Review Date
July 10, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: robertbeckman ,  Downhiller

Summary:
Chestnut Loop is very good, would recomend a clockwise direction. Thunder Rock Express is one of my favorite DH's in the South. Very fast, some burms, and you don't want to fall off the left edge. Epic DH run, wish i could do it over and over. (Insert Ski Lift Here) Anyway quartz loop is good also, ride it clockwise. River view loop is a great XC trail, and has good views of the upper. Try Boyd Gap Trail Too.

Recommended Route:
Start at the top (if you have two cars) ride the quartz loop, then down to chestnut, go clockwise if you want to head to Thunder Rock Express. Go counterclockwise if you want to head to the riverview loop.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Tsali, Chilhowee, Raccoon Mountain

Review Date
May 22, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: mscookla ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
The trail was great. The first climb gets your heart rate up fast. Did most of the singletrack off Chestnut Loop. Would have done more, but had a raft trip that afternoon. I highly recommend the afternoon raft trip, sort of like taking a bath.

Recommended Route:
We went up to Bear Paw and turned left to Chestnut. Rode River View and then Quartz Loop. Fast downhill on Chestnut to Thunder Rock Express. That is a good description, express. Great downhill singletrack. Finished on Rhododendren Trail to watch the rafters.

Not very technical, but good aerobic workout because of the climbing.

Great scenery!

Review Date
March 12, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Wcurider ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Okay, so it's my spring break, so what to do? Go riding! Alright. I rode tanasi. Awesome, well kept trails. Smooth, fast, hard, and painful. Did i mention painful? The first climb gets your lungs going. I was a lil out of it, but I made it to the top ate a powerbar and kept going. I came to a trail called riverview. Take this trail! Fun as can be. After getting off riverview, I climbed some more, and some more until i got to thunderock express. Wow. Awesome downhill.

Recommended Route:
Chestnut to riverview, to chesnut. Take trail to thunderock. Back to whitewater center. A lot more trails than this to explore.

Review Date
November 5, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: mtb777 ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
WOW, THIS PLACE IS JUST GREAT AS FAR AS VARIETY AND TRAIL CONDITIONS. I ONLY GOT TO RIDE HERE THIS ONE DAY BUT I'LL DEFINETLY BE BACK! IF YOU READ THE LONE CLYDSDALE'S REVIEW, HE'S RIGHT ON TARGET. I RODE THERE IN MID OCTOBER '05 AND THIS WHOLE AREA IMPRESSED ME SO MUCH. IT'S AS FUN AS TSALI WITH MORE TECHNICAL AND WAY MORE SPEED! THE VIEWS AND SCENERY ARE SIMILAR TO TSALI, BUT THE FACILITES HERE ARE MUCH BETTER. THE GANG I WAS WITH DID TWO RIDES. MOST OF US DID A MODIFIED REPEAT RUN OF THE NORNIG RIDE IN THE AFTERNOON, WHILE SOME OF THE GUYS RODE OVER AND DID THE NEWER BRUSH CREEK TRAIL SECTION DOWN THE ROAD AND REPORTED THAT TO BE FUN AND FAST, BUT, NOT REAL TECHNICAL. THEY COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT THE LONG ROAD RIDE FROM WHERE WE PARKED A WAYS FROM THE WHITE WATER CENTER (WHICH IS NOT TO BE MISSED, THEY HAVE GREAT TRAIL MAPS THERE FOR FREE AND LOTS OF OTHER INFO ABOUT THE AREA AS WELL) LIE I SAID, NICE FCILITIES!

Recommended Route:
IN THE MORNING WE HIT THE BRIDGE FROM THE PARKING LOT AAND CLIMBED UP BEAR PAW LOOP RUNNING STRAIGHT THRU(LEFTISH) TO CHESTNUT MT. LOOP TO (RIGHT) RIVER VIEW LOOP WHICH RAN BACK INTO CH. MT. LOOP(LEFT) TO THE INTERSECTION (RIGHT) ONTO THE QUARTZ CONNECTOR TRAIL TO WHERE IT SPLITS AT THE BIG WHITE QUARTZ ROCK! I(AND EVERYONE ELSE) RECOMMENDS HEADING TO THE LEFT FOR A CLOCKWISE LOOP WHICH HAS MORE DOWNHILLING AT THE END AND JUST FLOWS BETTER. POP OUT BACK AT THE ROCK AND OUT THE CONNECTOR AND GET BACK ON CHESTNUT (RIGHT) FOR SOME WIDE, FAST DOWNHILLING!! PASS BY THE ENTRANCE/EXIT TO WEST FORK AND CONTINUE TO THE BOMB!! ON THE LEFT OF A HAIRPIN YOU'LL SEE THE UPPER TRAILHEAD FOR THUNDER ROCK EXPRESS! BY ALL MEANS, TAKE IT AND HOLD ON.... IT'S BY FAR ONE ON FUNNEST, FASTEST DOWNHILLS I'VE BEEN ON. IT'S NOT A KITSUMA KINDA DH, BUT JUST FLOWY AND QUICK. WATCH OUT FOR THAT SHARP RIGHT ABOUT 2/3'S OF THE WAY DOWN THAY'S IN A REALLY FLAT SECTION THAT'LL SEND YOU OFF INTO THE WILD BLUE! THE BOTTOM HALF ROCKS WITH SOME BERMS IT THE CROTCHES. TAKE THE CAMPGROUND LINK TRAIL BACK TO THE PARKING LOT. IT'S FAST, FLAT AND SWOOPY BIG RING FUN, BUT WATCH FOR HIKERS AS ALWAYS.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
NEARBY, IS THE CHILHOWEE TRAIL SYSTEM. WE ONLY GOT TO RIDE THERE A HALF A DAY. WE SHUTTLED MC CAMY LAKE TRAIL TO SLICKROCK TO CLEMMER TWICE. WHICH WAS A BLAST. THERE'S DEFINITEY A DAY OR TWO OF RIDING HERE AND TANASI W.W.C. THIS IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR AN EXTENDED WEEKEND!!

Review Date
October 14, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week