Mountain Biking at Alexander Park

General Information

Located in a wooded buffer zone around the Buncombe County Landfill, Alexander Bike Park offers rides about 6 miles of trails on a slope high above the French Broad River. The trails range from smooth and fast (less common) to tight and twisty (more common), but in general they are rated More Difficult and are moderate in aerobic and technical challenge. Some trails follow existing roads but some have been newly constructed for the park.

There are two loop trails in the park. The long loop starts at the French Broad River parking area and travels around the lower section of the park, totaling about 5 miles, and contains the more challenging and fun singletrack and doubletrack. The other loop, just over a mile long, starts at the Special Events parking area and is mostly doubletrack.

In the past, horses, dirtbikes and ATV's have illicitly used the trails. This is causing some tread creep and muddy areas, and it's making doubletrack out of the singletrack. Some sections of trail get overgrown a bit in the summer, but they're in generally good shape.

Directions to Alexander Park

From Asheville, take US 19-23 North to the Marshall/Hot Springs exit. Take this exit (US 25-70) and drive to the second light. Turn left onto Monticello road and follow this until it ends at River Road. Turn right; it is several miles to the signed parking area. The parking area is on either side of River Road.