Cardinal Gravel Camp at Wilderness Adventure

Come out to New Castle, VA for a weekend of gravel, fun, and friends! This is not a race—just a fun supported ride on Saturday. We will also have unsupported rides on Sunday.

We will have aid stations on course (Saturday only), and our medium routes will be marked (Saturday only). Riders taking on the Super Grande Traverse will need a GPS and be able to self-navigate—this route will not be fully marked.

The Venue: Wilderness Adventure has lodge rooms, cabins, and camping available for you to enjoy a weekend in the mountains. Book your lodging directly with Wilderness Adventure. They also have lots of other activities to keep you busy after you finish your ride like tubing, disc golf, and live music.

Their Outpost Kitchen will be open all weekend—it’s worth the trip for the food alone!

Saturday Routes:  Saturday routes will have aid station and mechanic support.

• Wilderness Medio Mountain Wander: This ride is a shorter version of the Grand Traverse. It is a challenging, but achievable, 31-mile ride through remote forest roads. Expect to spend about 50% of your ride time on gravel and 50% of your ride time on pavement. This is some of the best gravel you can find, and some of the least travelled and most beautiful paved roads you will encounter anywhere.
• Wilderness Grande Traverse: This is a challenging, but achievable, 41-mile ride through remote forest roads. Expect to spend about 50% of your ride time on gravel and 50% of your ride time on pavement. This is some of the best gravel you can find, and some of the least travelled and most beautiful paved roads you will encounter anywhere. This route will not be fully marked. Riders must be able to self-navigate.
• Wilderness Super Grande Traverse: Route coming soon. This will be a big ride. It is still in the works, but it will for sure be an adventure! These roads are remote forest roads, so expect rough terrain, potential mud, and maybe some leaves and stuff like that. You will pass two aid stations, plus possible additional hydration resupply points (depending on the final route). Mechanic and SAG support could be limited due to terrain and access. This route will not be fully marked. Riders must be able to self-navigate.
• *Note: This is a remote area, so we do not have a beginner option. However, beginners can ride the unsupported Rail Trail Cruise on Sunday.

Sunday Routes:  Sunday routes are unsupported. Saturday riders will get free entry to these rides at sign up.

• Rail Trail Cruise: This 25-mile ride is mostly railroad grade gravel, but there are some short climbs too.
• Bald Mountain Views: This is a challenging and technical ride. Expect big climbs and rough descents. Many riders will prefer a mountain bike on this ride. It’s worth it for the views.