Peters Mill Run

This past weekend we were invited out to a good friends family farm in Edinburg, VA for some BBQ and camping, but when we found out we were right down the street from Peters Mill Run we just had to sneak off for a few hours.

Peters Mill Run is the largest OHV complex in the state of Virginia and is located in the George Washington National Forest. The trail runs between the towns of Edinburg and Woodstock, and does require an OHV permit which can be purchased at local gas stations in each town. Permits are very reasonably priced at $5/single day, $12/3 day, and $30 for an annual permit.

Since we were already in Edinburg we decided to run the trail from South to North, so Brian, Mark, and I headed for the Tasker’s Gap ATV complex off of SR 675. The complex is directly across the street from the trail head (if you’re looking for the trail on the map it’s marked as Powell Mountain Trail), has vault toilets and a large parking area (i.e. it’s a great meeting spot).

We started off late in the day and didn’t get on the trail till about 5:00 PM. We knew we had a 13 mile drive across the top of the mountain ahead of us, and figured 2 hours would be plenty of time for us to make the drive while still making a few stops to check out potential camping areas and take some photos. After running the trail, we recommend that you give yourself at least an hour and a half to drive through without stops, and a little more time if you want to check out a few of the cool views along the way.

The entire drive we were treated to some great scenery due to the mountain laurels and other wildflowers being in full bloom. We also found a cool little pond about halfway down the trail, we didn’t have any rods on us to drop a line in, but we’re pretty confident that there are fish in it. And of course we took the time to get the obligatory group shot on top of the mountain.

Overall, trail conditions were pretty mild, and any stock 4×4 could easily handle all of the trails. There are a few tight spots that will leave some pinstripes behind on your truck, but you’d really have be on the hunt for body damage to bang up your truck. Something to keep in mind is that this area seems to be heavily traveled during the day by other trucks and ATV’s/Motorcycles, so make sure you keep and eye out for someone else rolling around a switchback as there are a few blind turns.

If you’re looking for a close trail to the DC area (and want to camp somewhere that doesn’t include hoards of people), Peters Mill is a great trail option. It’s perfect for newbies, and it’s mild enough that you’re wife/kids won’t think you’re trying to kill them if you take them along for the ride. We had a great time, and we’re definitely going to be heading back in a few weeks to try out some of the awesome campsites along the trail.