Introducing The Southern Highlands Traverse

The Southern Highlands Traverse is the culmination and evolution of the southeastern United States’ most challenging bikepacking routes into one long-distance route spanning the Southern Appalachians. Starting in Front Royal, Virginia and finishing at Flagg Mountain, Alabama, at the southern terminus of the Pinhoti Trail, the route traverses a mix of over 1,200 miles of gravel roads, forest doubletrack and plenty of the South’s most challenging singletrack.

The Southern Highlands Traverse combines the Virginia Mountain Bike Trail, the Trans WNC (Western North Carolina), the Trans North Georgia, and the Alabama Skyway (formerly the Talladega Traverse, based on the classic Skyway Epic), all of which are bucket list rides in their own right. The Southern Highlands Traverse will also serve as a southern singletrack alternate to the Eastern Divide Trail, a 4,500+ mile bikepacking route from Newfoundland to Key West, Florida.

• Distance 1,270 Miles (2,044 kilometers)
• Total ascent ~141,000 feet (~43,000 meters)
• Recommended time 20-30 days

Crossing the Blue Ridge Province almost in its entirety, the Southern Highlands Traverse passes through the ecologically and culturally significant landscapes of the Southern Appalachians and connects much of the best singletrack trails in the Southeast. Below you’ll find a summary of each of the four routes that make up the Southern Highlands Traverse, followed by an update on the status of the Eastern Divide Trail…

Route Development

The Southern Highlands Traverse was created to establish the first long-distance, 1000+ mile prize bikepacking route in the eastern United States. The concept was created and routed by Brett Davidson and Logan Watts, and combines the work of route creators such as, but not limited to, David Muse, Chris Scott, Ryan Sigsbey, Colt Fetters, Brent Marshall, and contributors TJ Kearns, Karlos Rodriquez Bernhart, Kim Jordan Murrell, Daniel Jessee, Chris Brown, Matt Fusco, Brad Kee, Chris Tompkins and Barnabas Froystad.

The Virginia Mountain Bike Trail (VMBT)

Originally created by Chris Scott and Shenandoah Mountain Touring, and later scouted by Logan Watts, the VMBT is an epic, diverse, and wits-crushing bikepacking route that follows the endless ridges of the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains along a continuous, 473 mile off-road route from Front Royal to Damascus. The VMBT writhes its way through isolated farming communities, remote forests, panoramic crags, and historic rail grade trails.

It is only appropriate that the Southern Highlands Traverse starts with the most technically and physically demanding of the four routes that make up its backbone. In addition, the Virginia Mountain Bike Trail is arguably the most scenic and remote of the four. As such, the VMBT is relatively unestablished and ridden very little, which might intrigue many bikepackers. Other than Chris Scott’s initial ride and Logan’s scout in 2015, only two other riders — that we are aware of — have completed it. For that reason, we also suggest diligent research prior to taking it on. We plan to rescout this route in October. Until then, our route guide can be found at the link below.

473 miles (761 km)

53,428′ (16,285 meters) Total Ascent

Route Guide

Trans-WNC (Western North Carolina)

The Trans-WNC bikepacking route runs the length of the North Carolina Appalachians and takes in some of the best singletrack in the Blue Ridge. Created by Ryan Sigsbey, the official route starts at the terminus of the Virginia Mountain Bike Trail in Damascus, VA and finishes at the head of the Trans North Georgia on the Chattooga River just north of Mountain Rest, SC. The Trans WNC is part two of four in the greater Southern Highlands Traverse and is specifically designed to be ridden from north to south.

314 miles (505 km)

35,458′ (10,807 meters) Total Ascent

Route Guide

Trans North Georgia (TNGA)

The third stage of the Southern Highlands Traverse is the most established of the four. The Trans North Georgia is a 350 mile (560 KM) route that snakes through the southern Appalachian mountains from South Carolina to Alabama. The TNGA was a result of five years worth of scouting and planning efforts by David Muse and is held as an annual event every August. The TNGA can be ridden in the annual group start or independently, and while it’s not as technically challenging as the VMBT or Trans WNC, it’s no easy task. With a lot of climbing for a relatively short distance, the route is comprised of formidable singletrack, steep abandoned jeep tracks, and endless National Forest roads. The TNGA is a big bikepacking route that will test your mettle. Find our full route guide below.

357 miles (560 KM)

38,690 feet (11,793 meters) Total Ascent

Route Guide

Alabama Skyway

Formerly known as the Talladega Traverse, designed and contributed by Colt Fetters, the Alabama Skyway has since been tweaked to connect the TNGA and extended to Flagg Mountain, one of the southernmost mountains above 1,000′ along the eastern seaboard and the southern terminus of the Pinhoti Trail. The Alabama Skyway is partially based on the formidable Skyway Epic, a 60, 100, or 200 mile endurance mountain bike race created by Brent Marshall of Southern Fried Rides.

The route itself is a southern red dirt road bikepacking route traversing the Talladega National Forest of central Alabama. The Skyway winds through rugged pine forests, shady gaps, and along ridge tops that offer panoramic views of the east-central Alabama countryside. View our full route guide at the link below.

123 miles (198 km)

11,004′ (3,354 meters) Total Ascent

Route Guide