VA-311 Catawba Mountain (Salem to New Castle)
VA-311 winds 22 miles from the city of Salem north through the mountains of Craig County to the small town of New Castle, climbing Catawba Mountain with a sustained series of twists and turns through the George Washington and Jefferson national forests. The route passes the McAfee Knob trailhead — one of the most-photographed spots on the entire Appalachian Trail — and The Homeplace, a renowned family-style Southern restaurant. An extension to Paint Bank via Potts Mountain adds more remote mountain miles.
What you'll hit along the way.
Rider-verified stops, overlooks, fuel, and the corners worth knowing about — in the order you'll meet them.
Mason Cove
A small community near the southern end of the route where VA-311 descends from Catawba Mountain toward Salem.
New Castle
The Craig County seat, a quiet small town offering a good stopping point for fuel and a stretch midway through the ride.
Abbott
A rural crossroads community in the Craig County valley between New Castle and the mountain terrain to the south.
No runs logged on this road yet — be the first.
Runs are rider-logged & GPS-traced in the app
Ride your own ride — times are rider-logged & GPS-traced, never a race on public roads.
Shot by the riders who've run it.
Riders upload photos to their profile and tag the road or stop — tagged shots show up here automatically.