The Snallygaster 200

The Snallygaster 200 was created to highlight the very best of western Maryland and north-central West Virginia. In these highlands, riders will get to see virgin hemlock forests, multiple state parks and lung-busting climbs on chunky back roads the average tourist will never see. The Snallygaster is a way of seeing the Allegheny Plateau as a local sees it! Seasonal conditions can be severe, though. Riding the route is suggested between the months of April through October. Any earlier or later and the route can experience snowstorms and extreme cold. In fact, snow has been recorded almost every month of the year except August in Terra Alta, WV, one of the towns the route passes through. Along the same lines, riders should expect chunky gravel and 4X4 roads interspersed with pavement sections.

Given how chunky the gravel on the route can be, riders should plan to use either a gravel bike with wider tires (ideally 45mm+) or a mountain bike. Even a full-suspension mountain bike wouldn’t be out of place — or unappreciated — on the Snallygaster. The going gets rough, so underbiking or using skinnier tires is highly discouraged. There are, however, plenty of wonderful small historic towns for resupply throughout, generally every 40-50 miles. The longest stretch is 60 miles between Thomas, WV, and Terra Alta, WV, but even in this arduous section, going off route for a few miles will bring a rider to a convenience store, restaurant, or Dollar General-type establishment. Camping opportunities are similarly spaced about every 30-40 miles and several towns offer hotel accommodations. Water can be found throughout the course. This part of the Appalachians is classified as a temperate rainforest and it shows. Riders will encounter numerous streams and creeks perfect for filtering, even a few piped springs perfect for sticking one’s head under on a hot afternoon.

The route begins in Oakland, MD, a town once picked as “The Coolest Small Town in America”. More specifically, the route begins in the town parking lot, which offers safe and free parking even for an extended duration. After a quick two-mile ride through town, riders will spend ten miles in Pleasant Valley, an area settled primarily by Amish and Mennonite families that is, as its name implies, very pleasant. This is also the flattest part of the course and one of the longest paved sections. Upon exiting Pleasant Valley, the route ascends Backbone Mountain and continues along the spine of Backbone using various paved back roads until reaching Thomas, WV, and its historic riverfront downtown full of cafes and quirky businesses. The route then follows the rim of the stunning Blackwater Canyon on a rough double track before a quick road section of busy Route 219 followed by the hardest part of the entire course: Three back-to-back mountains over the span of 40 rugged miles. Riders will have ascended nearly 9,000 feet of vertical by the time they reach Terra Alta, WV, at mile 80, for an average of 110 feet of climbing per mile. Peddler’s Glory, a technical 4X4 road, awaits riders as they leave Terra Alta and descend 1,500 feet to the small town of Albright, WV. From here, the route continues north to Bruceton Mills, WV, before turning eastward, eventually crossing back into Maryland and navigating a series of paved farm roads to the Chestnut Ridge exit of I-68, where riders will find twenty-four-hour convenience stores. For the final section, the route turns south on the Meadow Mountain Trail, a ridge-top double track, and heads toward the tourist destination of Deep Creek Lake, where a slew of resupply and restaurant options await. In the final twenty-five miles of the route, riders will go through a virgin hemlock forest at Swallow Falls State Park and experience the best and smoothest six miles of gravel in western Maryland while crossing Snaggy Mountain Road. This leads to a final three-mile section of pavement before re-entering Oakland. Best of all, at the finish, there’s an ice cream shop open until 9 PM during the summer months!

• Paved: 25%
• Smooth Gravel: 15%
• Rough Gravel: 40%
• 4×4 Road: 20%
• Singletrack: 0%

Note, the RWGPS file shows a higher percentage of the route as being paved. But many of these roads can be described as under-paved and the surface quality may change frequently, so please be prepared.

Water:

Water filtration is generally not required as long as a rider is carrying at least 3-4 liters. That said, it’s also not a terrible idea, especially during the section from Thomas, WV, to Terra Alta, WV.

Parking:

Free long-term parking is available in the Oakland Town Park Lot in Oakland, MD at the start of the route.

Traffic:

Use caution on Route 219, Route 7, and Glendale Road: These roads are two-lane, but on a busy weekend, they can be a bit unnerving.

• Visit the official website for the Snallygaster 200 here: https://www.thetinycornerbikeshop.com/general-8
  • This site also has details about the annual grand depart for the route every September, if you are interested in joining a ride with others!
• Here is a blog post from AJ about a ride on the Snallygaster 200: https://highland-outdoors.com/terra-perdita-bikepacking-preston-county/

AJ DeLauder (they/them) created and stewards The Snallygaster 200.

Here is a little bit about AJ in their own words:

I’ve been interested in traveling by bike since I started racing mountain bikes in 2001. I spent much of my college days commuting by bike with a messenger bag, and when I joined the military and got stationed in Germany, I loved throwing a change of clothes in my bag and seeing how far away I could get on a weekend. This interest blossomed from touring into bikepacking when I took on the RockStar 270 Trail Route in Virginia during 2018. And while that race became noteworthy for being hit by not one, but two, snowstorms, it also became important to me because it cemented my love of being self-sufficient on a bike and traveling long distances. Since then, I’ve completed numerous long distances routes, including the Tour Divide, AML 400, all three of the long-distance GRUSK routes, Huracan Lite route, the GAP and C&O, RockStar Gravel and Trail, and, of course, the Snallygaster 200. All told, I’ve bikepacked and toured almost 10,000 miles, which has helped me understand the nuances of creating a good route and the importance of keeping logistics manageable.

AJ has offered to be available to answer questions if you are planning a trip on this route.

Please also 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.

This route traverses the traditional lands of the Monongahela, Massowomeck, and Shawandasse Tula.