Western North Carolina's mountains contain some of the best mountain biking to be found--anywhere. Gravel roads that wind along lazy streams through forested valleys, or trails that climb up steep mountainsides; trails that cross 5,000 foot mountain peaks or singletrack that traverses long, narrow ridgelines--all can be found within the boundaries of the Old North State. Whatever you're looking for, be it a gentle cruise to a beautiful picnic spot, or a rugged descent on technical singletrack, you've chosen a great place to experience it all.
Any place names shown in red in this article can be found on the Western North Carolina Area Map. Links within the article will take you to various places within this site, for more detailed information.
This guide, just like the rest of this site, does not assume you are new to mountain biking as a sport--just new to riding in WNC!
This article will answer the following frequently asked questions:
What does MTB WNC mean?
MTB is a popular abbreviation for "Mountain Bike" and WNC is a
popular abbreviation for "Western North Carolina", so it means
"MounTain Bike Western North Carolina".
Are there really mountains out east?
Yes. And mountain biking, too.
Where is this place, Western North Carolina (WNC)?
The state of North Carolina is divided up into three parts (from east to west): the coastal plain, the piedmont, and the mountains. The mountains section is often referred to as Western North Carolina, or WNC, and this is where the best mountain biking can be found. Asheville is WNC's largest city, and it sits right in the heart of the region. To the north of Asheville are the resort towns of Boone and Blowing Rock; to Asheville's south are Hendersonville and Brevard; to its east lie Black Mountain and Hickory; and to its southwest are Waynesville,
Franklin, Highlands, and Murphy, to mention a few. Confusing? See the WNC Area Map.
Tell me where the trails are!
There are three large, main trail systems in WNC, and you will want to ride at each of them. They are Pisgah, Tsali, and Dupont State Forest. Pisgah and DSF are near Brevard; Tsali is near Bryson City and Cherokee. For more information about each of these places, read on.
Where is this Pisgah place I've heard so much about?
When you hear someone mention Pisgah, they're talking about the Pisgah National Forest. Usually, more specifically, they're talking about the Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest. Here's how it is:
So what are Pisgah's trails like?
Though Pisgah's trails are varied (like all of WNC's trails), they tend to be wet, rocky, rooty, and fairly technical in general. Most trails have significant climbs and drops. Even Pisgah's easier trails can be quite difficult to someone not who is used to our area.
I've heard about how great this Tsali place is--where is it and what's it like?
The Tsali (pronounced Sah-lee) trails are located on a peninsula sticking out into Fontana Lake near Bryson City, Cherokee, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Technically, the trails are located within the Nantahala National Forest at the Tsali Recreation Area.
Tsali's trails are very long, extremely fast, and hardpacked. The hills are long but generally not steep. Of course, there are a few steep hills and technical sections but for the most part, unlike nearby Pisgah, Tsali is smooth sailing. If you ride there, you will most likely find that it lives up to all of the hype it receives.
Where is DSF, what does it stand for, and how are its trails?
The Dupont State Forest (DSF) is just a few miles southeast of Brevard. It is easily accessed by US highway 276. DSF is a relatively new place to ride. It has a large trail system--98 trails--and it's bound to become a very popular riding area. Many acres of land, containing three spectacular waterfalls, lots of trails, and a mountain lake, were added to this forest recently.
Again, the trails at DSF are varied, but they are more like Pisgah (technical, bumpy, hilly) than Tsali (smooth and hardpacked). But one thing that makes DSF so popular right now is the slickrock! Yes, several trails at DSF cross over huge expanses of solid granite, making it a unique destination for those biking in WNC.
Where else is there to ride in WNC?
Though most of WNC's trails are on the public lands mentioned above, there are still a few other places to ride. In WNC's Northern Mountains (or "The High Country"), there are several such places. One is Sugar Mountain Resort, with 20 miles of trails, where you can even load your bike on a ski lift and get hauled to the top of the mountain. There are also several trails near the town of Beech Mountain, right next to Beech Mountain Ski Resort. Elsewhere, there are many gravel roads, both on and off of public lands, available to mountain bikers--within the Nantahala National Forest alone are seven officially-recommended loop rides on gravel roads. There are several gravel roads at South Mountains State Park on which bikes are allowed, also.
Is there lift service anywhere in WNC so I can practice my downhilling skills?
Yes! Sugar Mountain Resort offers lift service to mountain bikers, hikers, and sightseers in the summer. Click here for more information on that or here to go to Sugar's website.
Ok...I have only one day to ride in WNC...where should I go?
It depends on where you're staying, and what difficulty level of a ride you are looking for, but I would recommend trying one of the Best Rides listed on this site. There is probably one that meets both your difficulty and location requirements.
I'm here for several days, and I'd like to take a few rides...where should I go?
Try the Best Rides on this site. Pick one that sounds great for each day--you could start with a lower difficulty level and work your way up; this would allow you to get used to riding conditions in the area and have the most fun. Try picking at least one ride from Pisgah, Tsali, and DSF to get the most out of the varied terrain and conditions we have here in WNC, and plan on staying at each area for at least one day.
If you've got plenty of time, get some maps, look at the Trail Information on this site, and try choosing the trails with things you want on them, to come up with your own rides. Again, the key words here are Pisgah, Tsali, and DSF. If you're going to be riding in Pisgah, buy a Trails Illustrated map of the Pisgah Ranger District, available at most outdoor stores.
Where should I stay in order to hit the best trails in the area?
If you want to camp, try any one of the public campgrounds listed on this campgrounds guide. Many trails are within walking (or riding) distance of these campgrounds.
If you're lodging, Brevard is the best place to stay for mountain biking. This puts you within a 10 minute drive of many trails, and within a 30 minute drive of most trails in Pisgah and DSF.
Asheville is bigger and presents many more lodging options but it's a little further from the trails. The closest trails to Asheville are at Bent Creek, about a 15 minute drive, putting the rest of Pisgah within an hour's drive and DSF within 1 hour 15 minutes.
If you want to ride Tsali, some towns in which you might want to stay are Bryson City, Cherokee, or Fontana Village.
How do I use this site to plan my rides?
Use the links either in the navigation bar at the top of this page or on the home page to get to the site's Main Sections. This is where all the information is. To see what can be found under each of the main sections of this site, take a look at this page.
What's the difference between the "Trailheads" and "Best Rides" sections of this site?
Western NC contains a vast network of mountain bike trails and roads. A "Best Ride" is a fun trip (usually a loop) that might use several different trails and roads in the network. Usually, one or two of these rides can fill up a day's time. So what makes them the "best?" They usually contain something special, like an easy climb to an awesome downhill, or a waterfall and a great view. And rather than trying to figure out which trails would make a good loop, and which direction to ride them, and where the best downhills are, and so on, you can follow these fun routes which have all the information you need to ride them right here on this site. The Trailheads section provides information grouped by area. You'll find a general descriptions, maps, photos, information on places to stay, official contact information for landowners, and data regarding every individual trail within the network for that area. Using this, you can come up with your own rides by linking up trails that interest you. There are potentially hundreds of different loops with all kinds of different highlights that you could come up with. It helps to have knowledge of the area and its trails when doing this, so if you haven't, try a Best Ride (or two) on this site and then start putting together your own.
"Help! I popped my tires and wrecked my frame while trying to ride down the face of Looking Glass Rock. Where can I get some new parts?"
If it's body parts you're talking about, Mission/St. Joseph's Hospital in Asheville will be your best bet. If you survived the fall and just need some bike stuff, then one of the local area bike shops will do just fine. There are many great shops in our area, so there's bound to be one close to the trails you're riding. For details, visit the bike shops page.
