Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Oak Ridge, North Carolina

FS-576 in Uwharrie National Forest, also known as Moccasin Cir, is a gravel road that splits the National Forest from east to west and dead-ends at the Deep Woods camp area. Along the way, there…
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Slab Pile is a fun trail with off-camber portions, small hill climbs, ruts, and several optional challenges. Most of the trail is accessible to most vehicles with moderate ground clearance. Little to none of the…
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The Sawmill Trail is an easier trail through the forest. It features multiple short hill climbs that can be slightly off-camber, a few large puddles or stream crossings, and all-around good views of the forest.…
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Lake View Trail is an easier trail offering great views of Uwharrie National Forest and Badin Lake. A view of Badin Lake can be seen about halfway through the trail. Most of the trail is…
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Falls Dam trail is another easier trail in Uwharrie National Forest. It has views of the forest humps and a few optional challenges. For the most part, the trail is a shelf road in the…
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Nursery Lane is a longer Forest Service road within Sandhills Game Lands that offers a generally easy drive with only minimal challenges, most of which depend on weather conditions. A short section of the trail…
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Deaton Lane is a sandy Forest Service road located on the eastern side of the Sandhills Game Lands. While many of the major roads in this area are fairly easy, this route presents a few…
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Field Trial Road is an access road running from the Northeast to Southwest in the Sandhills Game Land. The road is generally easy, consisting of a wide, sandy forest service route with minor ruts and…
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Thrower Lane is a shorter Forest Service road within the Sandhills Game Lands that provides views and access to the eastern end of Bones Fork, a flooded pond. This area frequently overflows, creating small water…
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FS 224 is an improved gravel road that is pretty well-maintained, winding up and down and around the mountain, and can be run in either direction. That being said, you should pay attention to washouts…
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This dirt track travels just north of Gatewood Reservoir. At just under 3 miles, it's a great quick run, or you can add to a route that includes some of the other local forest roads.…
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This mostly gravel road is fairly easy and does not require 4WD or significant ground clearance. This road appears to be used primarily for accessing horse camp sites, which are numerous. The largest horse camping…
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Bobblets Gap is a natural surface two-track that starts on the south side of the Blue Ridge near Montvale, Virginia, and traverses up the mountain. At the top, it goes under the Blue Ridge Parkway…
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Trail 2C at Brushy Mountain Motorsports Park is a 2.8-mile, easy SxS loop beginning and ending at the main staging area. Riders experience a gradual ascent for the first half, followed by a smooth descent,…
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This 1.4-mile off-road trail at Brushy Mountain Motorsports Park near Taylorsville, North Carolina, offers an easy, scenic ride for SxS vehicles, ATVs, and dirt bikes. Starting and ending at the main staging area, the loop…
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This shortcut provides a quick and efficient connection between the intermediate 1C OHV trail and the easy 1C OHV trail, also frequently used by dirt bikers on the 9C EXT single track. The trail is…
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This road is fairly easy and should not require 4WD unless it is very wet. Wildlife is abundant including deer, grouse, and turkey. The side route to Comer's Rock provides a scenic overlook after a…
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Bailey Gap and Butt Mountain are two trails that are near the Mountain Lake Lodge, which was made famous by the movie "Dirty Dancing". Both trails are beginner-friendly, with Butt Mountain being the easier of…
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The Youth Trail at Brushy Mountain Motorsports Park is a 2.1-mile loop starting and ending at the main staging area, featuring a gradual climb followed by a descent. The trail is wide, well-marked at intersections…
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This two-way trail at Brushy Mountain Motorsports Park begins on the west side at the intersection of Trails 1A, 2A, and 1B. The route starts off narrow between dense bushes before opening slightly as it…
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Brushy Mountain's motocross track offers a natural terrain loop that's ideal for warming up or honing skills before hitting the trails. With hard pack red dirt and scenic views in the trees, it has medium-sized…
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Trail 4B at Brushy Mountain Motorsports Park is a directional, one-way route traveling northwest to southeast, serving as a bailout from Trail 1B to return toward the office and staging area. This half-mile trail features…
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The 1B Shortcut is a short, less-than-quarter-mile connector trail linking two segments of Trail 1B. It cuts approximately two miles off the main 1B loop. The trail features a mostly smooth, gradual surface with one…
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This is a gravel FS road leading to prime trout water. It's a scenic short path off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Go to the end of the road and take a left onto Jennings Creek.…
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Patterson Creek Road is a great spot to find creek-side campsites. There are a half dozen sites scattered along this 7-mile route. Some are just off of the road, and a few are further off…
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Overstreet Creek climbs from just over 1,300 feet in elevation to 3,250 ft, where it meets the Blue Ridge Parkway. This four-mile-long route is mostly gravel, but some of the steep sections include larger rocks.…
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This is a dead-end route leading to a junction of 4 other trails. This route has only 2 dispersed sites. This is a maintained gravel forest service road and is primarily used for horseback riding…
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Near the town of New Castle, VA, are the remnants of many small mining towns. This route passes by the Fenwick Mines area, which has a small recreation day-use area and hiking trails. The route…
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Parkers Gap trail is a gravel forest service road, running from Cave Mountain Lake to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The surface is gravel and pot hole strewn. Cell service is spotty throughout the area. Numerous…
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Oi Road offers some nice views as it climbs up the ridgeline. Unlike Patterson Creek Road to the south, there are hardly any spots to get off the road, and any camping would be tight.…
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