Purcellville North Gravel 50K is a 31.1-mile loop starting in Purcellville, with 2,152 feet of climbing. About 21.8 miles (70%) are on gravel or dirt roads and 9.2 miles are paved. The longest unpaved stretch runs 4.1 miles on Picnic Woods Road, Elvan Road.
Route snapshot
What to expect
This loop spreads its gravel evenly across the ride: 10.8 gravel miles in the first half and 11.1 in the second. Along the way it links Morrisonville.
The course tops out at 565 feet around mile 31.0 and drops as low as 390 feet. Expect 5 climbs of 80 feet or more; the biggest gains 171 feet over 2.0 miles starting near mile 13.3. The steepest quarter-mile averages about 5.8% near mile 16.3. At roughly 69 feet of climbing per mile, we rate it intermediate.
- 4.1 miles of continuous gravel on Picnic Woods Road and Elvan Road.
- More unpaved stretches on Elvan Road and Georges Mill Road.
- 70% of the distance is on gravel or dirt.
- Paved connectors include North Hatcher Avenue, Purcellville Road, Morrisonville Road and Georges Mill Road.
- Carry water, a spare tube and a plug kit.
Ride notes. Start and finish in Purcellville. These are working farm roads shared with horses, tractors and local traffic: slow down and pass wide around horses, and see VeloSafe for more. Gravel changes with the weather, so expect loose stone after a fresh grading and soft spots after heavy rain. Spring and fall are our favorite seasons out here.
Elevation and surface
Gravel sections
Unpaved stretches of half a mile or more, in riding order:
- Mile 1.9–3.4 (1.5 mi): Purcellville Road
- Mile 4.1–7.4 (3.3 mi): Purcellville Road — near Morrisonville
- Mile 8.2–12.3 (4.1 mi): Picnic Woods Road, Elvan Road
- Mile 13.6–17.4 (3.8 mi): Georges Mill Road, Stevens Road
- Mile 18.6–22.7 (4.1 mi): Elvan Road, Axline Road, Picnic Woods Road
- Mile 23.6–26.9 (3.3 mi): Purcellville Road — near Morrisonville
- Mile 27.4–29.1 (1.7 mi): Purcellville Road
Photos from the route
Photos taken along this route on our rides.
Get the route
Surface data comes from Strava. Road names come from OpenStreetMap. Gravel roads change with weather and maintenance, so check conditions before you ride and follow our VeloSafe guidance on rural roads.
