Biking the High Country of NC
Regardless of your skill level or preferred style of biking, you can easily find a perfect spot to practice it. One of the great benefits of cycling in the High Country is that area residents take unusual heed of riders due to the fact that they accustomed to sharing the road with them. There is some of the best Mountain Biking Trails as well as Road Biking throughout the High Country and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here is some of the information to help you get started as to how you might spend your time biking the high country.
| Rocky Knob Park is a 185 Acre Park that has (or will soon have) 3 mountain bike trails. The firs 1.6 mile trail has been completed. It is the easiest trail. Professional Trail Companies, as well as countless volunteers, are currently working on the Intermediate level Trail, and then they will move on to the Advanced Mountain Bike Trail. When complete Rocky Knob will host 6-8 miles of mountain bike trails for all skill levels, three shelters, an adventure playground, and picnic areas. |
| Location: |
Boone, North Carolina |
| Welcome to Beech Mountain, eastern America`s highest town (elevation 5506 feet), where you can follow the route of Lance Armstrong and the Tour Du Pont or enjoy 50 miles of great riding on the town`s road bike routes. Beech is a bikers mountain offering something for everyone. Annually, hundreds of bikers ascend the south side of the mountain from Banner Elk to the site of the Tour Du Pont finish line. A climb in elevation of 1400 feet in three and half miles, the Beech Mountain Parkway offers a great route most of the year. Once on Beech, a variety of great biking awaits you with the town`s 51.20 miles of paved bike routes. All routes begin at the visitors center, adjacent to the town hall. |
| Location: |
Beech Mountain, North Carolina |
| Mountain biking on Beech Mountain defies comparison. Trails meander through a beautifully stunted forest of twisted birch and beech trees above 5000 feet. Unlike the dense forests of Pisgah, the woods are open and covered with grass and fern. The stunning views require attention: the Northern Peaks come into view on one side as do the Roan Highlands on the other. The trails are an old school mix of twisty, turny, rooty singletrack that climb and descend constantly. If you learned to mountain bike in the late 80s and early 90s, you’ll feel like you are coming home. If you are new school, then this style will quickly add to you skill base. Perhaps most interestingly, the trails leave from town and take you into the remote Outback. This area is worth a visit. Advanced. |
| Location: |
Beech Mountain, North Carolina |
| This site offers information on road cycling in the Blue Ridge High Country, including Route Updates, things to know about your bike and your gear, etc. |
| Location: |
High Country North Carolina |
| The Blue Ridge Parkway is a great road for cyclists not only because of its breathtaking scenery but for the challenging terrain it offers. There are many great spots to give your legs and lungs a rest and picnic or simply relax before continuing your ride. |
| Location: |
Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, NC |
| Miles of hiking and biking trails intertwine throughout the Village of Sugar Mountain and are accessible from many points throughout the Village and Sugar Mountain Resort. Daily trail access is free of charge through October 16th from dawn until dusk. Lift rides are available every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am until 5:30pm. For bike riders, specially made hooks on the backs of the chairs carry your bike to the top. |
| Location: |
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina |
| Phone: |
828-898-4521 |
| Toll Free: |
800-SUGARMT |
| A favorite place for a leisurely bicycle ride in north-western North Carolina is a local access highway named Railroad Grade Road that runs between Fleetwood and Todd, a distance of 10 miles. The road, as its name implies, is built on an old railroad grade and is practically flat — not one hill to climb! It is paved, but too narrow to have a center stripe; in fact, it is so narrow in places that when two cars meet one has to pull halfway off the road. |
| Location: |
Todd, North Carolina |
| The Virginia Creeper is a shared-use trail (mountain biking, hiking, equine) connecting Abingdon, Virginia, with the Virginia-North Carolina border, with a total length of 34.5 miles. The former rail bed passes through the Mount Rogers National Recreation area and the highland country of Southwestern Virginia. The Virginia Creeper Trail is rich in beauty and regional history. This is a biking adventure that you and your friends will talk about for a long time. |
| Location: |
Abington and Damascus, Virginia |
| Meanwhile, the Beech Mountain Adventure Trail Park officially opened its Emerald Outback section on May 1 2011. The 8-plus miles of Emerald Outback trails range in elevation from 4,700 to 5,400 feet, giving the park the distinction of being among the highest such venues on the East Coast. The park features a combination of single track, double track and gravel road trails traversing the mountaintop, all accessible from a trail head in the town of Beech Mountain. The Emerald Outback is the first phase of the Beech Mountain Adventure Trail Park, which will grow to three phases encompassing 25 miles of trails. It was designed by mountain bikers, hikers and trail runners to meet the recreational demands of serious outdoor enthusiasts. |
| Location: |
Beech Mountain, North Carolina |
| Phone: |
1-828-387-2011 |
| Toll Free: |
1-800-438-2093 |
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