Carvin's Cove
A Recent History in Thumbnail
Depending on which trailhead selected, you might be standing in fromt of city hall one minute and riding outstanding trails 15 second hand laps later. City hall is mentioned here irony-free because that's where the administration for this 13,000 acre bike/horse/hike Shangri-La hole up. Carvin's Cove is a big lake that doubles as Roanoke's water tank.
For as many years as there have been mountain bikes, and for far longer on hoof and foot, folks have enjoyed the trails and fire roads of the watershed, problem-free. Usage of the ancient trails that were built to traverse Brushy Mountain from the deep holler called Bennett Springs has grown. Trail repair, removing dead-fall at least, has been provided by horsemen and cyclists voluntarily and without city sanction.
In 1994, the Virginia Championship Commission proposed holding a bike race at the cove, but were denied--this is where the city hall reference irony kicks in--based primarily on the opinion of water works head Kit Kiser. Recreational leaders like former Roanoke Times outdoor editor Bill Cochran have witnessed this type of opposition by Mr. Kiser on many occasions before. In the spring of 1997, the Virginia Championship Commission was awarded a high-level NORBA race, and proposed that it, again, be held at the cove. The Roanoke Times featured the request on the front page, beginning a domino-effect of action revolving around recreational uses of Carvin's Cove (which were largely, technically, illegal).
From that point, a citizens committee formed, and environmental consultant was hired to study the idea. The process was iterninable, but in the fall of 2000, Carvin's Cove Natural Reserve was created, and bikes, hikes, and horses were legal for the first time. Roanoke City Council must now be OK with the proposition as they installed user fees to help cover a multi-million dollar tax ciphering blunder. We aren't real sure how they're going to collect all those fees from hikers along the Appalachian Trail that enter the watershed/city property.
Now under the reign of Roanoke Parks & Recreation, and largely thanks to the help of great individual talents like Brian Batteiger and Dr. Bill Gordge, progress is being made to enhance and expand the trail experience. Even Rich Edwards, IMBA's great professor of trailsmanship, was hired to calm and ease Mad Cow (the trail) with his Ditch Bitch trail cutter. A parking lot was built (with great opposition from Roanoke County). A kiosk was built (although very little information is allowed to be pinned to its plexiglass protected walls). A trail from the new parking lot was bench cut with great effort and excellent result. These are better days indeed...
Here's park and rec's challenging-to-read-as-it-is-to-ride map o' trails: