Mountain Bike in April in the mid-south east ?

[Genevieve]

Hi !

I would like to know if it is possible to ride single tracks in the middle of April in Virginia, or North Carolina, or what is the nearest place to Quebec to ride at that time of the year ?

Thanks a lot 😀

Gene

[Jeff Barber]

April is a great time of year to hit the trails in Virginia / North Carolina, though April does generally see more rain than usual. Temps should be in the 70s or so in the eastern parts of the state while the mountains will be a bit cooler – perhaps in the 60s or high 50s. Any trails in particular you’re thinking about riding?

[Genevieve]

Thanks !

I have no particular trail in mind, I don’t know a thing from this region ! I would like to plan a one week trainning camp for 17 to 30 years old mountain biker racers ; any suggestion of trails ?

😀

[CraigCreekRider]

Mid April should be OK in VA. Could be wet and/or chilly that time of year, but probably not too bad. Western VA trails dry off rapidly. Trails in Piedmont region further east hold water longer (gooy red clay). I ride all year except for 2-3 weeks in the winter in 2-3 weeks in the summer.

Maybe some NC riders can fill you in on their April riding conditions.

[lmxloco]

These guys hit it. April’s as of late have been relatively warm and very nice riding weather, but every once in a while we’ll have a late cold front come through. It still shouldn’t be so cold as to hamper good riding in the afternoon, though.

My riding log from this past April shows afternoon temperatures ranging from the 60’s to the 70’s (to near 80)…which is perfect for a guy like myself.

And yeah, April does typically see a lot of rain here, so be prepared to deal with that.

[Genevieve]

Hehe ! Rain and 60’s is nothing compare to the snow we have here in trails utils the 25th of May ! I think we will be able to manage cold weather, I was just wondering if there was snow in the forests of Virginia … apparently not !

Any suggestion for the trails ?

[lmxloco]

…and as for trails, if you come to NC and don’t ride Tsali then you would be missing out on quite an experience.

Other than that there are a lot of good trails around the Bur Mil park area here in Greensboro (Owls Roost is a good, technical trail) and Hobby Park (in Winston Salem) is a nice trail to ride, though the big climb there would be hard on a beginner. Other than that, I’d suggest checking out Uwharrie National Park just to the northwest of Troy, NC.

Any other trails near the capital or other trails in the mountains other than Tsali I’m not familiar with.

[CraigCreekRider]

Popular trail systems in western Virginia are Douthat State Park (Clifton Forge) and Carvins Cove (Roanoke). Douthat has 40 miles of (very) steep and tight trails. Carvins Cove has about 25 miles, some steep and some not. Alleghany Highlands Trail System is currently being built surrounding Douthat in the national forest and will have 60 miles of trails when complete (not sure of date). Pandapas Pond near Blacksburg has I think 18 or so miles of good trail. Lots of trails in the national forest near Roanoke, Harrisonburg, and Damascus. Roanoke area National Forest trails are not well maintained. I hear the Harrisonburg area National Forest trails are very well maintained (active club in the area).

There are some more networks near Williamsburg, Danville. Yorktown, and the DC area, but I am not familiar with those.

[Genevieve]

Thanks a lot for all the information !

But if I would have to choose he 3 best trails (that means : a lot of single tracks, climbing, technical part, you know, some trails to train 17 years old athletes) what would be your pick ?

😀

[lmxloco]

"Genevieve" wrote

Thanks a lot for all the information !

But if I would have to choose he 3 best trails (that means : a lot of single tracks, climbing, technical part, you know, some trails to train 17 years old athletes) what would be your pick ?

😀

What area exactly will you be in?

In NC, the three best trails (or trail networks) that I’ve ridden:

Tsali
Uwharrie
Owls Roost

Out of those three Owls Roost is the most technical. Tsali is in the mountains and depending on where you go has some good climbs, but nothing really technical. Uwharrie isn’t extremely technical either, but it has some well kept singletrack and, at least on the Keyauwee section, has a nice climb.

The new trail in Greensboro, Wild Turkey, has received rave reviews so far, but I’ve yet to ride it. It is supposed to be more technical than Owl’s Roost (both trails are in the same area). but I’m not sure about climbs. Given the area, any climb might be short but steep, and the trail will probably have an overall fast feel to it. The area here (Bur Mil Park/Country Park), have several areas with nice trails, all within a few miles of each other by greenway so you aren’t driving from place to place. By far my favorite area to ride simply for this reason.

[Genevieve]

I’m looking Virginia or NC … What time separates Va from NC ?

[lmxloco]

"Genevieve" wrote

I’m looking Virginia or NC … What time separates Va from NC ?

It sort of depends. Say from Roanoke to Greensboro might be 2 1/2 hours? Something like that…it’s been a while. Then again from Greensboro to the Tsali trails is about 4 hours, and they’re in the same state. Depending on how long you’ll be in the area you could do several nice trails in both states in a few days, easy. Maybe not one trail in each state in one day, but doing one trail one day, driving at night or early in the morning and doing a trail in the other state isn’t out of the question at all.

Then again, depending on where you are….for instance, you could easily do some trails in the Danville, VA area (Anglers Ridge, for example) in the morning, then take the short drive to Greensboro and do Owl’s Roost in the evening, giving yourself plenty of time for rest and refueling.

[barrem]

If you’re in Greensboro I would suggest stringing together some combination of Owls Roost, Wild Turkey, Country Park, and the Big and Little loops. They are all very close to each other and you can get from one to the next and barely have to come off the greenway.

[gltenturbo]

Dark Mountain… 30 minutes off the interstate!

I live in Banner Elk at 4200ft, I manage a ski shop and lately April has been getting warmer and warmer, (killing the ski industry in the Southeast). In the mountains where I am we will always get snow in April, not anything really, just enough to cover the grass. The past five years I have won a bet with my friends that it will snow on my birthday, April 14th. However that is in the high mountains of NC 4,000+ ft.

An easy shot for you Dark Mountain.
Easy to get to… I 81S to I 77S to 421N. At Wilkesboro follow signs for Kerr Scott Dam and Resevoir. Ranked 31 in the world right now…not too bad. This would be an easy place.

Of course you should also check out Tsali which has much more terrain to cover, but not a straight shot like Dark Mountain. Dark Mountain weather is perfect in April. Make sure Dark Mountain is on the way of wherever you decide to go. Check the reviews. Have fun.

Send me a mesage if you have any questions about the location… or the amazing backpacking, camping, canoeing, climbing, kayaking, and unsurpassed road routes.

[Author]

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