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General Information

Located southeast of Brevard in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 10,400 acre Dupont State Forest (DSF) offers mountain bikers a dense trail system of nearly 100 miles. This has made Brevard, NC ground zero for some of the best mountain biking in the eastern United States!

Dupont State Forest provides excellent riding and a unique experience - slickrock! Vaguely like the famous trails at Moab, Utah, here you can ride over large granite domes interspersed with scubby pine trees. However, unlike Moab, other trails in DSF lead to four spectacular waterfalls along the Little River plus two others on tributaries. Other fun trails twist through the woods, offering more traditional Carolina riding. Trails are multi-use (biking, hiking, and equestrian) and they are well signed and well marked.

There are five main parking areas at DSF. See directions below for their names and locations. Most have portable toilet facilities and an information board, displaying good advice for using the area, rules and regulations, events, and a good map. It is recommended that you carry a map, however, because there are lots of trails intersections in DSF. This makes for countless loop options, but it can make getting lost easier as well.

When the rains come down (and around here they do a lot!), riding in Pisgah can become next to impossible due to the clayey and organic soils, which become large mud pits. Not so much in Dupont! This is not to say that there's no mud, but most trails here have rocky or solid rock surfaces, and many of the soils are very sandy and drain quickly. So if you're 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

Conservation Road Reopened! (3/4/08)

Conservation Road is once again open, which is one of the few routes connecting the South side of Dupont State Forest with the North side. You can now easily visit attractions like High Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Lake Juilia without having to drive from one side of the forest to the other! Thanks to DuPont for donating the land needed to make this happen to the Forest Service. I will have the Dupont State Forest maps updated soon.

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

Conservation Road below Lake Julia Once Again Blocked (7/22/06)

Conservation Road, the most convenient route from High Falls to Bridal Veil Falls, has once again been gated and blocked. DuPont corporation, the Forest's namesake, has once again taken over the industrial facility in the heart of the State Forest for the purpose of cleaning up the polluted site. Until this is finished, and the remainder of the land is transferred to the State, the road will likely remain blocked.

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 partly due to the 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 (a new trail design, maintenance and construction company which won a bid to do trail work in Dupont) 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 (an EXCELLENT, highly recommended new trail), the Laurel Ridge trail which has been re-routed, and Corn Mill Shoals road, part of which has been re-routed. You will not be disappointed!

Special Considerations:

When riding on granite, watch closely for blazes painted on the rocks and rock cairns (small piles of rocks) to mark the trail. Avoid stepping or riding on moss and fragile vegetation growing between the rock. The moss will die wherever a bike tire or shoe treads on it even once. Ride only on trails with the bike symbol posted at the beginning. Do not cross onto private lands surrounding the State Forest. Be very careful near waterfalls! Do not block gates when you park, and wear bright colors during hunting season.

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 a good topographic map of DSF before your ride. These are found at several local bike shops and are provided by Friends of Dupont State Forest for $6.00.

Directions to DSF

There are 5 main parking areas. From Asheville, take take I-240 west to I-26 east to the exit for Asheville Airport (exit 40). Head south (right) on NC 280 (4-lane highway) toward Brevard for 16 miles. At the stoplight and intersection with US 64 & 276 you are in Pisgah Forest. Turn left on US 64 East; from here there are brown signs leading to DSF. Drive 3.7 miles and turn right on Crab Creek Road. Drive 4.3 miles and turn right on Dupont Road.

From there, continue to the following parking areas

Hooker Falls Parking Area (Closest access to Little River Waterfalls):
Stay straight on Dupont Road, which turns into Staton Road. The parking area is on the right at 3.1 miles, just before the concrete bridge. The trail to Triple and High Falls starts on the other side of the bridge.

Guion Farm Parking Area:
Go 0.7 miles on Dupont Road and turn left onto Sky Valley Road. The parking area is on the right after 1.4 miles.

Buck Forest Parking Area:
Continue past the Hooker Falls parking area (above) about 1 mile to the parking area on the left.

Corn Mill Shoals Parking Area:
Continue past the Buck Forest Parking Area. Turn left when the road dead-ends on Cascade Lake Road. The parking area is about 1 mile on the right.

New Fawn Lake Parking Area:
Go past the Corn Mill Shoals Parking Area above. After approximately 2 miles, turn left on Reasonover Road. Follow Reasonover for about 2.5 miles to the paved 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/