Interested in getting your GS dirty, but haven’t done dirt before? The MABDR is the easiest Backcountry Discovery Route and one of 2 on the east coast.

All in, this trip covers at least 2100 miles (plus whatever day rides at the rally) passing thru 9 states (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia & Pennsylvania.

We head down to the BMW MOA Rally in Northeastern Virginia and then head to northern Tennessee with a lunch stop in North Carolina to camp the night before we start the MABDR in Damascus VA just across the Tennessee/Virgina border.

You should have knobby tires as recommended by the BDR to do this route. The entire route for this trip is about 2000 miles, so fresh tires prior to leaving is advised. I am using Michelin Anakee Wilds. With >2000 miles this trip takes a good option as TKC 80s are typically basically slicks by 3K & I get at least 4K on the Wilds rear.

June 8 ~360 miles slab to MOA rally

June 9 At the rally, so any local riding miles

June 10 ~360 miles slab to camp at Switchback Creek near start of MABDR in northern Tennessee

June 11 ~145 miles for Segment 1, staying at Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke VA (where Dirty Dancing was filmed)

June 12 ~74 miles for Segment 2, staying at Quality Inn Covington VA

June 13 ~182 miles for Segment 3, camping at Riverside Cabins RV around Moorefield WV

June 14 ~142 miles for Segment 4, camping at Antietam Creek Campground near Shepherdstown WV

June 15 ~120 miles for Segment 5, staying at Radisson Hotel Carlisle near Mt Holly Springs PA

June 16 ~102 miles for Segment 6, camping at Quiet Valley Campground near McVeytown PA

June 17 ~100 miles for Segment 7, camping at Sunsational Family Campground near Millmont PA

June 18 ~115 miles for Segment 8, camping at Pettecote Junction Campground near Cedar Run PA

June 19 ~75 miles for Segment 9, then about 275 miles slab to head back home

Be sure to register for the MOA rally if you are joining us there.

GPX files for the ride from MOA Rally to Switchback Creek campground (stopping in Greensboro, NC for lunch) and each BDR segment are available via Dropbox. The ride to Switchback is also on Rever. Rever also has all the BDR routes natively in it.

If you’d like to review details about the BDR, check out the site for the MABDR.

We depart from the Annsvillle Mobil at 8AM, slab down to the rally with an ETA between rest stops and lunch of 5PM.

We meet at