As the sun sets beyond evergreen trees atop Cheat Mountain, an evening ride becomes blanketed in amber light that dances upon dense patches of moss, waving pockets of ferns, and soft spruce needles.

Tight turns and unmanicured rock gardens invite riders to slow down and take note of their surroundings. At first glance, the forests of Appalachia appear as a flat canvas of green, but the evening light exposes rocky nooks, steep chutes, meandering streams, and an immense world of flora and fauna hidden within the seemingly monotone expanse. More than a change in appearance, the golden hues imbue a feeling of warmth and connection to these ancient Appalachian Mountains.

About 300 million years ago, the Appalachians were as tall as the present-day Himalayas. But years of weathering and erosion, punctuated by geologic bursts of uplift, softened the once-towering peaks into rolling ridges and valleys dissected by boulder-filled creeks. In the world of outdoor adventure sports, the Appalachian Mountains are often overlooked due to their relatively small stature and general lack of expansive views. In West Virginia, it’s far more common to traverse a trail ensconced in rhododendron thickets and lush cinnamon ferns than it is to ride along an exposed ridgetop. Local mountain bikers relish in the region’s challenging trail features—janky rocks and off-camber roots are abundant— but the reason many chose to settle here is the secluded nature of the mountains themselves.

“It’s just so beautiful, and you hardly see anybody out there,” says Greg Moore, vice president of Pocahontas Trails, a chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.