There is no doubt that the beautiful mountains of Floyd County are the perfect setting for an abundance of outdoor recreation activities.  With acres of slopes, flat areas, and mountain views, Chantilly Farm Events Venue & Campground have added to their offerings for the visiting public.

In cooperation with cycling guru and outdoor enthusiast, Paul Sullivan, a network of multi-use trails has been opened up for use not only by the local community, but also for guests who travel here from all over the world.

On his Cycle Floyd Facebook page, Paul recently posted, “The trails at Chantilly Farm are running really good right now, perfect for that after work or lunchtime ride / run / walk.  The new Cairn Trail is great for biking either up or down.  [They] are a fantastic recreation resource to have for both residents and guests to Floyd County…”

To add to this, Paul tells us, “Floyd County is blessed with many great hiking trails; like the Buffalo, and Rock Castle Gorge.  But none of these great trails are multi use and they do not allow bicycles.  This leaves off-road bicyclists with nowhere to ride unless they drive out of the county, or ride on the public roads.”

When offered the chance to build new trails at Chantilly, Paul jumped at the chance.  He was already familiar with the property, as well as some of the existing trails, and knew the potential the acreage offered for creating a self-contained, multi-use trail system.  With the help of trail- building professional and landscape architect, Tony McGee, the Tilly’s Trace & Tilly’s Wynd trail was laid out.  Now two years old, this trail goes through a steep, wooded hillside to the Flat Top.  The team made sure to keep the slope of the trail to a minimum so it would be fun to ride or walk for all ability levels.  They also created switchback turns to gain the elevation gradually.

Paul learned a lot from Tony about the science of trail building; how to create both fun and sustainable trails that work with the topography of the land, while minimizing erosion and trail maintenance.

Last winter’s major project was the layout and construction of the new Cairn Trail.  The Cairn Trail ascends to the top of the major wooded ridge on Chantilly Farm property.  There were already several nice, flat, easy trails on the top, but there was no existing, bike-friendly route to reach them.  Paul did his best with the topography of the hill to create a trail that winds its way up instead of going straight.  It took many times hiking through the woods to nail down the best route, but then the trail bed was constructed using a mini excavator machine.  A bench cut trail was built that has several major switchbacks to ascend a total of two-hundred vertical feet in about three quarters of a mile.  It was also built so that riders never experienced anything steeper than a 10% grade.  All that planning and work made for a trail that is both good for riding a mountain bike, or for an easy hike or jog to the ridge top.

The big payoff for Paul, however, was when he took his friend, and that friend’s eight-year old son, on a Chantilly Farm mountain bike ride a few months later.  There was a look of joy on the child’s face as he descended the new Cairn Trail after doing the Chanterelle Loop on top of the ridge.  Paul also has a young daughter, and is thrilled there is somewhere close by where he can take her to share his love of riding bicycles in the woods.

But things are just getting started.  Paul tells us there is potential for at least double what is there now.  Once Chantilly has a few more miles open, there is even talk of looking into the start of a high school mountain bike team.  The sport is huge in Virginia, and there are local races happening all the time.

Paul says Floyd is blessed with miles of lonely country roads that are great for cycling; both paved and unpaved.  There are events every year that both start and finish at Chantilly Farm; The Tour de Floyd in the spring features some of the best paved roads in the county on the classic 100K course.  The Tour de Dirt in the fall is an “any road” ride which explores a different route every year; focusing on the best unpaved routes in the county.  But these roads are not for kids, and really only for experienced cyclists with proper equipment and skills, and the fitness to take on the many hills found everywhere you go in Floyd County.

Tour de Floyd takes place in mid-May and is organized by Floyd resident, Paul Lacrosse.  Tour de Floyd is a scenic 62-mile ride that encompasses a 5,300 feet climb in elevation and showcases some of Floyd County’s most gorgeous landscapes along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  As all skill levels are encouraged to participate, a shorter option is available for less experienced riders.  The ride begins and ends at Chantilly Farm on Franklin Pike.

Tour de Dirt takes place the first weekend of November.  This single-day event takes off from Chantilly Farm and travels a course along Floyd County’s dirt-surface backroads.  Mountain bikers from a multi-state region participate in this annual event.  The full 100K+ course heads south from Chantilly Farm and circumnavigates Buffalo Mountain.  Shorter distance courses of 12-50 miles are also enjoyed on this day.

• Chantilly Farm is a family-friendly place with easy parking, clean bathrooms, wonderful trails, and great events going on all the time!
• For more information about Tour de Floyd, visit tourdefloyd.org
• For more information about the Chantilly Farm trails, or for more information about Tour de Dirt, visit chantillyfarm.com.

Chantilly Farm
(540)808-4984
chantillyfarm.com
2697 Franklin Pike SE, Floyd, VA 24091