Wheels Up

Paddling whitewater on the Nantahala River, fly-fishing the French Broad, mountain biking the single-tracks of Pisgah Forest—outdoor adventure comes naturally in Southern Appalachia. Even so, a crop of dedicated bike parks have recently opened, introducing new challenges and trails for the two-wheeled set.

Bailey Mountain Bike Park • Mars Hill, North Carolina

Opened July 2015, Bailey Mountain Bike Park tests the mettle of those who choose to try its trails. Riders can hit the intermediate Little Red Riding Hood trail for a 245-foot descent with jumps and roller coasters mixed in. Advanced cyclists can further push themselves on the Jumanji, hitting jumps on more than a mile of near-nonstop 650-foot descent.

Park events such as the Ladies Takeover event, Downhill Southeast Race series, and other happenings encourage camaraderie.

Reservations are required to hit the trails here, as are full-face helmets (rentals available). A bike with at least six inches of travel—in other words, plenty of shock absorption—is needed to enjoy all features and trails in the park.

For now, beginners must wait for green trails to get built, set to take place over the next few months.

Open Friday afternoons 3 to 7 p.m. ($25) and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($35). baileymountainwnc.com.

Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park • Boone, North Carolina

Three miles from downtown Boone, the free Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park offers 800 vertical feet of adventure for riders and hikers. 

Developing the park was a community affair: Three certified trail-building companies worked with the Boone Area Cyclists volunteers to form some eight miles of bike trails, four skills areas, and a pump track.

The 185-acre park was created in 2009 when the Bikes Belong Foundation and Specialized Bicycles managed to acquire a pair of $5,000 grants. Those gifts were thanks to another joint venture between the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority and Boone Area Cyclists, an area nonprofit organization encouraging biking opportunities. Watauga County, with the WCTDA, later obtained a $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to help develop the bike park. The key for Rocky Knob’s continued existence is a genuine partnership between the county government and the community. 

Bikers can start off with moderate difficulty on the Rocky Branch Trail, or head to the top of the mountain for a more challenging ride on the Boat Rock Loop. Organizers are also working on a new set of beginner trails, the first of which will be a sampler trail that new riders can check out to see if they’re ready to ride the whole mountain.

A community of bike lovers has taken root here. Social rides and informal gatherings happen regularly. Each Thursday evening, riders can give back to the trails they love by doing maintenance and expansion work.

Open dawn to dusk. rockyknob.wordpress.com.

Kolo Bike Park • Asheville, North Carolina

In the heart of one of the Southeast’s top adventure towns, Kolo Bike Park features progressive elements designed to develop one’s skill from beginner to advanced. Depending on a rider’s experience level, each trail and feature can be tackled a variety of ways; the idea is to encourage bicyclists to advance their abilities in a controlled environment. 

Opened in 2013, Kolo is all about machine-built flow trails with dirt berms and rollers. But plenty of other features exist, too, including wooden balance features and bridges as well as dirt jumps. 

Kolo rents mountain bikes, road bikes, and city comfort bikes, all of which can be taken to any of the trails and roads in Western North Carolina. Bike rentals can also be combined with a Kolo Bike Park pass for a discounted price.

Adults $14, kids under 13 $9; after 3 pm. $8 and $6. Hours vary. kolobikepark.com. 

Originally published June 6, 2016.