The Best Mountain Bike Rides in Western North Carolina

Find a Ride

There are dozens and dozens of trails available for mountain biking in Western North Carolina, but how do you piece them together into a good ride? We've done that work for you!

Our Best Rides represent many of Western North Carolina's not-to-miss routes. You can find the perfect ride to get started in the time you have, based on its features and highlights, difficulty, and length.

Each ride contains complete details and directions. Nearly all of them form a core route through a larger trail network, so you can use them as the basis for exploring nearby as well. Once you find what you're interested in, each ride's guide contains all the information you need to print out and take on your next trip!

Rides by Difficulty: Easy | Moderate | More Difficult | Most Difficult

Each ride has its own printable guide page with all the information and links, including (where available):

• directions to the starting point
• difficulty
• length
• elevation change
• a map
• photos from along the way, and
• a detailed description and trail directions.

Find a Ride By Location

To find a ride by its location instead, visit the Trailheads section where you can narrow it down by area and on a map. Each Best Ride here ultimately points to a Guided Ride within a Trailhead area.