Update (4/15): Updated Mill Mountain Trail Maps are now available. See here.
We’re excited to share some good news, recent wins, and upcoming work for our trail systems. Keep reading for all the exciting details!
Best of the Blue Ridge
Each year, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine readers select their “Best of the Blue Ridge” in a wide variety of categories. This year, the trails in Mill Mountain Park were selected as the winner for the category of Best Bike Park! The trail system on Mill Mountain includes 10 miles of natural surface trails that have been enjoyed by the community for years. In addition, 4+ miles of new trail was built in 2025 through a project with the Roanoke Parks Foundation, including downhill mountain bike trails.
Other recognitions include the City of Roanoke for Best Place to Raise an Outdoor Family, the GO Outside Festival was awarded runner up for Best Family Friendly Festival, and Mill Mountain was selected as runner up for Best Overlook! Check out all Best of the Blue Ridge winners here. Roanoke has also been named a Best Trail Running Town, with specific shoutouts given to Mill Mountain Park and Carvins Cove!
Newly built mountain bike trails on Mill Mountain.
Tuck-A-Way & Bloodroot & Morning Dove – Oh My!
In a functional and aesthetic improvement for our local trails, nearly 50 new signs were recently installed along the Mill Mountain, Morningside Park, and Carvins Cove trail systems. These distinctive signs were created thanks to the hard work of a dedicated volunteer and will significantly enhance the user experience for years to come. We’re so grateful.
Find Your Way to “The Hub”
Since 2023, we’ve been working hard to update all the maps for our 100+ mile trail and greenway system, and the Mill Mountain maps are nearly complete! A digital version will be released in the coming weeks, and kiosk maps will be installed at the park shortly after.
Did you Know? Funding for the updated kiosk maps came in part from a Project Outside Grant awarded in 2025.
For those wondering, “The Hub” refers to a new area of the park where the trails are one-way and mountain-bike only. This is unique in our trail system and includes the uphill 611 trail and four downhill trails: Happy Camper, Stoke City, Bloodroot, and Fall Line. Plus, by popular demand we plan to print the Mill Mountain trail maps on bandanas for purchase. For future updates, follow our social media (Facebook, Instagram).
Speaking of Project Outside…
Project Outside is a community fund to support outdoor capital improvement projects, maintain assets, and more. This year, 12 projects across the region have been selected for Project Outside grants, including Roanoke Parks and Recreation for the restoration of Brushy Mountain Fire Road at Carvins Cove! Brushy Mountain Fire Road is used by mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers, and horseback riders, and is also a key access point for maintenance efforts and Fire/EMS. After damage from flash flooding in 2025 the road needs significant repair, and this grant will help our crews to replace culverts, regrade, and add stone to areas most in need of maintenance.
Work on this project has already begun along Brushy Mountain Fire Road between Happy Valley and approximately 0.25m past Four Gorge. The fire road will remain open, but users need to exercise additional caution and be aware of work in the area. Work is expected to continue into June 2026. Check all trail and greenway alerts on Statusfy.
Damage on Brushy Mountain Fire Road.
Trailhead Updates
Some major improvements to the Star Trail Parking Lot off Riverland Road are on the way! Starting mid-April, construction will begin on a project that will include parking lot reconstruction (new paving and enhanced lighting), paving the access road, and a greenway connector from the parking lot to the Garden City Greenway. The project includes closure of a section of Riverland Road, and the Star Trail parking lot will remain closed for the duration of the project, which is expected to conclude in fall 2026.
During construction, users will need to park at an alternate location for trail access:
- Mill Mountain Star or Discovery Center
- Mill Mountain Spur Road (at Big Ole’ Bikes sculpture)
- Piedmont Park
Roanoke River Greenway Update
If you’re a frequent user of the Roanoke River Greenway, you’re familiar with the bridges along Wiley Drive for both greenway and vehicular traffic. The bridge closer to River’s Edge Park typically floods about five to six times a year, collecting significant accumulation of drift and debris during high water. When this happens, the greenway and Wiley Drive have to close to all users for clean up efforts, causing significant frustration. The good news is the low water bridge closer to River’s Edge Park is going to be replaced, with work expected to begin late this year. This section of greenway and Wiley Drive will be closed during the replacement–more details will be shared closer to the start of the project. We look forward to this improved infrastructure for our park, greenway, and river users!
For more information, visit roanokeva.gov/wileydrive. You can also attend the public hearing on April 28 and share your feedback.
Get Involved
If you love and support our trails, there are lots of wonderful volunteer opportunities to give back! In addition to the regularly scheduled volunteer trail work days with Roanoke Parks and Recreation, the Pathfinders for Greenways Weekend Crew offers trail work at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve, and the Roanoke Mountain Bike Alliance (RMBA) hosts regular trail work as well! More info here.
