Ride Overview
It’s incredibly difficult to rank the trails around Harrisonburg and Stokesville Campground because so many of them are outstanding. While the Up Magic Down Dowells loop remains a personal favorite, this route comes very close to surpassing it.
This ride links three Stokesville classics — Festival, Narrowback, and Tillman West — into a demanding but deeply rewarding loop. Both Narrowback and Tillman West have been recently reworked and improved, making the descents faster, cleaner, and more engaging than ever.
Riders can split this outing into two or three shorter loops if needed, but if you have the legs and fitness for the full 21 miles, do it. This is one of those rides that will leave you exhausted, satisfied, and already planning your return.
A steep, technical section along Tower Trail on the way to the Tillman West descent — it looks scarier than it rides.
Ride Details at a Glance
Location: Harrisonburg, VA
Length: ~21.2 miles.
Ride Time: 3 - 4 hours hours, depending on pace and conditiopns
Ride Type: Mountain Bike
Difficulty: Level 5/Expert
Ride Notes: This loop earns its Level 5 rating due to the combination of distance, sustained climbing, and technical trail features. Festival and Tower include rocky, technical sections that are not appropriate for beginner or “advanced beginner” riders. The long climbs — particularly from Tillman Road up Dog Graves to Tower, and the Narrowback hike-a-bike on the Festival return — demand both physical endurance and mental resilience.
Like many classic Stokesville loops, the ride begins with a gradual climb up Tillman Road before transitioning to the steep Dog Graves trail climb. This section is ridden twice during the full loop, with the final descent returning riders toward the starting point along familiar terrain.
The version of this ride documented in Mountain Biking Virginia closely resembles the Festival & Tillman loop shown below but does not include the newer Narrowback descent. The guide also features a shorter Tillman-only loop for riders looking to focus on that section alone.
Starting points for the alternate loops have been adjusted to the Dog Graves trailhead, though riders can also begin from the Wolf Ridge Trail parking lot depending on route preference.
The Stokesville trail system offers extensive opportunities to extend this ride by linking additional loops and backcountry routes throughout the George Washington National Forest. Ongoing collaboration between land managers and local trail advocates continues to support maintenance, reroutes, and long-term sustainability across the broader network.
Route Maps
The interactive route maps below show the primary Stokesville classic loops described above. Use the maps to explore elevation profiles, trail sequencing, and alternate loop options.
This route is documented in Mountain Biking Virginia, which includes additional regional context, access notes, and nearby riding options.