Best Eastern USA MTB Descents

[Jeff Barber]

There are plenty of iconic descents out west (Whole Enchilada, Downieville, Monarch Crest) but I’m curious to know which eastern US descents are the best. I came up with a few, though clearly none of these offer nearly as much descending as the western picks.

• Mountaintown Creek (Georgia)
• Greens Lick (North Carolina)
• Farlow Gap / Daniel Ridge (North Carolina)

[Aaron Chamberlain]

• HEARTBREAK RIDGE!!! (Pisgah) – a bitch to get to, but so worth it
• Kitsuma (Pisgah) – not that long, but a blast and easy to do laps on
• Pilot Rock (Pisgah) – so much rock
• Thunder Rock Express @ Tanasi (Tennessee) – haven’t done this one in a long time
• Live Wire 1 & 2 @ Raccoon Mountain (Tennessee) – fast, flowy, bike parky at the top, chunky at the bottom
• Bear Creek (Georgia) – a classic
• Stanley Gap to Flat Creek (Georgia) – another painful one to get to, but so good
• Bull Mountain (Georgia) – this is a good long descent, although it does have a couple climbs in it
• Bare Hare (Georgia) – it’s a shame this trail isn’t longer, but what’s there is awesome

 

[Greg Heil]

Dang, you guys hit on a ton of great ones!!

About the only thing I have to add to this list is that there are numerous rad descents at Carvin’s Cove. There are 3-4 (maybe more?) descents off the top of the ridge that are truly ripping and seem to go on for a long time for how tall the ridge appears.

[rjbeads1]

Two that stood out for me:

• Hickory Mountain Loop to Ridgeline in Dupont State Forest, NC
• Turner Creek to Jones Creek Damn Trail on Jake Mountain, Dahlonega, GA

I still have a lot left to explore, however.

[Caspr]

If you find yourself in NH check out the descents down hurricane mountain in N. Conway. One heads down hurricane mountain itself and is a wild ride. Another option is to ride down to Mt Cranmore ski area and then your choice of line decending down the ski area.

There are also other options as well as if you ride along the ridge line from the top of Hurricane Mtn.

[Matthew Bonner]

One that looks exceptional to me is the technical Timber Ridge Trail in Virginia. You can link it up with the Shenandoah Mountain Trail and boom, you’ve got an epic ride. The stats don’t seem to hurt either, as there is 289 feet of climbing for a payoff of 2,830 feet of descent! Also +1 for Carvin’s Cove.

[vfr1999_99]

Bomb Dog Coldwater Mtn, Alabama.  Surely deserves an honorable mention…..

[aasnowrider]

Ridgeline in Dupont is a MUST on this list!!  So fast

[piperpilot964]

Gotta be something in VT that can stack up….nothing Bueller….

[lfurdelle]

• One more in Pisgah : Black Mountain (from the top, the end goes so fast)

[qualitybarnbro]

Not any very long descents (all 3 miles or less) in New England, but some that need a shoutout!

 

Moose Alley- Kingdom Trails, East Burke, VT

Oak Knoll, Carabasset Valley Trails, Kingfield, ME

Red Tail Trail, Hurricane Mountain, North Conway, NH

 

 

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