Mountain Biking Bent Creek

Bent Creek is my favorite Mountain Biking spot in the Southeast, and epitomizes the fun and beauty to be found biking in the North Carolina mountains. Riding is open year round, but spring and fall are ideal when temperatures are still cool and colors are exploding. You can easily spend hours wandering the green singletrack Bent Creek has to offer.

The Lake Powhatan Recreation Area has multiple campsites campgrounds(book early), showers, and a lake with beach for those wishing to make the visit a multi-day adventure, but being so close to Asheville also makes Bent Creek a perfect before or after work destination.

Those looking for a fast rolling single track can spend hours combining the Explorer and intersecting loops surrounding Lake Powhatan. If you are looking for more of a workout there are multiple options to climb up to the ridge at Ingles Gap where you can bomb single track back down to the lake, or continue on up to Green's Lick where a 2 mile descent offers a number of man-made jumps, burms, and obstacles.

There are so many trails packed into this wilderness area that you should plan to spend at least two days ripping through the rhododendron before moving on to other local favorites.

Trail Map

As Asheville has become the hub of Eastern US micro-brewing you have your pick of post-pedal watering holes, but my favorite is still MellowMellow Mushroom Pizza in the heart of the city. The converted gas station is itself a work of local art and has the perfect outside patio for soaking in the sun and cooling down those worn but happy thighs.