Dan Casey

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My daughter Erin, 7, leaned forward on her little one-speed bike and bit her lower lip. She zipped down the gentle hill, then at the bottom revved up her pedals as she began up the next rise.

Her upper arm muscles tightened as she gripped the handlebars, and her cadence slowed. But the hill was about 20 yards too long. Erin let out a groan, hopped off her bike and banged her shin as she resentfully pushed it along the wide dirt road.

"Dad! When are we going to be back to the car? I hate this ride!" she said. "I'm never coming back!"

But she made it up the next hill, and by the end of the 4-mile ride, Erin seemed to have changed her mind.

We were at Carvins Cove, the 12,000-acre recreation area in Botetourt County that surrounds Roanoke's 1,100-acre emerald green reservoir.

The Cove, site of miles and miles worth of steep fire roads and tricky single-tracks, is a favorite of Western Virginia mountain biking enthusiasts. But there's a kinder and gentler side, too, that makes it a decent place for a family bike ride: the wide, 5-mile-long dirt road that rings the reservoir's eastern edge.

Kinda tough

Dan Casey | The Roanoke Times

. This newer trail is less ridden and consequently a bit harder to follow. It skirts an old farm that once existed on the watershed property.

Related

Map

• Map of Carvin's Cove

As family-friendly bike rides go, this one is no shrinking violet. Compared to the virtually flat Greenbrier River or New River trails, the road at Carvins Cove is a roller-coaster ride from start to finish. The good part is that ups and downs are relatively short. I'd say 100 yards is about the average. Gently rolling, it passes through thick forests and grassy meadows near the reservoir's edge.

We rode about two miles out, found a shady spot, had a picnic, then rode back. Erin did fine on the trip out. The frustration set in on the way back when she had to walk up a few of the hills. She would have done better if she'd had a geared bike. Her sister Anna, 4, rode along in a two-wheeled kiddie cart attached to my mountain bike and enjoyed every moment.

Carvins Cove offers more wilderness than the other bike rides. Once you're in the woods, there are no houses, no snack bars or other businesses serving the hikers, cyclist and horseback riders.

More than a bike ride

One of the things that makes the cove perfect for a family outing is the variety of other things to do there. Tired of two-wheeling? Then rent a rowboat. There's a small boat concession that charges a nominal fee. (But bring your own bikes -- you can't rent them at Carvins.)

Hungry? Bring along a picnic. A short walk through the woods from the main parking lot, there's a gorgeous covered pavilion on a small bluff over the water, with steps down to a broad fishing dock over the water. The boat rental stand at the main parking lot also doubles as a snack bar.

Getting there

Get off Interstate 81 at the Hollins exit (Plantation Road). Follow Plantation south to U.S. 11 and make a left. Pass Hollins College and make another left on Route 648, Reservoir Road. It dead-ends at the Carvins Cove parking lot. Parking is free.