Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Reidsville, North Carolina

The trail is an easy, standard Forest Service road providing access to the Badin Lake campgrounds, group campgrounds, and recreation area. Most, if not all, of the Badin Lake campsites do not have power or water hookups; however, the grounds do feature a bathhouse, RV pump station, and lake access. ...
Learn more about Kings Mountain Road - FS 597A

McLeans Creek (FS 544) serves as the middle of three access routes to Uwharrie National Forest. While the majority of McLeans Creek proper features a paved surface, the westernmost mile quickly transitions into a gravel and hard-packed dirt forest service road. On Mullinix Road just before the inter...
Learn more about McLeans Creek - FS 544

Cotton Place is a Forest Service road located within Uwharrie National Forest. It runs from Moccasin Creek (FS 576) to private property south of the national forest. The trail primarily provides access to the "front side" of Daniel (FS 390), the most challenging OHV area within Uwharrie National For...
Learn more about Cotton Place - FS 555

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 are several primitive campsites just off the road. Some of them have stunning views of Badin Lake just so...
Learn more about FS-576

Dutch John (FS 553) is a major Forest Service road providing direct access from the eastern national forest entrance, via Moccasin Creek (FS 576), to southeastern OHV trails such as Dickey Bell (FS 91), Falls Dam (FS 96), and Rocky Mount Loop (FS 92). This forest service road features small rocks, r...
Learn more about Dutch John - FS 553

Badin Lake FS 597 serves as the northernmost access road for Uwharrie National Forest, providing convenient entry to numerous primitive campgrounds, designated campsites, recreation areas, swim beaches, and OHV trails. While this dirt and gravel road is moderately maintained with occasional small ru...
Learn more about Badin Lake FS 597

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. The trail is generally pretty easy and can offer a good area to begin on, with little pot...
Learn more about Sawmill Trail 93

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 main trail requires 4WD, but some of the optional lines and obstacles will likely requir...
Learn more about Slab Pile Trail 79

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 an easy shelf road that winds along the hills and mountains of the forest. There are a few optional challenges th...
Learn more about Lake View Trail 69

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 hills and can be done in most off-roading vehicles. Some optional challenges can be taken to add a little variety t...
Learn more about Falls Dam Trail 96

Green Gap (FS 6584) is a standard Forest Service road providing access to the southern end of Uwharrie National Forest and the south side of Dickey Bell (FS 91). Notably, this entrance of Dickey Bell is the closest access point to the popular hill climb portion. In addition to providing access to Fo...
Learn more about Green Gap - FS 6584

Dusty Level Rd is a county road comparable to many Forest Service roads in the area, providing access to less-established portions of Uwharrie National Forest while routing through some stretches of private property. The trail is generally easy, featuring a few potholes, mild ruts, and a couple of s...
Learn more about Dusty Level Rd

The mapped portion denotes a split in Dennis Road providing access to the Uwharrie Game Lands and the Uwharrie River public fishing area. These unique areas are lesser-known than other designated game lands and fishing spots within Uwharrie National Forest, featuring dedicated parking areas, short w...
Learn more about Dennis Road

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 and back off the north side of the mountain range, where it intersects with the Appalachian Trail and a...
Learn more about Bobblets Gap

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. The trout water parallels the road for a few miles. The water is stocked and there are 2 nearby campgrounds off Jennings Creek Ro...
Learn more about Powell's Gap

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. The namesake creek parallels the road for most of the length, and several waterfalls are...
Learn more about Overstreet Creek

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 on the gated trails. The surface is smooth gravel. Cell service is adequate at the end.
Learn more about Middle Creek

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 and downed trees due to storms. There are a few streams that cross the road, but they were only 6 i...
Learn more about Wildlife Road - FS 224

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. There are a few ruts and mud holes, but nothing too extreme, and unless there was a lot of rain, it shouldn't be an i...
Learn more about Pond Lick Road

North Creek, designated as Forest Service Road 59, begins where the pavement ends on North Creek Road. The route is open year‑round and remains an easy trail throughout, with a maintained gravel surface and low vegetation overgrowth. The most notable obstacles are potholes, all less than 6 inches de...
Learn more about North Creek

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 are several primitive campsites just off the road. Some of them have stunning views of Badin Lake just so...
Learn more about FS-576

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. The trail is generally pretty easy and can offer a good area to begin on, with little pot...
Learn more about Sawmill Trail 93

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 main trail requires 4WD, but some of the optional lines and obstacles will likely requir...
Learn more about Slab Pile Trail 79

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 an easy shelf road that winds along the hills and mountains of the forest. There are a few optional challenges th...
Learn more about Lake View Trail 69

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 are several primitive campsites just off the road. Some of them have stunning views of Badin Lake just so...
Learn more about FS-576

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. The trail is generally pretty easy and can offer a good area to begin on, with little pot...
Learn more about Sawmill Trail 93

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 main trail requires 4WD, but some of the optional lines and obstacles will likely requir...
Learn more about Slab Pile Trail 79

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 an easy shelf road that winds along the hills and mountains of the forest. There are a few optional challenges th...
Learn more about Lake View Trail 69