Many do not know that a ride "out in the country" is made possible in large part to the hard work of land conservation organizations, such as the Land Trust of Virginia. We hold conservation easements donated by landowners that prevents the property from being developed in perpituity.  Once a Conservation Eaesment is placed on a property, that easement is protecting many aspects of the country that people love such as the gravel roads, scenic byway views, farms, mountain views, etc.  LTV wants to celebrate the hard work of Conservation Easements which indirectly protect gravel roads from being paved and directly protect the scenic views for all to enjoy along a bike ride!

On September 29th, 2018, join us for the Land Trust of Virginia’s (LTV) 2nd Annual “Tour de Conservation Easement” Bicycle Event. Choose either the 20-mile or 62-mile (32/100 Km) gravel road routes through the beautiful Virginia countryside, much of which is protected by Conservation Easements. The routes take cyclists through Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, providing beautiful views of scenic back roads and rolling farms. The 62-mile ride consists of 29 miles of gravel roads and 33 miles paved and the 20-mile ride consists of over 75% gravel roads.

What makes our ride special?  The routes will include traversing several beautiful private properties that you would not otherwise have access to. The 62-mile/100km route includes a ½-mile  King/Queen of the Mountain climb with an average of a 7.8% grade. Plus, great food and drinks at the finish.

Your participation and generous support enables LTV to achieve our mission: the conservation of open space that protects our natural resources, valuable agricultural, and/or historic places. Help us protect the Virginia we all love, for generations to come!

The Land Trust of Virginia partners with private landowners, as well as State and County branches, who wish to voluntarily protect and preserve their working farmland or natural lands with significant scenic, historic, and ecological value for the benefit of our community using conservation easements.

Conservation easements protect open space, farms, forests, rivers, streams, battlefields, vistas and historic sites in perpetuity. When a landowner donates a conservation easement, they maintain ownership of their land; they can sell it or pass it on to heirs. The land remains on the county tax rolls. What changes is that the land itself is protected from development forever.

Founded over a quarter century ago, the Land Trust of Virginia is a thriving 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies upon the generous support of our community and landowners to fulfill our mission. We are a trusted conservation partner, recognized and accredited by the Land Trust Alliance as a land trust that meets “national standards for protecting natural places and working lands forever.”

We are working hard to keep the Virginia we all love green for generations to come.  Be sure to notice Conservation Easement signs as you ride "out in the country".