more stats
1.2 miles
Distance
76 ft
Climb
-537 ft
Descent
00:10:55
Avg time
-461 ft
Altitude change
2,130 ft
Altitude min
2,628 ft
Altitude max
2,597 ft
Altitude start
2,136 ft
Altitude end
-7.4%
Grade
-37.5%
Grade max
17.7%
Grade min
1,050 ft
Distance climb
5,079 ft
Distance down
66 ft
Distance flat
00:10:55
Avg time

Blunderbuss Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    McDonald Hollow
    Blacksburg, Virginia
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Double Black Diamond (2 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    65 in Mountain Biking heatmap [+]
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #12925 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #298087 in Trail Running
    • #290341 in Hiking
    • #19794 in Horseback
  • State Ranking
    #67 in Mountain Biking · Virginia [+]
    • #2,566 in Trail Running
    • #2,643 in Hiking
    • #253 in Horseback
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • TTFs on Trail
    A-Frame, Berm, Drop, Jump, Gap Jump, Rock Garden

Great two flavors trail with jumps and some big optional gaps. Flows well and is fast from the top, then gets chunky a bit after crossing Highway. The trail climbs after the rocks near Wilkes Wood before descending on a moderate grade, gradually steepening with more airtime options. After one last easy climb, the final descent contains the biggest features on the trail, with numerous step downs, the biggest of which is the rock drop under the power lines, to a large step-up. More flow after these features, before the trail ends, intersecting with the upper part of Ida May.

Trail Supporters

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 13 rides
  • 13.1 km avg distance
All
  • 79 rides
  • Last: Nov 8, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

Blunderbuss Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jan 6, 2026 @ 6:04pm (America/New_York)
Jan 6, 2026
 Very leafy except high on berms
Apr 25, 2025 @ 10:43am
Apr 25, 2025
Dec 26, 2024 @ 10:27am
Dec 26, 2024
Apr 19, 2024 @ 3:22am
Apr 19, 2024
Nov 28, 2023 @ 6:50pm
Nov 28, 2023
 too many leaves makes sometimes difficult to see trail
more »
Status:
on Jan 6, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 4.17 (6 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (859)
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      Directions to blunderbuss trailhead (37.249210, -80.487100)
      View on Discover Map 3D Tour

      Photos

      47 more »
      mtb
      277 |
      Oct 15, 2022 @ 11:14pm
      Oct 15, 2022
      mtb
      166 |
      Oct 15, 2022 @ 11:14pm
      Oct 15, 2022
      mtb
      191 |
      Oct 15, 2022 @ 11:15pm
      Oct 15, 2022
      mtb
      195 |
      Aug 28, 2022 @ 3:23pm
      Aug 28, 2022
      Jumps 9Rock gardens 6Drops 6Berms 1

      Videos

      3 more »
      McDonald Hollow Park - Blunderbuss Trail
      mtb
      2:17 | 665 | May 22, 2021 , Blacksburg
      Gopro Raw Footage: Blunderbuss, FlowTrail MTB ...
      mtb
      0:10 | 616 | Apr 28, 2021 , Blacksburg
      'Tree Gap' Jump
      mtb
      0:16 | 197 | Oct 18, 2021 , Blacksburg

      Routes with this trail

      more »
      74
      Virginia Tech Enduro (2024)
      14 miles • 2,545 ft • 8 •
      This is the official enduro route for the Virginia Tech Brush Mountain Blitz, 2024.
      95
      Back Loop from McDonald Hollow
      21 miles • 2,972 ft • 18 • Loop •
      Long Route with technical climbs, fast and fun downhills and grenn cruising.
      103
      Back Loop from McDonald Hollow
      21 miles • 3,031 ft • 19 • Loop •
      Do the Prickly Pear-Skull Cap-Trillium from McDonald Hollow, flowy greens, techy climbs (Snakeroot) fast...
      4.5 ★★★★★
      6 Ratings
      5 ★ 67%
      4 ★ 17%
      3 ★ 17%
      2 ★
      1 ★

      4 Reviews & Comments

      rideagainsthemachine rideagainsthemachine
      Wow, blown away by this trail! Better than most bike parks trails. On your first run, spot your landing on the road gap and big air boulder further down before attempting those two features. The rest is do-able for first timers if you keep up your speed. I'm in awe of the builders. What a sick trail!
      manglermixer manglermixer
      The builders did an amamzing job mixing jumps and tech into a real sick descent with some quick punchy climbs to re humble yourself. Can’t wait to hit this again!
      UzhM8
      A good mix of flow and tech make Blunderbuss a unique and exciting trail

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      Nearby Trails

      McDonald Hollow

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Blunderbuss located?
      Blunderbuss is located in McDonald Hollow, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. It is part of the McDonald Hollow trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 37.24921, -80.4871.
      ▼ How hard is Blunderbuss?
      Blunderbuss is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 7.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Blunderbuss?
      Blunderbuss has 76 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 537 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 2,130 ft to 2,628 ft.
      ▼ Is Blunderbuss a point to point trail?
      Blunderbuss is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Blunderbuss?
      Blunderbuss is 1.2 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Blunderbuss?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Blunderbuss. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Blunderbuss?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Blunderbuss are:
      • August (7 activities)
      • October (7 activities)
      • April (5 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Blunderbuss? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Blunderbuss are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Blunderbuss?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 11 minutes to ride Blunderbuss. The trail is 1.2 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Blunderbuss?
      Blunderbuss is a moderately popular trail. There have been 759 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 859 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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