USFS National Forest System Trails · National Forests in North Carolina · North Carolina · Updated June 2026
Butter Gap (USFS trail TR123) is a 2.7 mi trail in National Forests in North Carolina, North Carolina. Mountain bikes are designated as allowed year-round, with no Class 1 e-bike designation on record.
Can I bike Butter Gap?
| Use | Status | Season on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain bike | Allowed | year-round |
| Class 1 e-bike (pedal-assist, 20 mph) | Restricted | — |
| Class 2 e-bike (throttle, 20 mph) | Restricted | — |
| Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist, 28 mph) | Restricted | — |
Zooming out: across National Forests in North Carolina, 88% of rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes — a Bike Access Grade of A.
Watch National Forests in North Carolina for access changes
Email me when USFS mountain-bike or e-bike designations change for trails in National Forests in North Carolina. Free, unsubscribe anytime.
About this trail
In National Forests in North Carolina, North Carolina, Butter Gap (USFS trail TR123) covers 2.7 mi of National Forest System trail. This profile summarizes what the official US Forest Service trail record says about riding it: how long the trail is, what it's built on, how steep the route grades out, and which forms of bike use the agency has designated. The tread is mapped as native material. USFS slope data puts it in the Advanced band (grade band +12-20%), meaning a steep climb — keep in mind this measures steepness, not trail technicality. Mountain bikes are allowed, open year-round in the data. No e-bike class (1, 2 or 3) is designated on this trail in the USFS data, so treat it as a non-motorized route unless a posted order says otherwise. The route is mapped as USFS Trail Class 3 on the agency's 1-to-5 development scale, where 1 is the most primitive, minimally maintained tread and 5 is the most developed. For day-of certainty on closures or seasonal orders, check directly with the ranger district, since this reflects the USFS data as of the latest refresh.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you mountain bike on Butter Gap?
- Yes. Mountain bikes are designated as allowed on Butter Gap in National Forests in North Carolina, year-round, per USFS data.
- Are e-bikes allowed on Butter Gap?
- No e-bike class (1, 2 or 3) is designated on Butter Gap in the USFS data.
- How long is Butter Gap?
- Butter Gap measures about 2.7 mi in total, summed across its mapped National Forest System segments.
- What is the surface of Butter Gap?
- USFS data records the tread surface of Butter Gap as native material.
- How difficult is Butter Gap?
- Its grade-based difficulty is Advanced (grade band +12-20%), derived from USFS slope data. This reflects steepness, not technical mountain-bike difficulty.
How we read this data
Grade-based difficulty above is the USFS grade (route steepness), not a technical mountain-bike rating — a gentle-grade trail can still be rocky or technical, and vice versa. Bike and e-bike status come verbatim from the USFS managed-use fields for this trail; we never infer access we can't cite. See our methodology for how the dataset is built and what each field means.
Where it is
Approximate location of National Forests in North Carolina (USFS trail geometry isn't mapped).
Where to stay near National Forests in North Carolina
Find hotels, cabins, and vacation rentals near National Forests in North Carolina — plan your ride.
Top-rated places to stay near National Forests in North Carolina
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Riding National Forests in North Carolina?
Trail-access updates and trip ideas by email.
More trails in National Forests in North Carolina
14.2 mi · Advanced grade
12.2 mi · Advanced grade
10.8 mi · Advanced grade
10 mi · Advanced grade
9.1 mi · Advanced grade
8.9 mi · Advanced grade