MABDR section 1 alternate

[AwDang]

This is an unsanctioned alternative to section 1 between Damascus and Marion.

After speaking to many riders last summer and commuting on section 1 between Damascus and Marion. I have to agree this section seems out of place. It starts out amazing and progresses to suburban. While Marion does offer a lot of history, it also offers a lot of traffic and 9 stop lights. This alternate route skirts Marion to the south and east by less than 5mi if you need to go to town for anything.

The attached gpx replaces a bulk of pavement with ~25mi of dirt forest service roads and county lanes. All the roads are either USFS or county maintained. There are no scheduled closures.
Each marked waypoint is a turn.
When the alternate ends, you are on the main route.

Remember, this still goes by peoples front yards on seldom used roads. Please Ride Respectfully.

Have a look and post some feedback if you would.

Map mabdr full alt.gpx

 

[random1781]

Glad to see this...there is a lot of pavement on the actual route.

I spent some time around VA, and there are actually a lot of really fun trails that aren't on the BDR. Some of the roads are seasonal (closed around Nov-Feb), but not all of them are. There are great jeep trails near Flagpole Knob, some of which can be challenging. Taskers Gap/Peters Mill Run is a dedicated OHV area that gets gnarly, and Green Ridge State Forest (MD, actually) has some good riding and a few non-trivial water crossings. All worthwhile things to check out, especially if it's supposed to be a discovery tour!