9-DAY CAMPING ITINERARY*
Average day: 60 miles (96km), day length ranges 47-77 miles/day (75-124 km/day)
Day 1: DC to Watermelon Park campground (77.1 miles) MM 77.1
Day 2: Watermelon Park to Wolf Gap USFS camp (65.6 miles) MM 142.7
Day 3: Wolf Gap to Switzer Lake wild camp (58.9 miles), MM 201.6
Day 4: Switzer Lake to Shaw’s Fork USFS camp (49.6 miles) MM 251.9
Day 5: Shaw’s Fork to Douthat State Park (48.2 miles) MM 299.8
Day 6: Douthat to White Rocks USFS camp (70.3 miles) MM 370.1
Day 7: White Rocks to Pulaski (AirBnB or camping) (47.4 miles), MM 417.5
Day 8: Pulaski to Comers Rock USFS camp (63.4 miles) MM 480.9
Day 9: Comers Rock to Damascus (65.9 miles) MM 546.8
With longer daily distances and significant climbing, this itinerary is recommended for stronger, more experienced riders with light setups riding longer summer days.
12-DAY CAMPING ITINERARY*
Average day: 45 miles (67km), day length ranges 22-65 miles/day (35-105 km/day)
Day 1: DC to Bear’s Den (64 miles) MM 64
Day 2: Bear’s Den to Van Buren Furnace (65 miles) MM 129
Day 3: Van Buren Furnace to German River primitive camp (55 miles) MM 184
Day 4: German River primitive camp to Todd Lake (46 miles) MM 230
Day 5: Todd Lake to Bath Alum ridge primitive camp (47 miles), MM 277
Day 6: Bath Alum to Douthat SP (22 miles) MM 299
Day 7: Douthat SP to Paint Bank (51 miles) MM 348 + 2
Day 8: Paint Bank to Eggleston (41 miles) MM 387
Day 9: Eggleston Springs to Foster Falls (55 miles) MM 442
Day 10: Foster Falls to Comers Rock (41 miles) MM 481
Day 11: Comers Rock to Hurricane campground (25 miles), MM 506
Day 12: Hurricane campground to Damascus (41 miles) MM 547
9-DAY HOTEL/CABIN ITINERARY
Average day: 60 miles (96km), day length ranges 29-88 miles/day (47-141 km/day)
Day 1: DC to Bear’s Den (63 miles) MM 63
Day 2: Bear’s Den to to Stephens City (41 miles) MM 98+2
Day 3: Stephens City to Lost River State Park (59 miles), MM 155
Day 4: Lost River to Stokesville (76 miles) MM 224+4 – possible to split in half on nice detour via Harrisonburg
Day 5: Stokesville to Covington (88 miles) MM 308 – possible to split in half on nice detour via Fort Lewis Lodge
Day 6: Covington to Pembroke (76 miles) MM 384– possible to split in half on nice detour via Paint Bank
Day 7: Pembroke to Sunrise Cabin (75 miles), MM 459
Day 8: Sunrise Cabin to Laurel Creek (56 miles) M 515
Day 9: Laurel Creek to Damascus (29 miles) MM 544
*All overnight camping locations have water available, either from a tap (commercial campgrounds and most USFS campgrounds during warmer seasons) or natural water sources such as streams or springs which may require filtration. Many campgrounds are only open from early-mid April, so check details to confirm. All campgrounds listed are on route or less than a mile off route. Many other primitive campsites exist in the National Forests along the route; some of these may or may not have water flowing year round.
