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Laurel Mountain Descent Mountain Bike Trail
Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:   |
1 trail review |
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Status: updated 7/18/11 by GoldenGoose |
Difficulty:  Advanced |
| Length: 16 miles | Global Rank: #2563 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Loop |
| Ridden: 35 | Wishlist: 21 |
| Avg. Speed: 4.78 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 38min |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +2,744/-2,353 ft |
Directions:
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Description: Start your ride at the trailhead of Laurel Mountain and ride back down Yellow Gap Road to the Pilot Rock Trailhead. Start your climb here. Most of Pilot Rock is unrideable so its a lot of hike a biketo the top. Once at the top you will connect to Laurel Mountain Connector Trail. Take this trail approximately .3 miles until you see a dead tree laying on the side of the trail that looks like its blocking another trail on purpose. Its not though. Take a right behind the tree and start your 6.5 mile descent and hang on for a great ride.
Description: Start your ride at the trailhead of Laurel Mountain and ride back down Yellow Gap Road to the Pilot Rock Trailhead. Start your climb here. Most of Pilot Rock is unrideable so its a lot of hike a biketo the top. Once at the top you will connect to Laurel Mountain Connector Trail. Take this trail approximately .3 miles until you see a dead tree laying on the side of the trail that looks like its blocking another trail on purpose. Its not though. Take a right behind the tree and start your 6.5 mile descent and hang on for a great ride.
added on September 27, 2008 by 
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by GoldenGoose on July 18, 2011
We chose to ride the trail in reverse of the directions above and it made for a KILLER descent down Pilot Rock. DH bike worthy. Tons of pucker factor, sharp/tough switchbacks, and techy rock sections to navigate. The vast majority of this loop is rideable in this reverse direction other than a couple 200-300 yard hike a bikes near the top of Laurel Mt. We also added the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock trail instead of spinning on Yellow Gap road for 5+ miles. Turn left onto the blue blazed trail near the bottom of Pilot Rock to pick up Pilot Cove-Slate Rock and stay left at at the intersections with other trails. I highly suggest this alternate route as it trades 4 miles of gravel road grind for beautiful singletrack. Lots of roots and loose rocks coming down (or going up) Pilot Rock trail. Laurel Mt trail is much more smooth and is rideable in either direction other that the aforementioned hike-a-bikes at the top. Plan for at LEAST 4 hours of riding unless you are a racer and ALREADY familiar with the trails.
Similar Trail: Kitsuma, Snake Creek Gap.
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