Neverending Road
Mountain Biking Trail
Moderate
24.92 mi
2,102 ft
A gated, dead-end road perfect as a gravel grind or overnight bikepacking trip.
Locals refer to this as "Neverending Road," though its official number designation is FS-5097. It's a great option for a long, quiet out-and-back gravel grind or as an overnight bikepacking trip. The route passes countless streams and gets quieter the further you go. Compared to most Pisgah rides, this route is *relatively* flat, climbing only 2,200' over ~25 miles total. The gravel road hugs the contours of the mountains and steers clear of any steep climbs. As mapped, this route begins on Wash Creek Road at the bottom of Bear Branch Trail. This is widely recognized as the start of Neverending Road, but not every map references it that way. There is a gate on Wash Creek Road that typically closes during the winter during freeze and thaw cycles, but there are no exact dates listed. Parking is available for less than a dozen cars. Alternatively, you could park anywhere along Wash Creek Road or North Mills River Road to begin your ride. Neverending Road intersects several trails, including Trace Ridge, Spencer Gap, Fletcher Creek, and Middle Fork. The first of those three are extremely popular as downhill mountain bike trails, so it's likely you may cross paths with a few of them starting or ending their ride. Should the singletrack be too muddy to ride, this route makes a great alternative to still bag some miles without damaging the trails. Though Pisgah has earned a reputation as an all-seasons destination, many trails are still susceptible to erosion and damage if ridden during or immediately after rain. Written by Brendon Voelker
Locals refer to this as "Neverending Road," though its official number designation is FS-5097. It's a great option for a long, quiet out-and-back gravel grind or as an overnight bikepacking trip. The route passes countless streams and gets quieter the further you go. Compared to most Pisgah rides, this route is *relatively* flat, climbing only 2,200' over ~25 miles total. The gravel road hugs the contours of the mountains and steers clear of any steep climbs. As mapped, this route begins on Wash Creek Road at the bottom of Bear Branch Trail. This is widely recognized as the start of Neverending Road, but not every map references it that way. There is a gate on Wash Creek Road that typically closes during the winter during freeze and thaw cycles, but there are no exact dates listed. Parking is available for less than a dozen cars. Alternatively, you could park anywhere along Wash Creek Road or North Mills River Road to begin your ride. Neverending Road intersects several trails, including Trace Ridge, Spencer Gap, Fletcher Creek, and Middle Fork. The first of those three are extremely popular as downhill mountain bike trails, so it's likely you may cross paths with a few of them starting or ending their ride. Should the singletrack be too muddy to ride, this route makes a great alternative to still bag some miles without damaging the trails. Though Pisgah has earned a reputation as an all-seasons destination, many trails are still susceptible to erosion and damage if ridden during or immediately after rain. Written by Brendon Voelker
Route and Elevation
Segments
Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
---|---|---|---|
MR Lower to Upper Lot Climb | 0.50 mi | 128 ft | 4.8% |
Fletcher Creek Rd.>Spencer Branch | 4.51 mi | 256 ft | 0.8% |
Road to Nowhere to Fletcher Creek | 5.14 mi | 289 ft | 1.0% |
Gate to Spencer TH CC | 4.53 mi | 269 ft | 0.9% |
the hot road between | 0.92 mi | 95 ft | 1.3% |
Blue Ridge Parkway Climb | 0.27 mi | 266 ft | 18.0% |
Top of nowhere to middle fork | 3.95 mi | -679 ft | -3.3% |
Neverending Road Top to Bottom | 11.78 mi | -958 ft | -1.5% |
5097 Never ending, between middle Fork & Spencer | 3.24 mi | -167 ft | -0.4% |
Fletcher creek TH to parkinglot | 2.79 mi | -112 ft | -0.2% |
Fletcher creek TH to gait | 2.66 mi | -112 ft | -0.2% |
RTNW TT | 2.81 mi | -253 ft | -1.6% |