Description

Dupont State Forest is a massive 10,400-acre forest just outside of Brevard, North Carolina that has become one of the most popular and highly-acclaimed trail systems in the United States.

With a seemingly endless array of trails and dirt roads in this area, the options are endless—and this epic route is one of the best ways to survey the entire forest.

While this sometimes convoluted route appears to survey the entire area, some key favorite trails are left out.

For even more mountain bike rides in Dupont, be sure to check out the other route options published in FATMAP.

Dupont is located right next door to the famous Pisgah National Forest, but it's important to note that Dupont is distinct from Pisgah.

For riders coming to the Brevard area, it's useful to think of Dupont as "Pisgah Lite." While most of the trails here aren't easy, some of them are very beginner friendly and flowy, and the more difficult trails will entertain advanced-level mountain bikers—all without being as gnarly or as intimidating as the Pisgah National Forest. Dupont is probably best-known for two things: the gorgeous waterfalls, which this route visits, and the iconic slickrock balds with views of the entire region (which this route also visits).

The slickrock balds are reminiscent of riding the iconic Slickrock Trail in Moab, but with an East Coast flavor—and on a mountainside slant! Some riders could easily spend all day sessioning these otherworldly trails. The slickrock balds make up some of the more challenging trails in the area but for riders who aren't up to the thrills and chills of high-speed rock slab ripping, there are so many beautiful doubletrack trails and dirt roads meandering through this forest that you could easily construct a laid back gravel grind, or a gravel grind that's not-so laid back with epic mileage.

The sky is the limit in Dupont State Forest, which is probably why mountain bikers come back again and again...

and again. Sources: http://www.pisgahareasorba.org/2010/04/dsf-no-poach-imba-epic-ride-revisited/ http://www.pisgahareasorba.org/meetup-rides/trail-locations-maps-info/dupont-state-forest/