Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Clyde, North Carolina

Cove Creek Road is a short gravel route that offers a quick but scenic connection in the area, often used as an access point toward the Cataloochee Turnpike. The road surface is primarily gravel and generally well maintained, though it narrows to a single lane with several designated pull-offs for p...
Learn more about Cove Creek Road

Gravel Road through the GSMNP Cataloochee area to Big Creek. The road is suitable for most vehicles, but higher clearance is recommended due to some rocky areas. The road will close during significant weather events like snowstorms, so checking the road status before departing is best. There are lov...
Learn more about Cataloochee Turnpike to Big Creek

Cataloochee Creek Road is an easy gravel drive that provides access to one of the more historically rich areas in the region. The road is generally well-maintained and typically wide enough for two vehicles, making it a straightforward route suitable for most drivers. Gentle grades and a series of m...
Learn more about Cataloochee Creek Road

Headwater Road (FS 475B) is an easygoing forest service road suited for stock SUVs, crossovers, and high-clearance passenger vehicles looking for scenic access in the Pisgah Ranger District. Starting off US-276 near the Davidson River and the base of Looking Glass Rock, this well-traveled gravel rou...
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This is an easy road that does not require 4x4. The road is not maintained when it has snowed. You gain 945 feet of elevation, but it is very gradual. There are several places along the road with stunning views, but you would have to go in the winter to get the best views. There are several designat...
Learn more about Wash Creek FR 5000

Piney Mountain Flats (FS 4666), part of the Rough Butt trail complex, is a 0.6-mile point-to-point route that follows a single-lane forest road with few places to pass. The packed dirt and rock surface is not maintained and travels through heavily forested terrain with an easy difficulty rating. Com...
Learn more about Piney Mountain Flats - FS 4666 (Rough Butt)

Hunt Cabin (FS 4666A) is a 0.8-mile out-and-back route that follows a single-lane forest road with few places to pass. The packed dirt and gravel surface is not maintained as it travels through heavily forested terrain with an easy difficulty rating. A quiet forest setting, some erosion, and several...
Learn more about Hunt Cabin - FS 4666A

Bent Creek Trail (Forest Service Road 479) is an easy, scenic gravel connector ideal for beginner off-roaders and overland travelers looking to transition seamlessly from the Asheville area to the heights of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Spanning approximately 4.4 miles through the Pisgah National Forest,...
Learn more about Bent Creek Trail

Long Arm is a varied trail that transitions from an easy gravel road into a more challenging off-road experience, making it important to understand the entry direction before starting. When entering from Buzzard Roost Road, the trail begins as a well-graded gravel drive that feels consistent with a ...
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Cove Creek Road - FS 225 is a 2.2-mile out-and-back route that follows a single-lane gravel road with places to pass. The road is well maintained and travels through heavily forested terrain before reaching a clearing at the end of the route. Rated easy, it features a smooth surface with no obstacle...
Learn more about Cove Creek Road - FS 225

Trail 1A is a wide OHV route ascends steadily up the mountain, climbing 300 feet over just over half a mile. The trail is fast and flowy, with gradual curves and waterbars placed throughout to manage runoff. Despite the leaf litter that can obscure the trail surface, it rides smoothly overall. Expec...
Learn more about Upper Wayehutta Creek Trail 1A

While less exciting in terrain than the closely named Old Buzzard Roost Road, this route has some fantastic views and other exciting features. The road is mostly gravel, with a few sections holding water or small washouts. You can travel the Southern terminus up towards the ridgeline and trace along...
Learn more about Buzzard Roost Road

Mount Sterling Road is an easy gravel route that offers a straightforward drive with occasional exposure and light local traffic. The road is generally well-maintained with gentle grades, making it suitable for most drivers under normal conditions. While much of the route is wide enough for two vehi...
Learn more about Mount Sterling Road

Sutton is a short out-and-back dirt route that offers a mostly easy drive with a brief change in terrain character. The trail begins as a graded path with a smooth, manageable surface before transitioning after a hairpin turn into a narrower, rocky two-track. In this section, rocks begin to protrude...
Learn more about Sutton

This segment of Trail 8 runs for 0.7 miles between Trail 7 and Trail 2, climbing nearly 400 feet in elevation. The route is mostly an uphill grind with several narrow shelfy traverses hugging the hillside, offering mild exposure in spots. While some sections widen out, the trail overall follows the ...
Learn more about Sawmill Bottoms Trail 8

Trail 9 is a 1.3-mile, wide path that traces the side of the mountain, offering a mellow and scenic ride. Mostly descending from north to south, it's generally easygoing with leaf cover hiding loose rocks, sticks, and roots here and there. A short section next to a trickling mossy waterfall is fun t...
Learn more about Sunset Connector Trail 9 (One-Way)

Old Bald Ridge Trail is a mildly used out-and-back two-track through the Nantahala National Forest. The trail is accessed from Moses Creek Road, which is asphalt up to the entry into the National Forest, where its designation changes to FS4651. 3.2 miles up Moses Creek Road, the Old Bald Ridge trail...
Learn more about Old Bald Ridge - FS 4652

Wayehutta is a public OHV trail system in the Nantahala National Forest. Most of the trails in this system are accessible with anything from a dirt bike to a SxS. No 4x4s are allowed on Wayehutta trails. The Trail 1 loop is a fantastic sampler of Wayehutta. It winds and weaves its way up ridges and ...
Learn more about Trail 1 - Wayehutta Loop

Trail 10 is a scenic and well-maintained 0.7-mile loop indicated for one-way travel in a counterclockwise direction. It features a wide, shelfy route climbing the mountainside, with flat and ramped sections and giant embedded rock layers that are easy to ride over and make it unique without adding d...
Learn more about Blanton Branch Trail 10

This beautiful "Creek-Side Dirt trail is a must if you like driving on forest roads and you like the view/sound of the roaring creeks. If you ever plan to go to Max Patch (360 views of the surrounding mountains in North Carolina & Tennessee), this trail is very easy to jump on when leaving. As you l...
Learn more about Creek Side Scenic Drive

Cove Creek Road is a short gravel route that offers a quick but scenic connection in the area, often used as an access point toward the Cataloochee Turnpike. The road surface is primarily gravel and generally well maintained, though it narrows to a single lane with several designated pull-offs for p...
Learn more about Cove Creek Road

Cataloochee Creek Road is an easy gravel drive that provides access to one of the more historically rich areas in the region. The road is generally well-maintained and typically wide enough for two vehicles, making it a straightforward route suitable for most drivers. Gentle grades and a series of m...
Learn more about Cataloochee Creek Road

This is an easy road that does not require 4x4. The road is not maintained when it has snowed. You gain 945 feet of elevation, but it is very gradual. There are several places along the road with stunning views, but you would have to go in the winter to get the best views. There are several designat...
Learn more about Wash Creek FR 5000

Trail 1A is a wide OHV route ascends steadily up the mountain, climbing 300 feet over just over half a mile. The trail is fast and flowy, with gradual curves and waterbars placed throughout to manage runoff. Despite the leaf litter that can obscure the trail surface, it rides smoothly overall. Expec...
Learn more about Upper Wayehutta Creek Trail 1A

Cove Creek Road is a short gravel route that offers a quick but scenic connection in the area, often used as an access point toward the Cataloochee Turnpike. The road surface is primarily gravel and generally well maintained, though it narrows to a single lane with several designated pull-offs for p...
Learn more about Cove Creek Road

Cataloochee Creek Road is an easy gravel drive that provides access to one of the more historically rich areas in the region. The road is generally well-maintained and typically wide enough for two vehicles, making it a straightforward route suitable for most drivers. Gentle grades and a series of m...
Learn more about Cataloochee Creek Road

This is an easy road that does not require 4x4. The road is not maintained when it has snowed. You gain 945 feet of elevation, but it is very gradual. There are several places along the road with stunning views, but you would have to go in the winter to get the best views. There are several designat...
Learn more about Wash Creek FR 5000

Trail 1A is a wide OHV route ascends steadily up the mountain, climbing 300 feet over just over half a mile. The trail is fast and flowy, with gradual curves and waterbars placed throughout to manage runoff. Despite the leaf litter that can obscure the trail surface, it rides smoothly overall. Expec...
Learn more about Upper Wayehutta Creek Trail 1A