Trail is
Avg Rating:   |
10 trail reviews |
Difficulty:  - Advanced |
|
| Length: 12 miles | Global Rank: #224 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Loop |
| Ridden: 69 | Wishlist: 60 |
| 5 trail check-ins |
Climb // Descend +3,600 // -3,200 feet |
| Average Speed: 6.2 mph | Average Time: 1hr 57min |
Directions
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Description
This ride is also known as the "Clawhammer". It's an amazing ride especially if you like technical singletracks. It's a tough (mostly gravel road) climb for over 7 miles, the last 1.5 of which is mostly pushing (unless you got crazy technical skills). But it is worth it for the amazing cliff-top view from clawhammer mountain, AND for the awesome 1900 vertical foot downhill. The downhill is very rocky and rooty with plenty of waterbars. Very fun and worth the climb!
The route: Park at the ranger station. Turn right onto the main road (US 276).
Mile 0.7 Turn right onto gravel road. FS 477
Mile 2.4 Horse stables. Turn Right (behind stables) up Clawhammer Rd
Mile 3.5 Maxwell Cove rd enters from right. Stay left on Clawhammer
Mile 6.8 5-way trail junction. Turn hard right onto Black Mountain Trail.
(this is where most of us will have to push)
Mile 8.0 Awesome cliff-top view. Elevation is ~4200 ft. You cross two summits
during this part of the ride (Clawhammer and Black Mountain).
After the second summit, the fun downhill finally starts!
Mile 8.6 Turkey Pen Gap enters from left. Stay on Black Mountain (white blaze)
Mile 9.6 Another 5-way junction with trails and old roads. Stay straight on
Black Mountain Trail (look for white dot because there wasnt a sign
here)
***ALTERNATE ROUTE: if your tired of the technical stuff, turn right
here instead (Maxwell Cove Road). This is a good gravel downhill but
WATCH FOR HORSES! It will run back into Clawhammer rd. Turn left
back down to the stables. ***
Mile 11.0 Thrift Cove Trail enters from left. Stay on Black Mountain Trail.
Mile 12.1 Mountains to Sea exits left. Stay right on Black Mountain Trail.
Mile 12.2 Thrift Cove Trail enters from left again. Stay Right.
Mile 12.5 Turn right on main road. US 276. Pass work station
Mile 12.8 Turn right and finish at Ranger station.
Get maps, pics, and other suggested routes at www.mtbikewnc.com. Under Best Rides, click on Black Mountain.
irishpitbull on June 5, 2012
Markham Park (75%)
Alafia River State Park (75%)
Heritage Park (63%)
Amelia Earhart Park (63%)
To view directions to Black Mountain mountain bike trail, please login. If you don't have an account, sign up for a free account - it only takes a minute.
Description
This ride is also known as the "Clawhammer". It's an amazing ride especially if you like technical singletracks. It's a tough (mostly gravel road) climb for over 7 miles, the last 1.5 of which is mostly pushing (unless you got crazy technical skills). But it is worth it for the amazing cliff-top view from clawhammer mountain, AND for the awesome 1900 vertical foot downhill. The downhill is very rocky and rooty with plenty of waterbars. Very fun and worth the climb!
The route: Park at the ranger station. Turn right onto the main road (US 276).
Mile 0.7 Turn right onto gravel road. FS 477
Mile 2.4 Horse stables. Turn Right (behind stables) up Clawhammer Rd
Mile 3.5 Maxwell Cove rd enters from right. Stay left on Clawhammer
Mile 6.8 5-way trail junction. Turn hard right onto Black Mountain Trail.
(this is where most of us will have to push)
Mile 8.0 Awesome cliff-top view. Elevation is ~4200 ft. You cross two summits
during this part of the ride (Clawhammer and Black Mountain).
After the second summit, the fun downhill finally starts!
Mile 8.6 Turkey Pen Gap enters from left. Stay on Black Mountain (white blaze)
Mile 9.6 Another 5-way junction with trails and old roads. Stay straight on
Black Mountain Trail (look for white dot because there wasnt a sign
here)
***ALTERNATE ROUTE: if your tired of the technical stuff, turn right
here instead (Maxwell Cove Road). This is a good gravel downhill but
WATCH FOR HORSES! It will run back into Clawhammer rd. Turn left
back down to the stables. ***
Mile 11.0 Thrift Cove Trail enters from left. Stay on Black Mountain Trail.
Mile 12.1 Mountains to Sea exits left. Stay right on Black Mountain Trail.
Mile 12.2 Thrift Cove Trail enters from left again. Stay Right.
Mile 12.5 Turn right on main road. US 276. Pass work station
Mile 12.8 Turn right and finish at Ranger station.
Get maps, pics, and other suggested routes at www.mtbikewnc.com. Under Best Rides, click on Black Mountain.
added by mpxdrummer 
on July 1, 2006
on July 1, 2006Trail Reviews [Add a review]
irishpitbull on June 5, 2012
0 out of 0 readers found this useful
Review: Loved it
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Review: This is what pisgah riding is all about, something for everyone. A good long climb, great views, epic downhill. Can be done on a hard tail but more fun on a full sus. My weekly loop starts at the ranger station to the riding stables, pick up clawhamer, right on blk mountain trail, cross straight over maxwell cove, stay on black, bomb. Youll reach the intersection of thrift and black, keep right on blk(watch out for hikers at this point, they have right of way, and they know it). When you get to the bottom of black make a left on thrift cove and climb to grassy road and make a hard left on sycomore cove, great little trail that will spit you out on 276. Would also recommend farlow gap to danial ridge. Make sure to stop at the hub for a pint of our local brews and great conversation!
Review: I had no idea what I was in for on this trail, but the down was THE BOMB! And I had a hard tail! I thought I was lost a few times, but it was allll good.
Review: after stopping at the local bike shop for directions to the best downhill- i thought i was lost. after a long fireroad hill climb, and a right at the stairs through a 45 minute bike push through sage brush and cliffs, i reached the summit. i dropped my seat and commensed to destroy my triceps. the downhill is a great fast, multi waterbar launching singletrack. your body is screaminf for a break, your skills are overtasked, your bike is exceeding its limitiations and you dont want the rush to end!
all in all. the down is worth the up.
Similar Trail: Mount snow, VT
Similar Trail: Mount snow, VT
Review: This is a totally awesome, super gnarly descent! Water bars, roots, and rocks abound, with so many opportunities to get some air! Of course, in order to earn this descent, you've really got to pay for it on the way up with a steep, steep hike-a-bike. This is Pisgah at it's finest!
PS I'm rating it a double black because this is definitely more than just a black diamond. However, there are no man-made obstacles, but there are plenty of natural jumps and berms. And the drops are way more than 15 inches tall!
Review: classic pisgah. uphill grunt. downhill party.
Review: mostly up hill but an awesome down hill when you reach the top
Similar Trail: tsali
Similar Trail: tsali
Review: well i went this past weekend and we rode black mountain trail it was a tough climb but the downhill part was very fast and it did get scary at time but alot of rocks and roots its got about few switchbacks and a few little jumps but it was overall it was a awesome ride
Review: There are many trails to choose from. Black Mountain is a trail in Pisgah Forest. There are hard climbs. Maybe even 12 mile long climbs. Very fast downhill; some areas may be technical and dangerous.
Similar Trail: Tsali
Similar Trail: Tsali
Review: Giant uphill followed by giant downhill. Rarely rolling, some parts of the downhill can be very technical.
* Review edited 1/21/2007
* Review edited 1/21/2007
Recommendations
Oleta State Park (100%)Markham Park (75%)
Alafia River State Park (75%)
Heritage Park (63%)
Amelia Earhart Park (63%)
North Carolina Outdoor Lists
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