The Best More Difficult Mountain Bike Rides in Western North Carolina
Easy | Moderate | More Difficult | Most Difficult
This page includes all More Difficult rides.
Fletcher Creek
8.4mi, More Difficult
- Climbing: Climbs Steeply
- Tread Condition: Climbs Steeply
This tributary of Mills River has many popular trails in its watershed. This ride features a difficult climb, ridge riding, a very steep and technical downhill, technical singletrack, and gravel road cruising. It also includes the awesome Fletcher Creek singletrack trail, which is a fast downhill through lush forests and open fields. Also be sure to check out the Hendersonville Reservoir and Dam for scenery.
Eastern Slickrock
5.4mi, More Difficult
- Climbing: Hilly
- Tread Condition: Hilly
Loop ride features slickrock riding, significant climbs, technical sections, jumps, and fast trails. A blast. Highly Recommended!
Daniel Ridge
4mi, More Difficult
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
An all-around moderate trail: not too steep, pretty rocky, somewhat rooty, and moderately technical. The only thing not moderate is how fun it is: that's extreme! Includes scenic streams with many cascades, stream crossings, beautiful open forest, wintertime views, rideable log bridges, rhododendron tunnels, and even a fast gravel road section. To top it all off, you can stay on your bike right up to the 160-foot Daniel Ridge Falls near the end of the ride.
Picklesimer Fields
11mi, More Difficult
- Climbing: Climbs Steeply
- Tread Condition: Climbs Steeply
Travels beside a scenic creek with rushing waterfalls and calm, meandering sections, and through beautiful forests. You'll ride through the open, grassy Picklesimer Fields themselves. The route includes long/moderate and short/steep uphills, a screaming fast singletrack/gravel road downhill, a long gravel road climb and downhill, views, jumps, creek crossings, mud, and fast, rolling, beautiful singletrack.
Flat Laurel Creek
7.0mi, More Difficult
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
High-elevation ride on rough trails and smooth pavement.
Staire Creek (Big Ivy North Tour)
7.3mi, More Difficult
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
Travels through a very scenic, lush forest with huge trees. This ride has a steep gravel road climb, gravel road cruising, many streams, cascades and waterfalls including Walker Falls, a very steep, technical singletrack downhill, and a cave. A remote, rugged area surrounds the ride.
Douglas Falls (Big Ivy South Tour)
8.9mi, More Difficult
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
Leisurely gravel road cruising through lush forests with cascading streams brings you to the Douglas Falls trail, a 1/2 mile hike to a 60-foot, free-falling waterfall. Return on a less-traveled gravel road and pick up a little-used, steep, technical downhill for a fun finish.
