Greenbrier - Alternative Parking

[Spiff]

FYI post...

My wife and I drove to Greenbrier yesterday (Memorial Day), arrived at 10:30 a.m., and found that it had already reached capacity. Park rangers were turning everyone away. We parked at the AT turnout and my wife left to hike. I rode down to the park entrance, expecting to pay my $$$ and ride in. No luck. They could not allow anyone in, whether in a car, on a bike, or on foot. (The Park Ranger said that they often reach capacity on holidays and summer weekends.) However, the ranger did give me directions to a trail access point on the north end of the park. I rode there, spent another 2.5 hours riding, then rode back to the car. Despite the 5000+ people at the park, I only saw three other trail users while riding. It was a great day to ride!

Directions to alternate parking:

From the park entrance, head north on US40 approx. 0.5 mi.
Turn left onto Mt. Lena Rd. Go approx. 0.25 mi.
Turn left onto Greenbrier Rd. Go approx. 0.25 mi.
Once Greenbrier Rd. curves west, there is a small, gravel parking lot on the left with a Greenbrier kiosk.
The access trail will drop you on the red trail shortly before the rock gardens.

[philvw]

There are two other places as well. Just past the bridge over I-70, before reaching the park entrance (just the other side of the bridge from the AT parking actually) take Boonesboro Mountain Rd, there will be a very wide gravel shoulder to pull off and park on. There is a trail about 50 yards further up the road on the right. It drops down into the park behind the visitors center. There is also a parking lot on the back side of the park on Mountan Laurel Rd, it is mainly used by hunters in the fall and the entrance is somewhat obscured, but once you pull in, there is a small clearing to park. Follow the double track up from there and it comes to the top of the big red climb.

[philvw]

Oh, and the reason it reaches capacity is that the hispanic/latino population descends on the beach every single weekend. Go check it out sometime, it's like a big salsa party, lots of cookouts, blasting music, families, games .... it's alot of fun just to ride through, but I have had picnics there with friends in the middle of all that and had a blast!

[SWriverstone]

This is a really late post to this thread (just noticed it)...but I ride Greenbrier all the time, and the parking lot Phil mentioned that's on Mountain Laurel Rd. is the best place to park when riding Greenbrier—in my opinion.

The problem with the Greenbrier Rd. lot that everyone uses is that you're pretty much stuck doing a tough climb right off the bat with very little warmup when you start from that entrance.

Starting at the Mountain Laurel Rd. parking lot, there's a short (but not bad) climb out of the parking lot...and then you're up on the ridge, and you have a couple options for nice long flat/downhill sections to warmup on.

You do have to climb back up to that ridge again when you're coming back...but that climb isn't nearly as brutal as many others in the park.

The Mountain Laurel Rd. lot is easy to miss as you're driving. There's absolutely no sign or marking of any kind...just a short, rutted gravel doubletrack leading into it. But you can see the lot from the road (if you're driving slowly enough) and you;ll know it's the right place because there's a little kiosk there with a park map and notices, etc.

Scott