MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — Nestled in the hills of North Central West Virginia, Mountaineer Country is gaining national attention among gravel cyclists, thanks to an ambitious outdoor initiative known as the Mountaineer Gravel Project.

What began as an idea from Visit Mountaineer Country Convention and Visitors Bureau (VMC) has evolved into a vast network of more than 1,500 miles of mapped gravel routes spanning Monongalia, Preston, Taylor and Barbour counties. The effort aims to promote outdoor recreation by showcasing the region’s scenic backroads, low-traffic corridors and rural landscapes — without building a single new trail.

“Travel is our initiative — we’re the ones who started it and worked to develop it,” said Susan Riddle, president and CEO of Visit Mountaineer Country. “We’

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