundation will essentially gift the new trails to the city of Roanoke.

Currently, Mill Mountain has roughly 10 miles of trails, mostly intermediate and all multi-use. While it’s nice to have trails so close to Roanoke, the nearly 600 acres on the mountain could easily accommodate more. Better yet, mountain bike-specific trails that are downhill only.

There was another aspect that would distinguish this project from others on Mill Mountain.

“We’ve traditionally built trails with volunteers, and they’ve been hand-built over a very, very long time period,” Gill explained. “And so the trails have carried the characteristics of hand-built trails, and our trail plans have therefore always been developed through the lens of what’s possible with volunteers.”

For this new Mill Mountain project, Roanoke Trails Foundation will contract with Black Diamond Designs. Hiring a professional trail crew will accelerate the build process and push plans beyond the normal scope of what volunteers with hand tools are capable of.

Gill explained that between four and four and a half miles will be added across five trails, one of which could be categorized as a short trail segment. Roughly half the mileage will be multi-use, multi-directional trails, with the remaining mileage split between descending-only trails.

“What is unique about this, as well, is we’re adding some downhill flow trails — a green, a blue, and a black — so we really are excited about the progression that’s going to offer, particularly for beginning riders and youth riders,” Gill said.

The potential for more at Mill Mountain

Admittedly, trail systems like Carvin’s Cove tend to attract more mountain bikers than Mill Mountain. For years, the mountain was seen as simply a local’s spot for a quick lap. That could change, not only because of the addition of these new trails but also because of the potential for so many more in the area.

“This mountain is steep, it’s loose, it’s chunky. It will definitely be a solid intermediate and above mountain bike system,” Gill said. “You can be on the backside of this mountain and feel like you’re in the backcountry, but you’re a mile and a half from downtown. It’s rugged, and it’s got elevation.”

It also has plenty of acreage — enough for more trails. Gill hopes that once local riders see how well these four miles, especially the three downhill trails, are built, they will share a similar vision.

“It’s hardest to raise money early on, and then as [the project] goes further, people start to see dirt getting moved, they’ll say, ‘Oh, well, there’s opportunity to increase the scope of work… here’s some money,” he explained.

With its proximity to downtown, space for more trails, and even an old campground that Gill sees as a prime opportunity for improvement, Mill Mountain could help cement Roanoke as a mountain bike destination.

“Previously, you wouldn’t make a trip to Roanoke to ride Mill,” Gill said. “But we’re hoping that there’s more to be done, and it can become a destination in its own right.”

The project, which was set to begin at the beginning of March, has already faced a minor setback — Black Diamond Designs is delayed. However, Gill explained that the delay is only two weeks, and they expect the trail work to begin by mid-March.