North Slope

Location: Brevard, North Carolina, United States

Trail Type: Singletrack

Distance: 5

Configuration: Loop

Directions:
"From Asheville, take I-26 South to exit 9 (NC 280). Go right towards Brevard. Go approximately 15 miles to US 276. Turn right. You will see the huge rock sign that says Pisgah N.F. Go about a mile to the Davidson River campground. Park at the parking lot on the left and begin the ride across the bridge.

Description:
This trail is only open from October 15 - April 15. This trail is very worn and is more suitable to hiking but it is an interesting bike trail nonetheless. Start from the parking lot and ride across the paved bridge. Continue on the paved road to the right through the campground guard gate. Ride to the end of the campground staying straight on the paved road. Eventually you will see a sign for the North Slope trail on the left. Follow the orange blazes. At the beginning the trail follows the river and is a nice leisurely ride. Next, expect a couple of insanely impossible climbs (if anyone has ever ridden this part of the trail without getting off, you are a liar). Once you reach the top of the mountain you will see the Art Loeb hiking trail to the right. Continue left, following the orange blazes. From here the trail follows the side of the mountain and begins its slow descent. Along this part of the trail there are cool views of the mountain and a couple of impossible foot bridges. I actually fell off the side of the mountain at one point as my back tire slids on some roots. The trail is pretty rock and rooty in places so be careful. The last part of the trail is a pretty steep descent and ends up in one of the campsites. Follow the pavement back to your car. Have fun and be careful of slick roots and bridges.

Submitted by: Jeff Barber

Reviews

Jordan Mitchell says:
This is a great fall and spring ride since it's seasonal. It's a must ride if you're staying at the Davidson River CG in the off-season. Another thing that can make the trail more interesting is the slippery leaves that pile up on the trial during fall. After it rains, these suckers can be pretty slimy. For more info on this trial, including a map and photos, visit my site at www.mtbikewnc.com and choose Best Rides, then North Slope.

Marcus_Hesse says:
Really fun trail - found inside of the Davidson River Campground. Uphill is 1.8 miles straight up, then downhill is around 3 miles and is tons of fun. Ridge riding, tree dodging, steep dropoffs, etc. The steps are dangerous though, my friend's jersey got caught on a branch and left him hanging from it! Lots of hikers - so keep an eye out for them and be audible to let them know your coming. Too bad it's seasonal. You can ride it off-season, but don't whine about getting a ticket if your caught.

jhckelman says:
One of my favorite short Pisgah rides! I always ride this, combined with Sycamore Cove across the street, when visiting in winter. Despite the original description, the climb is not impossible, though it is challenging with a number of log steps and plenty of leaves that stay moist and slick. Once up top, it's fast cruising with a few technical sections and a couple of challenging bridges. The descent off the trail is extremely fun if very short, with good flow. Keep an eye out for hikers!

dawgys says:
We just rode this the other day....it had rained the day prior and lots of leaves on the trail..it was slicker than SNOT!! Don't go if the conditions are the same as above..Tons of roots and smaller rocks, mostley those sideways roots across the trail, that if you not paying attention to your front tire, you'll be picking snails out of your teeth for the rest of the day. Could be a faster/more enjoyable trail when its dry..we still had a blast on the downhill, fun ledge jumps(at least the ones we could see that weren't camouflaged with fallen leaves)..The uphill is doable if your a pro-rider..