Level: Intermediate
Length: 3.1 mi (5 km)
Surface: Singletrack
Configuration: Loop
Elevation: +224/246 ft
Total: 104 riders
Mountain Biking Daniel Ridge
#26 of 538 mountain bike trails in North Carolina
#520 in the world
There are several loops that can be done but this is my favorite:
Follow the gravel doubletrack until it forks, and take the right path. Wind your way up and up, past two waterfalls, until you reach where the trail intersects the gravel road. Go left (and down!) and follow this back to the first waterfall and then ride out.
You can also turn right and go up the trail and come back down at where the gravel double-track forked at the beginning. Just make sure to make the turn and don't go on Farlow Gap Trail and away from your car! Also be prepaired to stop for some wooden steps, and after them, lots of people.
First added by blando62 on Sep 14, 2004. Last updated Apr 30, 2020. → add an update
Before you go
- Drinking water: unknown
- Lift service: unknown
- Night riding: unknown
- Pump track: unknown
- Restrooms: unknown
- Fat bike grooming: unknown
- E-bikes allowed: unknown
- Fee required: unknown
This trail information is user-generated. Help improve this information by suggesting a correction.
From Asheville, NC, take I-26 to NC-280 South. Follow NC-289 to Brevard. Turn right onto US-276 into Pisgah National Forest. Turn left at fork right after bridge and drive past the fish hatchery and to the second gated road after it turns into gravel.
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I didn't ride much of this trail, but what I did ride was awesome. I love how it's technical nature has so much flow. Most of the time rock gardens won't even slow riders down if they have honed in their bunny hopping skills or are ready to make some creative line choices. In addition, this trail poetry is staged in Pisgah, a forest teeming with beautiful nooks and crannies around every corner. Enjoy.
| ThankReally disappointed in this trail. Maybe I should have ridden it counter clockwise in order to enjoy it. Much of the first half had to be hiked instead of ridden. Technical rock and wet root fest... yay. Lost of rain lately didn't help. Wish I had ridden somewhere else. Water fall was very cool to see and definitely legit. Impressive scenery. Best idea for Daniels ridge IMO is to hike it and not ride it.
| ThankEasily one of the most beautiful trails in Pisgah and not terribly strenuous compared to the trails surrounding it. Runs along a gorgeous rocky creek with plenty of waterfalls plus a big bonus waterfall at the end. Lots of fun in either direction. Clockwise provides a scenic technical climb and a fast descent with mostly straight lines and waterbars. Counterclockwise is the reverse, more technical downhill.
Great fun connected to the end of Farlow Gap as well. If you are lucky enough to snag one of the campsites near the trailhead, it makes for an excellent weekend.
| ThankI didn't climb up Daniel Ridge, opting instead for the climb up Cove Creek. We descended the west side of the loop and it was a blast! Big rocks, roots, and a rushing creek down below. A great ride!
| ThankGreat rugged trail. Rode it counterclockwise starting from the Fish Hatchery. Climbed up FS 475B. It was winter so we had good views of the Looking Glass granite dome about 3 miles in.
After 3.5 miles, go left at the split onto Cove Creek Road. About 8 miles in, you will see a short connector trail that takes you to Daniel Ridge.
At the bottom, we went up Lanning Ridge Road to the left to check out the falls. Came down Lower Cove Creek and finished on the Davidson River Trail back to the Hatchery.
| ThankI will ALWAYS remember this trail I went the second week of October and it was absolutely beautiful. When I go back for a wedding next year, I am totally hitting this up again. Nothing super strenuous, and GORGEOUS.
| ThankThis is one of my favorite relatively short trails in Pisgah. It's less than five miles in length, but feels like about twice that. Beautiful streamside riding, with some narrow bridges, followed by a challenging, rather steep climb. Props for making it all without stopping. The top part of the descent is extremely fun, very rocky and narrow in places, but has good flow. The bottom part of the descent is a much smoother old forest road. One of the bridges to get to the loop was indeed destroyed in the flooding of 2004, but you can walk your way around this. A classic trail!
| Thankrode here in fall of 2004, and the trail need some work for sure. there were lots of downed trees and the bridge was washed out. hopefully it has improved.
| Thank