"The Harrisonburg and Stokesville area are iconic playgrounds for riders in the region," said Martin Fernandez with the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts and author of Mountain Biking Virginia. Of all the trails in this incredible destination, many locals agree that the recently realigned Narrowback West trail is one of the best. Narrowback can be combined with other trails in the area, such as Dog Graves, Festival, Tower, Tillman, and more, for a variety of loop combinations. The updated Tillman descent with berms, rollers, and jumps is currently a local favorite.
The reworks on Narrowback and Tillman have made the trails a bit more rideable and flowier than other trails in the region — but that doesn't mean they're easy. Riders will still encounter advanced-level rock gardens, rocky ridgeline pedaling, and big ledge drops. The gnar in Harrisonburg is not to be trifled with.
"If all you want is a 2+ mile grin-inducing downhill, follow Narrowback West to the left and back to the Wolf parking area," said Fernandez. "Chances are that when you reach the bottom, you’ll want to ride it again."
-Greg Heil
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Narrowback is a segment that you would ride in George Washington National Forest, outside Harrisburg, near the WV border but in Virginia. I highly recommend you have a trail map, use the SM 100 race map or bring a buddy who know where to go. Begin off Tillman road and go to Bear road, looks like a residential road, but this takes you left to a set of fire roads and you will climb for about 4.5 miles. I believe Festival trail is the first trail. It is rocky, tight fun singletrack that will take you up to Narrowback. More climbing and rocky single track with a couple really pitchy climbs. Then you are ready for the most fun decent I have ever ridden, Tillman West. Tillman is about 2-3 miles will cross a creek at the end. It dumps you back onto Tillman road. You can go left and go back down to parking lot and Wild Oak, or go right towards Lynn or Spruce for more abuse. Enjoy the ride.
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