Off-Road Trails: Virginia

By Rick Sosebee

Stretching from Chesapeake Bay all the way to the Appalachian Mountains, Virginia is on the Atlantic Ocean and full of adventure for family. Named as the State for lovers, this would be a grand getaway for anyone looking for an off-road experience to remember. The fact that Virginia promotes love, you might as well bring your significant other and take off into the wild world of off-road recreation. Also, home to the Shenandoah National Park as well as other attractions, the adventure begins with a simple plan and ends with countless memories here.

Virginia has a rich history, but not just in political history. The wild outdoors is teeming with rough, rugged, historic terrain to traverse like rocky and rutted trails with steep climbs and even more alluring secret photo stops. OHV trail systems like Coal Canyon also open up many, many miles of enthusiastic riding opportunities.

If you are looking to come to Virginia to stay over the weekend or even plan a family off-road vacation, you will have little trouble finding lodging as well as plenty of camping opportunities.

Skip Barber Off-Road Academy

Are you ready to learn expert-level skills at piloting a UTV off the beaten path? The Skip Barber Off-Road Academy has been going since 1975, and works hand-in-hand with Destination Yamaha to teach you how to get the most from a UTV and the great outdoors in the Virginia countryside. They use Yamaha RMAX2 R-Spec, and RMAX4 XT-R machines and take you through every aspect of the off-road driving experience. You can choose from single-day programs, or multiple days with more field studies. You start with classroom work, learning the ins and outs of how UTVs operate and how to drive them. You then hop in for some first-hand experience. Day two takes skills learned from day one and adds a deep dive into hill climbs and descents, while day three adds everything along with some trail work and an in-depth look at recovery tools and techniques to get you and your buddies back home again.

• Distance 112 Miles
• Skill Level All
• Trailhead Grundy, Va.

Coal Canyon

Sitting in the midst of a little town named Grundy Virginia, Coal Canyon brings to life the many OHV trails and opportunities here. It is estimated that there are over 112 miles of multiple use, well-marked and maintained trails here and if that gets a little tight then you have access to the Ridgeview trails as well! Coal canyon offers many types of terrain from rocky trails filled with gravel to large stone and the occasional mud bogs if the weather drops some moisture before you arrive.

• Distance 100 Miles
• Skill Level All
• Trailhead St. Paul, Va.

Mountain View Trails

Sporting about 100 miles of trail, the Mountain View Trails system is a county-owned OHV heaven tucked into the St. Paul, Va. area. This system is well suited to providing ATV and UTV owners and their families with days of fun with panoramic views of the landscape surrounding them. In close proximity of a small town called Coeburn, these trails now connect off-road families to local lodging and shopping. This Forest climate trail system has some hard pack trail including steep hills and a few water crossings. It all adds up to a great time for family and friends.

• Distance 73 Miles
• Skill Level All
• Trailhead Bluefield, Va.

Pocahontas OHV

Most would think that they are reading a typo here, but in the great state of Virginia there is also a Pocahontas trail system. It is no relation to the West Virginia Pocahontas trails in the Hatfield-McCoy system, but still just as fun! Owned and operated on property in the county on which it sits, the Pocahontas system offers adventure to the tune of many miles of looping trails.

• Distance 40 miles
• Skill Level Intermediate
• Trailhead Edinburg Gap rd, Edinburg, Virginia

Peters Mill Run/Taskers Gap

There are two trails that can be accessed from the same trailhead in Virginia. Peters Mill Run is a rocky, 12-mile loop that will provide some thrills and chills with rocky terrain and some tricky areas that require some skill to conquer. The Taskers Gap trail is a little more moderate with some deep woods and other varied terrain with 12 different loops that all connect to one trail. There is some camping available onsite that connects directly to the trail systems.