Dupont / Pisgah for Kids? Other trails in the Ashville Area

[matte1401]

I'm heading to Asheville next weekend on a family trip with my 9yo and 13yo sons.  Wondering about the best rides that would be most suitable for them.  Both boys ride the DINO races and can do ~15 miles of BCSP in a day but have little rock garden or steep downhill experience.  They're riding HT 26ers. 
Would Daniel Ridge be worth trying or are there others we should check out? 
We'll be riding Sat and Sun. 
Thanks for any suggestions!   

[Fett]

Bent Creek may be more appropriate, maybe the M Loop by the Davidson River Campground.

I would consider the Daniel Loop, the sort of entry level for the big boy trails at Pisgah.  It has a fair amount of rocky terrain, so it may put them in a bit deep.  If they can ride Walnut at BCSP, they can probably handle the Daniel Loop

[matte1401]

Bent Creek may be more appropriate, maybe the M Loop by the Davidson River Campground.

I would consider the Daniel Loop, the sort of entry level for the big boy trails at Pisgah.  It has a fair amount of rocky terrain, so it may put them in a bit deep.  If they can ride Walnut at BCSP, they can probably handle the Daniel Loop

Thanks for the help!  I see there are a couple of good trails go out of the Davidson Campground (http://www.mtbikewnc.com/bestrides/davidson-river/).  Guessing one of those is the "M Loop" you mention.  Maybe we'll try those on DAy 1 and see how it's going before taking on Daniel Loop.  The waterfall looks like it would be worth a challenging ride to get to.

[ELduder]

Without a doubt hit Dupont. There is an IMBA epic that can be broken out to several different rides. Just about everyone has a blast riding there. Good place to start is the Corn Mills Shoals lot since that is where most of the slickrock is.


On a side note do the sliding rock natural water slide. Costs a buck to do it all day and you slide down on a 60' rock water slide into a very refreshing pool of mountain water.

[Fett]

Without a doubt hit Dupont. There is an IMBA epic that can be broken out to several different rides. Just about everyone has a blast riding there. Good place to start is the Corn Mills Shoals lot since that is where most of the slickrock is.


On a side note do the sliding rock natural water slide. Costs a buck to do it all day and you slide down on a 60' rock water slide into a very refreshing pool of mountain water.

I second this. Dupont has a little bit of something for everyone.

[indym3]

With Kids at Dupont I would recommend parking at the Lake Imaging trail head as most of the trails in that vicinity are intermediate.  Check out the Ridgeline trails and Airstrip to name a few.  If you want a printed color map go to the visitor center about 1.5miles south of the Lake Imaging trail head.   There is one rock garden you can either climb, descend or avoid near that trail head.    Contrasting that the southwest area around Cornmill Shoals has the most difficult trails in the forest.   

[PKemppainen]

I would have to agree with the other recommendations to hit DuPont. There is a great variety of terrain, with some trails being similar to parts of Brown County. For younger riders, I would think it could be ideal.

The Guion Farm trailhead area has a "skills" area, with a teeter-totter and boardwalks to test the younger riders, and leads to some easier terrain.

Ridgeline is a roller-coaster of a trail. If it were around here, I'd ride it all a day long or at least until I got bored. Also, Hickory Mountain was a fun ride. It's a good warm-up climb, followed by a decent downhill. The two can be tied together if you take the right turns.

Also, the climb up Cedar Rock, taking Little River to Cedar Rock is an experience. Riding the slickrock is the highlight. Big Rock, one possible descent has a rocky drop, which could be a little hairy.

Nice plastic-y maps are available at the LBS's for both DuPont and Pisgah, and could be a worthwhile investment.

Bent Creek, closer to Asheville is also an area with kid-friendly terrain.

[Raleighguy29]

Lake imagining route is a blast climb up jim branch take whispering pines to hooker falls and finish on ridgeline which is a absolute blast!!!! We went up big rock then down cedar then did burnt mountain after that. There's just so much great trail down there to ride. Also check out micaja and wilks.

[matte1401]

Thanks for all the replies!  Dupont sounds great and I think we'll hit that both days.  Appreciate the tips on trails on the north side of the park also as I had been focusing in on the slickrock section.  Maybe we'll hit those day 1 then try the tougher SW side trails/slickrock on day 2.   The waterfalls like very cool from the pics also.