Laurel Mountain Best Ride

• Difficulty: Most Difficult
• Total Length: 14 mi
• Trail Tread Condition: Moderately Rough
• Climb: Climbs Moderately
• Total Elevation Gain: 2400 ft
• Trails/Roads Used: Laurel Mountain, Laurel Mountain Connector, Pilot Rock, FR 1206
• Ride Configuration: Loop comprised of singletrack and a gravel road.
• Starting point: Parking area just past Yellow Gap on FR 1206.
• How to Get There: From Asheville, take I-240 west to I-26 east. Take the Asheville Airport exit; go south (right) on NC 280. Just past the intersection with NC 191, make a right at the stoplight onto North Mills River Road and follow the signs to the North Mills River Campground. The road turns gravel here, and the Laurel Mountain trailhead is 3.5 miles past the campground, just over the gap. Park here.

Riding up the Laurel Mountain trail, this 2000' climb begins as a sidehill trail along the steep slopes of Black Mountain, an extension of Laurel Mountain's main ridge. There are a few very technical spots, but for the most part it's a gradual climb with rocky and rooty areas. The trail passes through several gaps, and gets a little steeper after each one. The forest is mostly mixed hardwoods with an understory of laurels and rhododendrons. Watch for bees, they seem to like the sunny, warm south side of Laurel Mountain. The trail passes by a neat rock cave, at which point there is also a good wintertime view. Portions of the trail just past the cave are level and hardpacked with mossy berms on each side. At the fern-filled Good Enough Gap, there is a connector trail to the left that leads down to the Pilot Cove/Slate Rock trail. Keep right; next is an incredibly steep uphill section that will make even the best of us get off and push. After achieving the ridge, the trail will go downhill some, into the grassy, open woods at Turkey Spring Gap. Another short climb follows, through high elevation groundcover of grass and galax. The forest at this point contains more northern hardwood species. The Laurel Mountain Connector trail continues uphill on a short but rough climb, the end of which marks the highest point on the ride and the intersection with the Pilot Rock trail, elevation about 4880'. Check your brakes and make a left here to begin a two and a half mile, 1600' vertical drop downhill. It is very rocky and steep, with numerous sharp switchbacks. Boasting incredible views, the trail passes right above huge rock outcroppings and cliffs on its violently bumpy journey down to the valley far below. Beyond the switchbacks, the trail passes through a technical "rock garden", with huge boulders and big rocks piled everywhere. This is, geologically speaking, a "block field," composed of boulders that have broken free and rolled down from the mountainside above due to freeze-thaw forces. Past this the trail gets less rocky and there are many waterbars. Near the bottom of the downhill, the trail will cross an old logging road and pick back up with some more waterbars. Then you'll cross the upper reaches of Bradley Creek on a small log bridge, and intersect FR 1206, which you'll follow all the way back to your car. Make a left here. This gravel road is very scenic, fast, and fun as it follows Bradley Creek downstream. Watch for vehicles. The road breaks away from Bradley Creek and follows a tributary, Yellow Gap Creek, upstream for a moderate climb. There have been landslides in this area, making some impressive scars in the mountainside to your left. This climb will bring you back to the trailhead and starting point.