This is your complete guide to the trail network of Bent Creek.
Blaze Color: Blue
USGS Map Number: 665
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Easy, hardpacked trail with an easy creek crossing on the upper end. From Boyd Branch Road to the creek crossing, the trail has been graded and graveled, eliminating a formerly rocky, rooty stretch. The creek crossing itself is no longer technical, with large flat stones paving either side and a hardened, gravel bottom in the crossing itself. No major elevation changes, but if you're heading downhill, this trail can be fast and very fun. Great for beginners who want to sample some singletrack!
Blaze Color: Blue
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 26
USGS Map Number: 329
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Connects the Bent Creek Campground with Bent Creek Gap Road. A smooth, level old roadbed which follows Bent Creek part of the way. Interpretive signs. Mixed pine-hardwood forest. Nice bridge right before intersection with Bent Creek Gap Road.
Blaze Color: Orange
USGS Map Number: 664
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Starting at the Rice Pinnacle parking area to the Deer Lake Lodge site, the trail is paved, and crosses a long wooden bridge. Beyond that, it turns left and is a rolling trail; travels beneath some powerlines (and it was formerly called "powerline trail". Connects the Deer Lake Lodge site to Ledford Branch Road. No major elevation changes.
Blaze Color: Yellow
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 47
USGS Map Number: 335
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Short, but fun loop. Have a few extra minutes after your longer ride at Bent Creek? Hit this one for a nice finish. Steep in places; passes a small wildlife opening. Mostly doubletrack on old roadbeds but one section is true singletrack on the side of a steep slope. Includes one rather technical creek crossing with a slippery, sloping rock and huge roots. Recommended to ride counter-clockwise.
Blaze Color: Yellow
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 50
USGS Map Number: 337
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Travels on mostly old roadbeds; mostly doubletrack. Fast in places. Only a couple of steep sections; re-routed section near Cold Creek Knob Road is true singletrack, and steep, with several switchbacks. Explorer Loop Alternate eliminates this section.
Although we've been riding this for years, it was never an official trail by Forest Service standards. The old trail followed an old road bed from just below North Boundary Road to the top of Laurel Branch Road. The connector between North Boundary and the old road bed, however, was extremely steep, eroded, and unsustainable. In 2006, the Forest Service awarded a contract to build a proper re-route from North Boundary down to the gravel road, re-work the portion on the gravel road, and added the trail to the trail system. Best ridden from the top down, Green's Lick is now a fast, mostly smooth descent of almost 800 feet in 2.5 miles. Most of it is not very steep, but some parts do require your attention. The big news here though is the dozens of large, undulating dirt mounds that were added to the trail. Officially built as water turnouts, these were designed with mountain bikers specifically in mind and make either fantastic jumps or roller coaster like whoop-te-doos. Big banked turns add a little curvature to the mix and a few rocks and roots left here and there spice it up a bit. The trail is just pure fun. It may not be the technical, sit-on-your-tire bomber that it used to be, but most folks won't be disappointed.
Blaze Color: Orange
USGS Map Number: 661
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This trail is a great warmup to the rest of your ride at Bent Creek. From the Hardtimes trailhead, a short climb is followed by a short but fantastic singletrack downhill to Bent Creek Ranch Road. Just bumpy and rocky enough to spice up the extremely fast trail. Trail crosses the road onto a new reroute and ends after a few more yards beside a long wooden bridge on the Deer Lake Lodge trail.
Blaze Color: Orange
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 69
USGS Map Number: 333
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This trail was recently completely re-graded. Most technical obstacles have been removed. Travels along the shore of Lake Powhatan. Passes through the beach area and past the dam, then downstream along Bent Creek. A few fun footbridges and rhododendron tunnels still exist; only one technical creek crossing remains. A fun way around the south side of the lake. Note: just past the beach area, the trail crosses Small Creek on a bridge and the trail is signed as Small Creek, not Homestead. The trails split shortly and Homestead goes left along the lake shore.
Blaze Color: Blue
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 71
USGS Map Number: 150
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Some stretches are level, but has a decent overall elevation change from end to end, making for some steep places and great downhills too. Follows an old road bed on the bottom 3/4; upper 1/4 is built for trail. Recently the entire trail has been re-graded. Rocky and rooty in places but less so since the re-grading, especially just before Ingles Field Gap. Intersects the Ingles Field Connector trail. Climbs from Ledford Branch Road to Ingles Field Gap (a.k.a "The Top" or "4 Corners").
USGS Map Number: 660
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Not my favorite trail. Although it is fun to ride and technical in places, with some creek crossings, the trail is not well signed, has many forks and connects with many user-created side trails. The Forest Service threatens to cite anyone who strays off the "official" trail but won't obliterate or sign which little side trails are closed. Until that happens, this trail is not recommended.
Blaze Color: Yellow
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 82
USGS Map Number: 136
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Starting from Ingles Field Gap, this follows an ancient roadbed along Little Hickory Top's slopes. Makes a great downhill. Rooty and rocky in spots; has a few muddy and wet sections.
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 87
USGS Map Number: 137A
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I recommend riding this from Bent Creek Gap Road down to Boyd Branch road. In this direction, a short, steep climb with loose, medium sized rocks is followed by a delicious downhill (fast and moderately steep/technical) to Laurel Branch road. Beyond this gravel road and Laurel Branch creek is another short but great downhill, which is fast and bumpy with some banked turns. This section passes through two grassy fields.
Blaze Color: Blue
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 94
USGS Map Number: 135
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Near the bottom this is a wide gravel road with large water turn-outs which make great jumps if heading downhill. Higher up, as it approaches Ingles Field Gap, the road narrows into doubletrack and even singletrack. Beyond Ingles Field Gap, the trail is singletrack on the old roadbed, but it is extremely overgrown with thorns (or "jaggers"), vines, and poison ivy. High elevation change.
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 105
USGS Map Number: 336
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Fun, moderately technical and moderately climbing loop. Follows Bent Creek closely along its lower portion; this part is true singletrack with some of it on old roadbeds. Rest is mostly doubletrack on old road beds; some graveled portions. Fast, with a few banked turns.
Blaze Color: Yellow
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 116
USGS Map Number: 145
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Most of this trail was turned into a road during 2005. Although the Forest Service officially calls the trail the same length it used to be, I do not consider a gravel road open to vehicles a "trail". From Ledford Gap to Boyd Branch Road, it is a gravel road and will be permanently maintained that way. From Boyd Branch Road to Ingles Field Gap, it is currently a gravel road but will be allowed to revert to a "trail" over time. This may take a long time, and for now - it's not a trail. The actual trail remains from Little Hickory Top down to Laurel Branch Road and this part is bumpy with lots of rocks and roots in spots. Some large water turn-out mounds have been placed on this part of the trail and they're fun; a few banked curves are thrown in for good measure. Some parts are quite steep.
USGS Map Number: 145
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From Laurel Branch Road and Lower Sidehill trail, this is downhill to Bent Creek Gap Road. A short, fun trail with some great jumps. Passes through a nice hemlock grove.
Blaze Color: Red
Trails Illustrated Map Number: 116
USGS Map Number: 334
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Follows a small creek through young, mixed forests with plenty of the usual rhododendron and mountain laurel. Has recently been re-graded with some new bridges installed. Some parts are steep and some technical sections remain.
Blaze Color: Yellow
USGS Map Number: 666
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Travels through the relatively flat stream bottoms at the base of the mountains. Near the western end of this trail, you can see the hills rising out of the valley, and you'll start to climb them before you reach Ledford Branch Road. There used to be huge, sucking mud holes in places - several of these and small stream crossings were replaced with sturdy wooden bridges on June 2, 2007 - National Trails Day. Moderately technical; lots of ground pine, mountain laurel tunnels, and fern-filled woods; nice scenery; a few creek crossings on bridges or rocks; overall a popular, fun trail.
