Route Overview
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Difficulty
4.5/10 Technical
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Route Map
Route Details
The Gravel Ride Up Spruce Knob (GRUSK) is West Virginia’s premier annual gravel bikepacking festival, held on the slopes of the Mountain State’s highest peak. Organized by MountainRides LLC, the event celebrates its 10th year in 2026 and has become a cornerstone gathering for Mid-Atlantic cyclists — a weekend to reconnect, camp under the stars, and ride some of the best high-country gravel in the north-central Mon.
This route is a slightly modified version of the official event course, beginning atop Spruce Knob rather than at Experience Learning’s event basecamp, with a few additional refinements along the way. While it can be ridden anytime, the full experience is found at the July festival weekend: come for the gravel, stay for the party.
Starting as high as possible, the opening miles roll fast and scenic as the route descends toward Green Bank, passing through the Green Bank Observatory, where massive telescopes dominate the landscape, and electronics must be turned off, and crossing the Hosterman swinging suspension bridge. Midway through, the memorable climb to Bickle Knob delivers panoramic views before mellow miles along the Blackwater Canyon Trail. The final 45 miles return with sustained rollers and a steady rise back toward the summit, where a sunset arrival creates a truly unforgettable finish!
- Paved: 29%
- Gravel (Smooth & Rough combined): 66%
- 4×4 Road: 5%
- Singletrack: 0%
Logistically, resupply appears roughly every 35 miles through Davis; after that, expect about 65 miles without services to the finish. Camping options are abundant, including established campgrounds, primitive sites, and extensive backcountry opportunities. For those traveling lighter, lodging is available in Durbin (mile 65), Alpena (99), Parsons (132), Thomas (145), Davis (148), and at Laurel River Club B&B (173). Refer to route POIs and this Resupply Spreadsheet for more information on camping, lodging and re-supply along the route.
- Multi-day parking is available atop Spruce Knob, with vault toilets nearby. A short walk leads to the summit observation tower through beautiful high-elevation forest — worth visiting before or after the ride.
- Temperatures on Spruce Knob are significantly cooler year-round; expect colder shoulder-season conditions and surprisingly crisp summer nights.
- For the full experience, ride during the July GRUSK weekend.
Find more information to prepare for your Mon Forest adventure on the main network page.
We acknowledge that the lands now known as the Monongahela National Forest are the ancestral homelands of Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee (Seneca), Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware), and Myaamia, who stewarded these mountains and rivers for generations. We honor their enduring connection to this land and recognize that their histories and cultures continue today, and we offer this acknowledgment with respect and gratitude.
Please be sure to get in touch with any updates on route conditions that may be relevant to other riders.
Please submit your questions and comments on the route via the contact form below.
The project was developed collaboratively with regional partners including:
- Village to Village Trails (V2V) – route design and mapping led by regional route builder David Landis with Geoff Patterson, Jonny Ramirez, and numerous local riders providing route design support, feedback and documentation.
- MountainRides WV – local cycling advocacy and community outreach led by GRUSK race director Travis Olson
- Bikepacking Roots – national nonprofit supporting route stewardship and bikepacking access led by Noelle Battle
Route photography contributed by Jonny Ramirez, Wild Hare Media, David Landis, and Geoff Patterson.
This route is a part of the Mon Forest Gravel & Bikepacking Route Network, a project of the Mon Forest Towns Partnership created by Village to Village Trails, Mountain Rides WV, and Bikepacking Roots.
