Mountain Biking Dupont State Forest

Overview

Located southeast of Brevard in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 10,400 acre Dupont State Forest (DSF) offers mountain bikers nearly 100 miles of varied trails. While some of the trails here are typical for the region, a few others provide an experience not commonly found in the southern Appalachians: slickrock!

Vaguely resembling the famous trails at Moab, Utah, you can ride over large, solid granite domes interspersed with scrubby pine trees. But unlike Moab, connecting trails lead through dense forests to four spectacular waterfalls along the Little River, plus two other waterfalls on tributaries. Trails here are almost all multi-use (biking, hiking, and equestrian) with good signage at all intersections.

There are five main parking areas at DSF. Most have portable toilet facilities and an information board with rules and regulations, events, and a good map. However, we recommend also carrying a map yourself, because there are a lot of trails intersections in DSF's dense trail network. This makes for countless options when planning a ride, but it can make getting lost a possibility as well.

When the rain comes down (and around here it does that a lot), riding in the nearby Pisgah National Forest can be next to impossible on wet trails, which become long mud pits. That's not as big of an issue in Dupont. That's not to say that there's no mud on trails in Dupont, but for several reasons, it's less prevalent: most of the trails have rocky or solid rock surfaces, and the soil tends to be very sandy and quick to drain. Furthermore, many of Dupont's top attractions can be reached by well-drained, graded gravel roads. So if you're visiting the area for a short time and are forced to ride during or right after a rain, this is a good place to go. Try the Cedar Rock/Burnt Mountain loop for a great example of quick-drying trails.

Dupont State Forest News

Galax Trail Closed as of August 2010 (posted 5/11/2011)

The Galax trail, which was built to connect the Hooker Falls parking area with Triple an High Falls, has been closed due to erosion. This is disappointing, since the trail was built using supposedly "sustainable" techniques, and its construction was even led by the IMBA Trail Care Crew soon after the waterfall area was opened to the public. It simply couldn't stand up to the heavy traffic it received (especially horses). Furthermore, it was an important link for mountain bikers to avoid some long, bothersome circumnavigation to get around within Dupont. I didn't even post this when the trail closed, thinking it would be a short time before they reopened such an important trail - but it's been closed for 8 months as of this writing with no sign of it being repaired. I'll keep watching for news that the trail might be reopening soon, but until then I'd recommend parking at the High Falls (old Buck Forest) or Corn Mill Shoals parking areas to ride.

Conservation Road Permanently Reopened (3/4/08)

Conservation Road below the Lake Julia Dam is once again open, which is one of the few routes connecting the South side of Dupont State Forest with the North side, and this time the opening should be permanent. You can now easily visit attractions like High Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Lake Juilia all in one trip, without having to drive from one side of the forest to the other! Thanks to DuPont Corporation for donating the land to the N.C. Forest Service, which was needed to make this happen.

For more information, see this article on BlueRidgeNow.com.

Innovative Trail Repairs Fix Erosion and Make For Some Great Riding!

Dupont State Forest's trails have received tons of public support in the form of maintenance and repair, thanks partly to their notoriety. But part of the love has come strictly due to need. Many of DSF's trails follow old roads or ATV trails that were never designed to be stable, erosion-resistant (sustainable) trails. Volunteers in cooperation with Trail Dynamics have made great strides toward making DSF's trails less likely to erode - and consequently, much more fun to ride! For some great examples, check out the Cedar Rock trail (for rock armoring), the Galax trail (a brand new trail), the lower Airstrip trail (a highly recommended new trail), the Laurel Ridge trail (which was recently re-routed), and Corn Mill Shoals trail (part of which has been re-routed). You will not be disappointed!

Special Considerations

• When riding on granite "slickrock", watch closely for blazes painted on the rocks and rock cairns (small piles of rocks) to mark the trail.
• Avoid stepping or riding on the moss and fragile vegetation growing between the rock areas. This vegetation has to try to survive in harsh environmental conditions, and it can die wherever a bike tire or shoe treads on it.
• Ride only on trails with the bike symbol posted at the beginning. Bikes are prohibited on trails where the bike symbol is crossed out.
• Do not cross onto private lands surrounding or surrounded by the State Forest.
• Be very careful near waterfalls! Climbing on waterfalls and the surrounding rocks is prohibited.
• Do not block gates when you park.
• Wear bright colors during hunting season - hunting is allowed in the forest.

For more information on other activities at DSF, including maps, recent news and information on volunteer opportunities, visit the DupontForest.com - a fantastic site. Also, pick up the good topographic map of DSF before your ride. These can be found at several local bike shops, and a portion of sales goes to support Friends of Dupont State Forest - a non-profit working hard to support recreation and conservation in Dupont.

Directions

There are several parking areas at DuPont State Forest, and the way to get to them varies quite a bit since it's a large forest. The following directions are from Asheville; see the maps to get directions from your location.

To the NC 280/US 64/US 276 Intersection:

From downtown (Map Point A), take I-240 west to I-26 east. Go about 12 miles and take Exit 40 for the Asheville Airport/NC Hwy. 280. Turn right toward Brevard, and go south on 280 (a 4-lane highway) for 16 miles to the big intersection with US Hwy. 64/276. Directions below continue from this intersection.

North Side Parking Areas

Hooker Falls Parking Area (Map Point B):

From the intersection above, turn left on US 64 East and drive 3.7 miles. Turn right on Crab Creek Road. Drive 4.3 miles and turn right on Dupont Road. Go 3.1 miles to the parking area on the right. (The road changes to Staton Road along the way. It will climb and then begin a long downhill, at the bottom of which is the bridge over the Little River. The parking area is on the right just before the bridge.)

Buck Forest Parking Area (Map Point C):

Continue past the Hooker Falls parking area (above) about 1 mile to this parking area on the left.

Guion Farm Parking Area (Map Point D):

From the intersection above, turn left on US 64 East and drive 3.7 miles. Turn right on Crab Creek Road. Drive 4.3 miles and turn right on Dupont Road. Go 0.7 miles and turn left onto Sky Valley Road. The parking area is on the right after 1.4 miles.

South Side Parking Areas

Larger Map and Directions From Your Location

From the intersection above, continue straight on the 4-lane highway about 3.5 miles to downtown Brevard. Turn turn left on US 276 (Main St.). Go just under 11 miles on 276 and turn left on Cascade Lake Road, at the Cedar Mountain Fire Department building (with the red metal roof).

Corn Mill Shoals Parking Area (Map Point B):

After you turn onto Cascade Lake Road, the parking area is about two miles on the left, lined with huge boulders and with an information board in the back of the lot. The Corn Mill Shoals Road trail starts across the road from the parking lot.

Fawn Lake Parking Area (Map Point C):

After you turn onto Cascade Lake Road, pass the fire station and make an immediate right onto Reasonover Road. Follow Reasonover for about 2.5 miles to the parking area entrance on the left.

Places to Stay

Campgrounds

Public camping is not available within Dupont State Forest itself. Please visit one of the recommended private campgrounds below.

Black Forest Family Camping Resort
This campground is located 4 miles from the trailhead at the Dupont State Forest, making it the closest place to DSF to camp. Tent sites as well as RV sites with hookups are available and it gets rave reviews from visitors each year.
http://www.blackforestcampground.com

Lodging

Big Branch Cabins
Experience the best of a Blue Ridge Mountain getaway in beautiful Brevard, North Carolina! Enjoy our charming mountain cabins and our 12 private, wooded acres, bordered by thousands of acres of forestry land. You'll be just a short distance from Dupont State Forest, Pisgah National Forest, Gorges State Park, and Nantahala National Forest including the spectacular Whitewater Falls, highest in the Eastern US. You can hike the Big Branch trail to stream, or enjoy nature in the surrounding thousands of acres of public forest lands. Our two-bedroom cabins are decorated with unique antiques & include a fully functional kitchen, AC, TV/DVD, bed linens/towels, covered porches, outdoor grills, washer/dryer, and a picnic area.
http://www.bigbranchcabins.com/

Serenade Cove
After wearing out the tread, you'll need a good bed! Rustic elegance abounds in this recently renovated cabin on 22 private acres. Just a 10 minute drive from Dupont State Forest and a 12 minute drive from the entrance to Pisgah National Forest, this home has a fully equipped kitchen, an open living/dining room with gas-log fireplace and hardwood floors throughout. The main floor features two bedrooms with queen size beds (one Tempurpedic) and a full tile bath. Upstairs you'll find a loft with two twin beds and a half bath. Amenities include a covered deck with views of Fodderstack mountain, high speed wireless Internet, satellite TV, DVD player with movies, Wii gaming system, gas grill, full-size washer and dryer, dishwasher, bed and bath linens, lockable storage shed for gear and walking trails on the property. Accommodates 6 people.
http://deerridgepm.com/rentals/serenade-cove/

DupontForest.com
For more information on the Dupont State Forest, visit this excellent web site. Get current news, user policy information, maps, and more. Site produced by Friends of Dupont Forest.