Gravel Ride of the Week: Lovettsville, C&O Canal + Ferry
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, through which we earn a commission.
At Mountain Road, we stand for living a healthy, active lifestyle. That means striving towards a way of life that allows for plenty of time spent outdoor, whether that involves going for a walk, working outside in the garden, or my personal favorite, going for a bike ride! In today’s modern world, filled with gadgets and other household luxuries, we can so easily be drawn indoors, but the world around us is such a beautiful place and it’s certainly worthy of exploring whenever possible. In my opinion, there’s no better way to go and explore than to do so by bike, especially if that ride takes you along some epic gravel roads. Follow along as I walk you through one of my latest gravel adventures that follows one of my favorite routes. This route has everything – gravel roads, scenic country landscapes, farmlands, a bridge crossing, mountain views, awesome gravel trails, an equestrian estate, and even a ferry ride.
Ride of the Week
This route kicks off just outside of historic downtown Leesburg (at Ida Lee Park) and at first follows similar roads to those highlighted in my Waterford Gravel ride of the Week. This includes two challenging back-to-back hills along Old Waterford Road, but once at the top, you’ll find some of the most picturesque roads in Loudoun County. The views on the way through to Waterford really remind me of something that you’ll see in Ireland (not that I’ve been there yet). Words can however not fully explain how beautiful the scenery is around those parts, so be sure to check out the video that goes along with this write-up to get a better sense.
Once on the outskirts of Waterford, the route deviates from what was included in my previous Waterford route. Instead, this version of the route follows a few additional gravel roads that loop around Waterford. This was my first time exploring these gravel roads and I’m sure glad I did. Clover Hill Road wraps around Waterford and is a must see, offering some incredible views of the farmlands in the area. When you get onto a peaceful gravel road like this, you’re reminded of the awe-inspiring natural surroundings that are out there to explore – if we only choose to do so.
Clover Hill Road
The route continues north towards Lovettsville, but doesn’t quite go through town. Instead, the route (as listed) treks around town to include as many of the surrounding gravel roads as possible. There are, however, a whole bunch of options available to detour into town, should you wish to recreate this route for yourself and make a pitstop in Lovettsville. This town is a favorite for local cyclists to stop and restock at the convenience store. If you really want to treat yourself to a good meal while there, then check out Market Table Bistro. Christin and I have eaten there in the past and the farm-to-table style dining comes highly recommended.
The gravel roads surrounding Lovettsville are fast moving and the route soon starts to decent towards Taylorstown. On the run-in to this historic village, you’ll be treated with a gem of a gravel road that follows Catoctin Creek. The cover photo for this post was taken in that spot. The gravel fun does not end there and some of the best parts of the entire route are still to come. As you pass through Taylorstown, you’ll swing north and start an ascent up Furnace Mountain Road. This epic gravel road will take you up and over the mountain, testing both your climbing and descending skills along the way. At the bottom of the descent, you’ll reach the Potomac River, crossing over an impressive steel bridge towards Point of Rocks.
The route links up with the C&O Canal towpath on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. This trail is a true gravel treasure and a big hit with bikepackers and hikers alike. This 184.5 mile (297km) trail stretches all the way from Cumberland, MD into Washington DC. I attempted to complete the entire C&O Canal (and the Greater Alleghany Passage) in 2018, but fell short due to challenging weather conditions. You can read all about that 4-day bike adventure here. Along the C&O Canal towpath, you’ll find regular campsites, one reason why it’s so ideal for those looking to turn this trail into a multi-day bikepacking adventure.
My particular ride included only 19miles/30km of beautifully maintained C&O canal towpath. This section is certainly one of the smoothest gravel trails you’ll ever find. So much so, that I’ve even taken that section of the trail with my regular road bike, while running 700x26c tires. After the spoils of zipping along the shaded C&O Canal, the route splits away from the trail to cross back over the river. The fun part about this second river crossing lies in the ferry ride that’s required to get back to Virginia’s side. There are no bridges nearby, making this the only way to cut back towards Leesburg. The trip across the river with Historic White’s Ferry costs only $2 for a cyclist. Be sure to have some cash on hand, otherwise you might just have to backtrack all the way to Point of Rocks to cross the river.
As a last treat to end off the ride, this route allows you to follow a gravel cut-through that goes through Morven Park. This historic equestrian estate is the perfect way to wrap up a fantastic gravel ride and you’ll exit onto Old Waterford Road on the other side, completing the full loop. See the detailed view of the entire loop in my Strava link.
I think you’ll be able to tell from this route description that it offers such a wide variety of places to ride. There is a bit of everything along this route and the constantly changing scenery makes the time fly by. Before you know it, the 50mile (81.25km) distance has been covered. You can see why this is one of my personal favorites within the Northern Virginia area. I hope that this breakdown has helped to inspire you to create your own epic gravel loop and/or to get outside to explore the beautiful world around us. Stay tuned for more Gravel Rides of the Week features in the future.
Leave a comment to let us know what your favorite cycle route looks like.
-Wiehan
