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USFS National Forest System Trails · North Carolina · Updated June 2026

National Forests in North Carolina Mountain Bike Trails

ABike Access Grade A — 88% of rideable miles open to bikes. How we grade

National Forests in North Carolina earns a Bike Access Grade of A: 88% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Excellent — most rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access too.

National Forests in North Carolina carries 2,074 mi of mapped National Forest System trail, of which 445 mi across 207 segments is designated for mountain bikes, typically open Year-round. Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 43 segments (76.1 mi).

Reviewed by CanIBikeHere Editorial Team · Updated
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What the USFS data shows for National Forests in North Carolina

Of the 2,074 mi of mapped trail in National Forests in North Carolina, 21% — 445 mi across 207 bike-designated segments — is open to mountain bikes in USFS travel-management data.

Tread is overwhelmingly native dirt: USFS lists native material on 655 of 699 surfaced segments (94%).

On the USFS difficulty rating, advanced is the most common designation here — 562 of 700 rated segments (80%) — across all uses, not bikes alone.

USFS records a year-round bike season for this forest, though 3 different season windows still appear on individual segments at higher elevation.

The longest single named bike segment in the data is South Mills River at 14.16 mi on native dirt, rated advanced by USFS and open Year-round.

Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 43 segments (76.1 mi), and 14 segments carry an ADA-accessibility flag in the same dataset.

A
Bike Access Grade
88% of rideable miles bike-open
193
Ridable trails
with their own page
445 mi
Bike-designated
207 segments
2,074 mi
Total NFS trail
700 segments
76.1 mi
Class 1 e-bike
43 segments

Trail surface

  • Native Material655
  • Asphalt18
  • Imported Compacted Material10
  • Crushed Aggregate Or Gravel5
  • Water5

USFS trail class (1 = primitive · 5 = developed)

  • Class 3456
  • Class 2188
  • Class 425
  • Class 117
  • Class 514

21% of this forest's mapped trail is bike-designated. Note: USFS records trail grade (steepness), not technical MTB difficulty — we surface grade where present but do not infer a black/blue/green rating from it.

Largest bike-designated trails

TrailMilesSurfaceTrail classBike season
South Mills River14.16Native Material—Year-round
Wilson Ridge12.22Native Material—Year-round
Tsali Right Loop10.76Native Material—Year-round
Woods Mountain9.99Native Material—Year-round
Tsali Left Loop9.14Native Material—Year-round
Wayehutta Loop8.93Native Material——
Black Mountain8.44Native Material—Year-round
Squirrel Gap7.94Native Material—Year-round
Laurel Mountain6.99Native Material—Year-round
Dave Thompson Loop6.73Native Material—Year-round
Keyauwee6.44Native Material—Year-round
Buckhorn Gap6.33Native Material—Year-round
Mouse Branch Loop6.3Native Material—Year-round
Yancey Ridge6.17Native Material—Year-round
Powerline Road5.99Native Material—Year-round
Brown Mountain 25.64Native Material——
Turkey Pen Gap5.37Native Material—Year-round
Pink Beds Loop5.14Native Material—Jan–Apr, Oct–Dec
Bradley Creek5.09Native Material—Year-round
North Boundary4.89Native Material—Year-round
Brown Mountain 94.88Native Material——
Brown Mountain 1a4.88Native Material—Apr–Dec
Spencer Gap4.8Native Material—Year-round
Brown Mountain 14.79Native Material—Apr–Dec
Big Creek4.73Native Material—Year-round

Every trail in National Forests in North Carolina

All 193 ridable trails in this forest — every trail where USFS data designates mountain-bike or Class 1 e-bike use, grouped by grade-based steepness. Grade reflects slope, not technical difficulty. Each trail links to its full data profile.

Easy grade (24)

Gentle grade band (shallow average slope).

Intermediate grade (16)

Moderate grade band.

Advanced grade (153)

Steep grade band.

CSV

National Forests in North Carolina bike-legal trail list (CSV)

Download all 193 bike- and Class 1 e-bike-designated trails in National Forests in North Carolina — name, miles, surface, grade, season, and e-bike class per trail, straight from USFS data.

E-bikes in National Forests in North Carolina

Class 1 on 43 segments · Class 2 on 43 · Class 3 on 43. See full e-bike rules for National Forests in North Carolina →

Where it is

Approximate center of National Forests in North Carolina. USFS trail geometry isn't mapped here — use the ranger district for trailheads.

Frequently asked questions

What is the bike access grade for National Forests in North Carolina?
National Forests in North Carolina earns a Bike Access Grade of A: 88% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Excellent — most rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access too.
How many miles of mountain bike trail are in National Forests in North Carolina?
National Forests in North Carolina has about 445 mi of bike-designated trail across 207 segments, out of 2,074 mi of total National Forest System trail.
What is the riding season in National Forests in North Carolina?
Most bike-designated trails in National Forests in North Carolina carry a Year-round season in USFS data; higher-elevation trails clear later.
Are e-bikes allowed in National Forests in North Carolina?
Only where designated. Class 1 e-bikes are recorded on 43 segments. See the e-bike rules page for the class-by-class breakdown.

Where to stay near National Forests in North Carolina

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