Wild Wheels Weekend - Group Rides and Nearby Attractions
We can’t wait to rip around the mountains with you! Below are the maps for the group rides we’ll be doing on Friday Aug 9th & Saturday Aug 10th, along with some nearby points of interest if you’d like to go explore more on your own or extend your trip.
Friday Group Ride
This is an easy-medium skill level ride that starts us off on State Route 666 😈 and meanders through beautiful mountain vistas and wide sweeping turns, with horses, cows, and goats to squeal at as we roll by🐴🐐🐮
There will be a gas stop shortly after we leave so folks can fill up, and another gas station around the corner from our lunch stop if anyone needs it. We’ll be stopping in the little hippie town of Floyd, VA halfway through at OuterSpace for a food and bathroom break. They have smoothies & juices, coffee, BBQ, wraps/sandwiches, and out of this world good-time vibes 👽🛸
We’ll then hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway with a quick stop at an overlook, pass by the Mabry Mill, and hit some of the most fun rolling hills on the way back to camp.
70 mile loop - 1 hour 40 minutes of riding. We’re estimating this will take a little over 3 hours with the lunch and scenic stops. No dirt or gravel roads except for the road into and out of camp.
Link to this ride on Google Maps.
Link to this ride on CaliMoto.
Downloadable GPX File for this route.
Saturday Group Ride
This is a medium-advanced level ride that takes us through beautiful farmlands, tiny one-lane bridges, and tight mountain switchbacks. Riders must feel comfortable with unmarked narrow mountain roads and tight banked curves. We won’t be flying through the switchbacks, as a lot of the turns are blind and close to mountain walls. This is such a fun route, especially if you live for those extremely curvy roads that carve through the mountains.
We won’t be stopping for gas, but there is a gas station across the street from our ice cream stop if you need to fill up. We’ll be rewarding ourselves after this thrilling ride with milkshakes at The Gap Deli at the Parkway. They also have a full lunch menu with vegetarian options if you’re wanting something savory.
30 mile loop - 1 hour of riding. We’re estimating this will take 2 hours with the stop for ice cream/lunch. No dirt or gravel roads except for the road into and out of camp.
Link to this ride on Google Maps.
Group Rides to and from Wild Wheels Weekend from Richmond, VA
We have a group heading to Wild Wheels from Richmond VA the morning of Thursday August 8th, and you’re welcome to join! We’ve mapped out a route there and back that stays off the highways but keeps you at a decent pace without a ton of slow crawls through little towns. Each route on Google Maps has suggested possible gas & food stops along the way as well. Head over to the Wild Wheels Discord to connect with other folks who are going and schedule your meet up time. We suggest that you leave pretty early (7am at the latest) to beat the summer heat and give yourself time for plenty of stops to rest and refuel.
Want to get all the details for the group ride to The Ranch Camp from Richmond, and connect with other folks? Head over the the Wild Wheels Weekend Discord and check out the Group Ride from Richmond channel.
Ride From RVA to Wild Wheels Weekend
Starts from Sheetz gas station at 2053 Huguenot Rd, Richmond, VA 23235
225 Mile route - about 5 hours of riding time. Includes a nice stretch on the Blue Ridge Parkway and optimizes the route out of Richmond to avoid morning traffic and stoplights.
Link to this ride on Google Maps.
Link to this ride on CaliMoto.
Downloadable GPX File for this route.
Ride from Wild Wheels Weekend back to RVA
Starts from The Ranch Camp and ends at Starbucks 6201 River Rd, Richmond, VA 23229
240 Mile route - about 5 hours of riding time. Takes a more southern route back to avoid weekend congestion on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and optimizes the route into Richmond to help avoid traffic and stoplights. Lots of restaraunts on the route are closed on Sundays, so there are a some additional fast-food recommendations on this route.
Link to this ride on Google Maps.
Link to this ride on CaliMoto.
Downloadable GPX File for this route.
Nearby Attractions
Mabry Mill
20 minutes from The Ranch Camp and on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mabry Mill is a nice little stop off. If you like historically preserved areas then come check it out. On weekends there are usually folks from the National Parks service there doing educational demonstrations. We will ride past this on the Friday group ride, but won’t be stopping. So if you’d like to explore it more, be sure to take a little side quest to the mill!
The Back of the Dragon
Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains lies Back of the Dragon - 32 miles of exhilarating winding curves and unparalleled excitement on Virginia’s famed Route 16 between Marion & Tazewell. This is truly one of our favorite spots to ride. It’s a bit far from the event to make it a group ride this year, so if you have the time be sure to check it out on your way to or from camp. Back of the Dragon (Marion VA) is 1 hour via highways/1 hr 45 minutes without northwest of camp, and the road itself takes 1 hour to complete each way. We recommend riding it up, stopping at the BOTD store & restaurant, getting a photo with the dragon, and then riding back down. There are usually folks set up taking pictures along the route as well, you can view the photos and get more info at the BOTD store in Tazewell at the top of the road.
We also suggest riding this on a weekday morning or in the morning in general if at all possible. Weekends and late afternoon/evenings tend to be pretty crowded.
If you’re looking for somewhere to camp nearby, we suggest Hungry Mother State Park, it’s a great spot and literally at the beginning of the road in Marion.
Claw of the Dragon
So many dragon bits to conquer! This map shows a ton of different routes that make up the Claw of the Dragon. Hillsville that you see in the bottom right is the town closet to camp and 10 minutes away. Back of the dragon is also on this map on the left hand side. You can find more info on all of these routes and places to stop on the Wytheville website.
Willville Motorcycle Campground
Looking to get to the area early or stay later? Willville Motorcycle Campground is only 20 minutes from The Ranch Camp, and offers spots for tent camping and small primitive cabins. They also have a great list of local routes to try out as well!
1510 Jeb Stuart Highway (Route 58)
Meadows of Dan, Virginia 24120
Exit Route 58 West off the Blue Ridge Parkway
(Mile Marker 177.7)
Route 58 West 3/4 of a mile on the left