My wife and I will be visiting the Charlotte area in mid-March.  We live in Seattle but my wife is from Chapel Hill and has roots in Marion.  We are hoping to ride singletrack for 3 days, anywhere in the Charlotte-Asheville area. 

I've done some research on Trailforks, MTB proj and Singletracks but would be glad to hear ideas from local riders.

Style of riding: tilted more toward XC and flow vs gap jumps and huge drops.  Difficulty: any. Length: 15-30 miles per day (with good post-ride beer/food options a plus). 

Any thoughts on a 3-day MTB "dream" itinerary (trails, routes or areas) for your neck of the woods?  Would staying in Charlotte the entire time be a problem? 

Thanks!

I'd look at the USNWC and Dupont State Park for sure.  Safe travels.

If you’re in the charlotte area and want mileage and xc flow, Lake Norman State Park will fit the bill no doubt.

In a wet area like Seattle, you must not get to ride the trails very much? Do you do a ton of road riding?

Whitewater for sure (definite if weekend and the restaurant / beer options are available). But it's a definite either way just to see the place. Almost 40 miles of trail there,

Yeah, if you're going to include the drive to Asheville area, Dupont is the go-to. Mix of flow, and the 'slickrock' - terrific vistas and waterfalls.

But if driving 2 hours from Charlotte isn't on your agenda, we have 100's of miles of trails here that could keep you busy and very happy for 3 days.

In addition to WWC, my recommendations:
-THE Charlotte classic:  BackYard Trails.  You won't ride anything like this anywhere else. And it's super close to a plethora of food & beverage options. (recommend Legion Brewery - the beer is obvious - but the food is top notch above other brewery offerings)

-Rocky River (Steve's): You won't ride anything like this anywhere else. 

Go-rilla wrote on 01/07/19 at 4:27pm:


I 100% agree with you on all of the above being a Charlotte area "must ride." 

Just a fair warning to the OP though... while I agree that Backyard Trail (BYT) is unique and awesome, it is kind of the opposite of a flow trail. It is very tight and technical, It does have the best jumplines in the area* both traditional downhill style jumplines as well as full on DJ run, and has lots of cool features and creative use of the natural terrain. 10 miles at BYT will get you as worn out as 15+ miles at a place like WWC. 

Rock River is flat out awesome and is kind of known for the difficulty of it's multiple named climbs, as well as one that has No Name. It also has some screaming fast downhill sections to make it all worth it, of course (Ski run, kamikaze, The plunge). Plus there's the Death Valley, which is basically like riding a ski/snowboard style halfpipe on a MTB.

While BYT and RRT are two of my favorite trails, If you are really looking for true flow trails, Lake Norman State Park (Itusi Trail System) and Sherman Branch is where you will find it in the Charlotte area, the former having the most available mileage. For sure Dupont if you are willing to make the drive. Lake James is another good flow trail that is worth the drive.

*From what I hear Dixie River may take the Charlotte jumpline crown, but it is not officially open as the parking lot has not yet been built?

Thanks for all the great ideas!  We are changing our plans a bit to stay in either Asheville or near Brevard to ride for 4 days, so we'll focus on those areas (no offense to the Charlotte folks!).