Charlottesville Bicycle Club

Humpback Rocks – Vesuvius

Distance: 60 miles
Climbing: 100 feet per mile

Description: This is a stunning and quite challenging ride. Starting at the Humpback Rocks Visitors Center at milepost 6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the route heads south on the Parkway, climbs up to the Raven’s Roost overlook, then descends from Reed’s Gap down to the Shenandoah Valley at Sherando. A long loop along the borders of a section of the George Washington National Forest takes you to the town of Vesuvius and to a 2.5 mile, very steep climb back up to the Parkway and north to the starting point. Worth every bit of the considerable effort involved.

Stores: Mile 13 (Sherando); mile 33.5 (Vesuvius)

Alerts:
   1. There is a steep, winding descent from Reed’s Gap down into the Valley starting at mile 8. Use caution.

Starting Point:

   Humpback Rocks Visitor Center
   Milepost 5.8, Blue Ridge Parkway
   Lyndhurst, VA 22952
   GPS: 37.972723, -78.899488