Directions for Hellgate 100

Directions to Camp Bethel, 328 Bethel Road, Fincastle, VA 24090:

Heading South on I-81

  1. Take exit 162 (Buchanan)
  2. Turn left onto Route 11 toward Troutville.
  3. Go 3.2 miles to route 606 (Blue Ridge Turnpike).  Mill Creek Garage will be on the left.
  4. Turn left onto Route 606, Blue Ridge Turnpike.
  5. Go 1.6 miles to stop sign.
  6. Turn right onto Nace Road and go less than 1/10 of a mile to bridge on left.
  7. Turn left onto bridge at Bethel Road.  Drive under railroad trestle.
  8. Entrance to Camp Bethel is .3 mile straight ahead.

Heading North on I-81

  1. Take exit 156
  2. At the end of the ramp, turn right onto Route 640, Brugh’s Mill Road, and go .2 miles to stop sign at Route 11.
  3. Turn left onto Route 11
  4. Go approximately 2 miles.
  5. Mill Creek Baptist Church will be o your left.  Just across from the church turn right onto Route 606, Blue Ridge Turnpike.
  6. Go 1.6 miles to stop sign.
  7. Turn right onto Nace Road and go 1/10 of a mile to bridge on left.
  8. Turn left onto bridge at Bethel Road.  Drive under railroad trestle.
  9. Entrance to Camp Bethel is .3 mile straight ahead

Crews:  Make sure you have a full tank of gas before the race starts.  Drive VERY CAREFULLY on the roads from aid station to aid station.  Many of the roads are very narrow (only one lane in places) and very curvy.  A few of the gravel roads on which you drive will be part of the course. 

Start and Aid Stations:

Start:  Camp Bethel

Aid station (AS) 1:  FS 35 – 3.5 miles

        AS  2:  Petites Gap – 7.5 miles

        AS  3:  Camping Gap – 13.1 miles

        AS  4 – Headforemost Mountain – 21.9 miles

        AS  5 – Jennings Creek – 27.6 miles

        AS  7 – Bearwallow Gap – 42.5 miles

        AS  8 – Bobblett’s Gap – 49.5 miles

        AS  9 – Day Creek – 56.1 miles

Finish:  Camp Bethel – 62.4 miles 

NO CREW ACCESS AT AID STATION 1 & 3!

1)      Camp Bethel to start:  Drive back to R 11, turn right (north) on 11 and drive north to 1st on ramp to get on I-81.  Drive on I-81 north to the Natural Bridge exit.  Drive to Natural Bridge and R 130.  Turn right on 130 and drive to Natural Bridge Station.  Turn right on 759 (Arnolds Valley Rd).  Travel .8 mile and take a left on 782 (James River Rd).  Travel 1.0 mile and turn right on Big Hellgate Lane.  Drive .5 mile to Hellgate Creek Horse Trailhead and the start. 

Driving time from Camp Bethel to the start:  35 minutes.

2)      Start to AS 2 (Petites Gap):  Return to 759 (at 1.5 miles) and turn left on 759.  At 3.7 miles, turn left on Petites Gap Road (go toward Blue Ridge Parkway).  At 5.5 miles will be aid station 1.  DO NOT STOP OR MEET YOUR RUNNER THERE.  Continue driving on this road (uphill) to aid station 2 (Petites Gap) at a driving distance of 9.4 miles from the start. 

Driving time from start to aid station 2:  25 minutes

3)      AS 2 to AS 4 (Headforemost Mountain):  turn right on BRPWY (south) and drive to mile 80.4 of BRPWY.  Turn left on gravel road (very narrow, drive carefully) and go .5 of a mile to aid station on the right side of the road.

Driving time from AS 2 to AS 4:  15 minutes

4)      AS 4 to AS 5 (Jennings Creek):  Return to BRPWY at .5 mile.  Turn left on BRPWY (south) and drive to mile 89.9 of BRPWY (Powell’s Gap).  Turn right on 618 (narrow gravel road) at 8.9 miles.  At 13.0 miles, turn right on 614 (Jennings Creek Rd).  Drive on Jennings Creek Road to 15.9 miles.  Aid station will be on the left, adjacent to bridge over Jennings Creek.

Driving time from AS 4 to AS 5:  30 minutes

5)      AS 5 to AS 6 (Little Cove Mountain):  Drive 2.9 miles back to 618 (McFalls Creek Road).  Turn left on 618 and go to mile 6.3 and Yellowstone Road.  Turn right on Yellowstone Road (635) and drive uphill 1.9 miles to the Little Cove Mountain aid station at 6.3 miles.

Driving time from AS 5 to AS 6:  15 minutes

6)      AS 6 to AS 7 (Bearwallow Gap):  Drive back to 618 (1.9 miles), turn right on 618 & go to BRIWY (4.4 miles) turn right (south) & go to H.43 at 6.2 miles.  Turn right on 43N towards Buchannon.  At 9.3 miles turn left on 625 (Pico Road) and go to Glenwood Horse Trail Parking area.  At 9.7 miles, turn left into Horse Trial Parking area and aid station.

Driving time from AS 6 to AS 7:  25 minutes

7)      AS 7 to AS 8 (Bobblets Gap):  Return to H. 43 (.4 mile) and turn right and return to BRPWY at 3.4 miles.  Turn right on BRPWY and drive to milepost 93.2 and 5.6 miles from Bearwallw Gap aid station.  Pull into the Bobblets Gap Parking area.  There will be a short walk, about 50 yards, from the parking lot to the course.  DO NOT park on the BRPWY.

Driving time from AS 7 to AS 8:  10 minutes

8)      AS 8 to AS 9 (Day Creek):  Drive back north on the BRPWY.  Turn right at 2.1 miles down to stop sign (2.2 miles).  Turn right on 695 S and go to Montvale and highway 460.  At 12.0 reach Montvale and 460.  Turn right on 460W and drive to 13.4 miles.  Turn right on 697 (Camp Jaycee Road).  At 14.0 miles turn left on Blackhorse Gap Road going to Day Creek.  Reach Day Creek at 14.5 miles. 

Driving time from AS 8 to AS 9:  30 minutes

9)      AS 9 to the finish:  Drive back to 460.  Turn right (460W) and drive about 10 miles to an intersection that indicates I-81 to your right.  Take this right towards I-81.  Drive about 5 miles to stop light (with I-81 about 100 yards in front of you).  Take a right on R. 11 and drive about 8 miles on R. 11.  Just after passing Mill Creek Baptist Church on your left, turn right on 606 (Blue Ridge Turnpike).  Go 1.6 miles to stop sign.  Turn right onto Nace road and go 1/10 mile.  Turn left onto bridge at Bethel Road.  Drive under railroad trestle to Camp Bethel.

Driving time from AS 9 to Camp Bethel:  35 – 40 minutes (distance:  about 26 miles)