MtbREVIEW.com supports IMBA and responsible riding. Please submit only legal
trails to our list. If you discover a trail posted on this site that is not
open for public mountain biking, please email our IMBA friends at
info@imba.com with detailed info.
They'll help us remove the unauthorized trail from the site.
Click here for info about keeping our trails open.
If this is the correct location, click "Save Point" below or type the nearest location (country, city, Zip, or land mark) and the map will pan over to the location if the location is found.
Save Point
Go to Nearest Location:
Lat:
Lng:
Flat Laurel Creek
4 reviews
3.75 of 5
Ride out on the Flat Laurel Creek trail, which is ridiculously rocky. It is slightly downhill the whole way. The greatest part of this ride is the scenery. At all above 5000 feet, the high elevation environment is incredible, and it's cool on a hot day. Pass several waterfalls, swimming holes, creek crossings, and a concrete bridge on this trail. At intersection with paved NC 215, turn left, uphill. At parkway, ride up the access ramp and turn left. Follow this past Devil's Courthouse mt. and tunnel, and turn right on FR 816 again and climb back up and down to the parking area. Loop is singletrack and paved roads.
For more information on this ride, a map, and info on many other trails and rides in the area, visit my web link below.
Get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and head south past Mount Pisgah. Just past the Graveyard Fields overlook, turn right onto paved FR 816, which leads to the Black Balsam trailhead. Park at the end of this road.
Summary: This trail is a good excuse to get your wheels trued at the end of the day. Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Gets really crazy on a wet day. The trail section is the Virginia Creeper's evil cousin...all downhill but very technical.
Look out for bad driving tourists when going through the tunnel underneath the Devils Courthouse.
Recommended Route: Counterclockwise, Clockwise if you are a masochist.
Other recommended trails in the same area: DuPont, Mills River, Davidson
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Review Date October 22, 2003
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Aerobic Difficulty 3 of 5
Technical Difficulty 3 of 5
Ridden Trail: Every few months
Reviewed by: Corey
,
Cross Country Rider
Summary: Scenic trail entering into several different types of scenery. Slightly downhill on the trail with some rocks to play around with but w/o a major hassle. The ride up 215 to BRP is a bear and the BRP ride is beautiful especially around Devil's Courthouse. The entire ride is above 5000'.
Recommended Route: From Ivestor Gap parking area take Flat Laurel Creek trail to 215, turn left. Take 215 to BRP, turn left. Take BRP to road that took you to trail head, turn left and follow to end. About ten miles all together.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Picklseimer (?spelling), Trace Ridge, Mullinax
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Review Date August 7, 2003
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Aerobic Difficulty 3 of 5
Technical Difficulty 4 of 5
Ridden Trail: Ridden Once
Reviewed by: Karen Into
,
Cross Country Rider
, from Balsam, NC
Summary: This trail is great!!! I rode it as an out and back and the climb is minimal but definitely technical in spots! Great technical workout! Beautiful views and little trail traffic makes it even better.
Recommended Route: Start at the intersection with 215 and go uphill to the Black balsam parking lot and go back down!!!
Other recommended trails in the same area: Fontana village, Tsali, Bent Creek, DuPont State Forest
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Review Date July 28, 2001
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Ridden Trail: Once a month
Reviewed by: Don Sinyard
, from Waynesville, NC
Summary: OOps! I typed my review in the recommended route section. Don't want to type again. Hope you can read it above!
Recommended Route: Going the opposite direction from the initial description is quite a good ride too. All uphill, but not very steep at all, middle to big ring the whole way. Also from Black Balsam parking lot, Ivestor Gap road heads out to the North. Actually a vehicle legal road during hunting season, this road is a blast to really fly down. It's chock full of boulders and such and can be a real challenge at speed. It is out and back(you must turn back at the wilderness boundry, Mts. to Sea trail I think)but it offers some of the best views in WNC.
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
3.75 of 5
3 of 5
1 of 5
5 of 5
4 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
