Douthat State Park. The Place to Ride a Mountain Bike

Located less than 80 miles from the Friendly City, Douthat has long been called the “Disney Land” of mountain biking. Further bolstering this reputation, the International Mountain Bicycling Association named Douthat to their internationally recognized “epics” list. Here is what IMBA has to say about Douthat:

Douthat State Park (pronounced “doubt-that”) is a gem in the Appalachian Mountains of south central Virginia. The park encompasses more than 4,500 acres and, in addition, is surrounded by the George Washington National Forest, offering many opportunities for backcountry exploration. Within the park boundaries, you will find over 40 miles of trails to match whatever level of challenge you choose.

Beginning with Douthat’s creation in 1936, many of the trails and park infrastructure were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and still bear the CCC’s signature handywork. Miles of well-executed bench cut trails leading from cabins to vistas are the trademark of a ride in the park.

Kyle and Whitney spent two nights at Douthat in a beautiful small log cabin originally built by the CCC in the 1930s. While at Douthat, they rode up to Warm Springs Mountain and into the Nature Conservancy preserve. They rode past a very very tall airport and survived a violent thunder/lightning/hail storm on their way back into the park. Phenomenal weekend and somewhere that every mountain biker needs to check out.