The parkway in the Roanoke region is specifically being looked at for bike trails, said Gary Johnson, the park service official in charge of establishing a new management plan for the parkway.
"When we asked for public comment (in 2008), the biking community all along the parkway really came out," Johnson said. "We know that bike trails -- that's one of our more pressing recreational needs."
The parkway, which turns 75 this year, features more than 100 trails just off the scenic road. Although almost all the trails are designated for hikers, a few accommodate horseback riders.
The park service is considering adding bike trails to the mountaintop park as part of a larger effort to upgrade the parkway experience for today's generation.
Parkway officials think it may be time to give bikers their own trails, Johnson said. "Equestrian folks do not want to share trails with bikers, and mountain bikers aren't enthusiastic about sharing trails with horses."
The parkway management plan will likely not come up for public review until next year, Johnson said. But a draft of a separate document dealing specifically with the parkway in the Roanoke region, including potential trail sites, could be finished this summer.
Jeff
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