Daniel Ridge Best Ride

• Difficulty: More Difficult
• Total Length: 4 mi
• Trail Tread Condition: Moderately Rough
• Climb: Climbs Moderately
• Total Elevation Gain: 800 ft
• Ride Configuration: Loop with very short out-and-back
• Starting point: Trailhead parking area along FR 475, near the Pisgah Fish Hatchery
• How to Get There: From Asheville, take I-240 west to I-26 east to the exit for the Asheville Airport (exit 9). Turn right onto NC 280; follow this 4-lane highway toward Brevard for 16 miles. At the intersection with US highways 276 and 64, turn right onto US 276 west (follow signs for Pisgah National Forest). Follow this road for 5.2 miles; turn left onto FR 475 (signs for the fish hatchery will be seen). The fish hatchery is 1.4 miles past the turn, then FR 475 turns to gravel. The parking area is 2.5 miles beyond where the road turns gravel, on the right.

This ride starts out on a gravel forest road, and you'll soon cross over the pristine Davidson River on a concrete bridge. You will then reach the intersection with the Daniel Ridge Loop trail. The trail continues on a level gravel road, a little narrower now. This gravel road takes you deep into the valley, alongside the Davidson River (really just a stream at this point), and it passes several nice cascades. You will also pass and old "fish rearing station," as shown on the old USGS maps. The road gradually deteriorates, getting rockier and a little steeper, and higher up the hillside. At the old stone and log bridge, you leave the road behind. Here also the stream splits, and the Davidson River ends. You'll turn more steeply uphill onto a trail and begin following the Right Fork (probably the Right Fork of Daniel Ridge Creek, but who knows?). There are more cascades along this stream also. The trail immediately becomes quite rocky, moderately technical, and moderately steep. There are places where the trail is quite narrow as it clings to the steep mountainside. It is a near vertical drop to the boulder-strewn stream below to your left. Large trees line each side of the trail. At the intersection with the Farlow Gap trail, there is a set of log steps, and then the Daniel Ridge trail makes a sharp right to begin following an old logging roadbed. A couple of small stream crossings later, the trail leaves the old roadbed and heads left, uphill. This is another fairly steep uphill and there are a couple of switchbacks. The trail then travels through open and grassy woods, with tall, straight poplars and beeches, and wintertime views of the surrounding mountains. The trail will pass through a high saddle, which marks the highest point on the ride (elevation 3400'). It's surrounded by a beautiful forest, with tall oaks, poplars, beeches, and hemlocks (eastern and a few of the Carolina variety). Several out-of-place red spruce saplings also grow here, as well as the standard mountain laurel and rhododendron. The trail will then begin the fun downhill, which is pretty rocky in spots and moderately steep. There are some large water turnouts which make great jumps. You'll pass through some wildlife openings and cross a small stream which flows across solid rock. Past the logging road, the trail winds through a relatively high and flat cove. It passes through tunnels of twisted mountain laurel and crosses several small streams on log bridges, several of which are well-designed and can be ridden. The singletrack becomes narrow and twisty. It will then cross and begin to follow the main stream (Tom Springs Branch) out of this flat, and the trail passes right by the very top of 160' Daniel Ridge Falls (also called Toms Spring Falls or Jackson Falls). It curves right for one last great downhill, sporting one switchback, as it descends the distance of the falls. A small set of log steps will put you on FR 5046. The ride continues right but to see the falls, turn left and ride a few feet, and turn left again onto the small trail, and you can ride right up to the base of Daniel Ridge Falls. This waterfall spreads over a granite dome, then splits into several showery freefalls and rock-hugging slides before finally cascading down the rest of the mountainside. To finish the ride, follow the gravel road back downhill. It's a short but smooth, fast, and fun stretch with some nice turns. You'll close the loop by bearing left to cross the concrete bridge again on the way back to the parking lot. The cold, deep, clear "swimming hole" found on your left as you cross the concrete bridge is quite inviting on a hot summer day!