If you are in Brevard you are surrounded by two trail systems that will provide ample riding. If you crave trails like Keg Creek, Mistletoe, and Modoc (but with more elevation change and longer rides) - Pisgah is the trail system for you. If you prefer trails that flow like FATS, Turkey/Wine Creek, etc you'll probably enjoy Dupont State Forest better. If you love them all, give them both a try. There is a new trail up there as well but the name is not coming to me right now.
I'll let the guys/gals who prefer Pisgah give you the skinny on the best of the best there. We really enjoy Dupont
www.dupontforest.com and here are a few of our favs. Recommend that you don't head out at Pisgah or Dupont without some kind of map or you could end up doing much more than a "three hour tour"!
I'll give you favorites from a couple of different trailheads:
Fawn Lake Trailhead -
[/li][li] Turn left up Fawn Lake Rd - left again on Mine Mountain Trail
[/li][li] After a grinding start (if you are a flatlander) you are rewarded with a great downhill run
[/li][li] At the bottom left onto Fawn Lake Rd, left on Conservation Rd head out onto the airstrip.
[/li][li] On the left side of the airstrip is Airstrip Trail another great downhill that deadends - left onto Shelter Rock Trail
[/li][li] Right onto Corn Mill Shoals Trail takes you to Bridal Veil Falls there is bike parking there
[/li][li] A quick, fun excursion is to work your way down and onto the granite and hike up to the top, there is a waterfall at the top that you can't see from the bottom. You can actually go behind the falls (use caution it can be slippery up there)
[/li][li] Leaving the Falls take Bridal Veil Falls Road to Conservation Road and turn right - then left again onto Lake Julia Road (actually the lake and picnic table there is a great place for lunch
[/li][li] Take Reasonover Creek Trail from Lake Julia - there is climbing but the payoff is a really great downhill (there is a video elsewhere on this forum of that downhill.
[/li][li] You'll cross over Conservation Road and head back up the hill to the parking lot to the Fawn Lake Trailhead.
Lake Imaging Trailhead -
[/li][li] Up Lake Imaging Road continue on to Buck Forest Road turn left
[/li][li] Right onto Thomas Cemetery Rd (the cemetery is on the right)
[/li][li] Right onto Sandy Trail and then right onto Wintergreen Falls Trail - you'll need to park your bike and hike along the stream a short distance to actually see the falls
[/li][li] Head back down Wintergreen Falls Trail and stay on it until you t-bone into Tarkiln Branch Road, turn right -you will come out at Gunion Farm Trailhead - continue to the left of the parking lot to pick up Buck Forest Road and then turn right onto Hickory Mountain Road
[/li][li] At the end of Hickory Mtn Rd you will pick up a screaming downhill - Ridgeline Trail if you don't get enough the first time down turn left at the end go back up Lake Imaging Rd until you see Jim Branch on the left and ride up that trail, left on Buck Forest Road, back to Hickory Mountain Road and back down Ridgeline or you could backtrack up Ridgeline and zip down Jim Branch it is a great downhill as well.
Buck Forest Road Trailhead - Short ride great for a quick ride before you head home and very worthy waterfalls!
There are three major waterfalls at Dupont State Forest if you are there good to do a short loop that lets you get up close and personal with two of these trails (the third you can ride down to to easily from the Hooker Falls parking lot).
[/li][li] From the Buck Forest Road Trail head take Buck Forest Road
[/li][li] Turn left onto High Falls Trail - if there are not too many hikers this is a really fun downhill - fairly wide but totally fun at speed (partway down you get a great view of the top of high falls and the covered bridge).
[/li][li] At the bottom turn right onto River Bend Trail to get to the bottom of High Falls - worth the trip!
[/li][li] Retrace your path and follow High Falls Trail until it deadends into Triple Falls Trail - turn right and follow it down until you reach the area on your right that has steps that will allow you to walk down and onto the rocks between the levels of Triple Falls - again great waterfalls and worth the trip
[/li][li] Leaving the falls area go left and back up the hill onto Triple Falls Trail, when it deadends turn right onto Buck Forest Road
[/li][li] Back to the Buck Forest Road Trailhead
Plenty of other rides out there those are just three of our favorites.
Tsali is more like Dupont or FATS in that it is flowing trail with little technical challenge. Still a lot of fun and all the trails are good to ride. We prefer Mousebranch (CW) and Thompson Loop (CCW -ends with a good downhill). Thompson Loop is great for night riding. The sets (MB/TL and RL/LL) alternate on when they are open so you can't ride them all in the same day.
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