The Snallygaster Flies Again! The fourth annual Snallygaster 200 will take off on September 13th, 2025. This is the ONLY ultra-distance bikepacking race/gravel route in western Maryland and Preston County, WV. Register by completing this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2MfMJk9IqLMXEpLH5bP8h1nF3_pZWiX-MzEbpSL4vG_U2Hw/viewform?usp=sharing
And just what is a Snallygaster, you ask? Well, they're sorta like a modern day pterodactyl, but with nasty big pointy teeth. They're dinosaur adjacent, you might say. Or maybe the Snallygaster was a folk tale that German immigrants in western Maryland created to keep their kids in bed. Either way, Snallygasters clearly live in remote, beautiful locations where they feast on unsuspecting bikepackers and tasty berries when in season. Word has they also love Hammer Gels, though, so maybe just keep a few extras.
In seriousness, this amazing route will go through 4 of the 7 state parks in Garrett County, MD, run the entire length of the Meadow Mtn Trail, scoot around the rim of the Blackwater Canyon, visit countless gorgeous and forgotten dirt/gravel roads in Preston County (Hile Run, Snake Road, Mount Olivet Road, Peddler's Glory) and incredible roads in the north of Garrett County. Best of all, there are a ton of towns and gas stations along the way for resupply and plenty of places to camp. Not to mention, you'll always be within an hour of Oakland, so if something goes terribly wrong, getting a ride back to the start won't be a massive pain in the you-know-what.
The stats/fine print:
Snallygaster 200 Route:
Total actual distance: 197.1 miles
Total elevation: Approx. 23,000 ft. of climbing.
Surface type: 65-70% gravel/dirt/rural roads and 30-35% actual pavement.
Difficulty Level: 9/10
Snallygaster 100 Route:
Total actual distance: 104 miles
Total elevation gain: Approx. 13,000 ft. of climbing
Difficulty Level: 8.5/10
Start time: 7 AM on 9/13/2025 at the Oakland Town Parking Lot
Suggested bike: Gravel or mountain bike
Suggested tire size: 700x45 gravel tires or greater.
Suggested gearing: 34x11-50 or lower.
THESE COURSES ARE HARD, LIKE REALLY, REALLY HARD WITH MANY STEEP AND ROCKY DESCENTS AND CLIMBS. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE MOUNTAINS OF MARYLAND AND WEST VIRGINIA.
Also, please remember this ride will be an unsanctioned and self-supported event through very remote areas where cell service is often non-existent. Snallygaster 200 racers will be required to have, or rent, a GPS tracking device to make sure the entire route is followed. Snallygaster 100 racers are not required to have a tracker, but will be asked to sign out and verify their finish times. Further, outside aid will not be permitted regardless of course (i.e. your spouse can't meet you every twenty miles and give you food and water.) You're more than welcome -- and encouraged! -- to use any publicly available gas stations, restaurants, hotels, etc., as these are available to everyone and fall within the realm of fair play.
Current FKTs:
Men's 200: Jimmy Klose, 2023, 17 hours, 19 minutes
Women's 200: Open!
Non-Binary 200: AJ DeLauder, 2022, 32 hours, 54 minutes
Men's 100: Justin Guy, 2023, 10 hours, 55 minutes
Women's 100: Claire Pomykala, 2023, 32 hours, 18 minutes
Route GPX Files:
Snallygaster 200 Route on Strava:
https://www.strava.com/routes/2904474614211000968
Snallygaster 200 Route on MapMyRide:
https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4770886624
Snallygaster 200 Route on RideWithGPS:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40782322
Snallygaster 100 Route on Strava:
https://www.strava.com/routes/2929057359063392646
Snallygaster 100 Route on MapMyRide:
https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/5213573341/
Snallygaster 100 Route on RideWithGPS:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40946496?openShare=true&privacy_code
Data Sheet/Points of Interest:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18IpFtB5KURf0wfYuKOe-1XkoY6cSlTaNK6tyNCWSOZc/edit?usp=sharing
Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Oakland, Workshops in Oakland, Sports events in Oakland.
