NEBO, NC (November 19, 2021) — After years of planning, design, volunteer work, and construction, the Yancey Ridge Trail restoration and relocation project is complete! The Yancey Ridge Trail is a premier mountain biking trail in the upper Wilson Creek Watershed on the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest in Avery County, North Carolina.
The trail descends the ridge from Old House Gap to Roseboro Road near the community of Edgemont, dropping nearly 2,000 feet in 6 miles. Rated as most difficult, the project increased sustainability while maintaining the technical nature of the trail. Our mountain bike partners can attest, it is an epic ride! Work on the Yancey Ridge Project was led by the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance (a chapter of the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association (SORBA)) whose volunteers contributed over 950 hours to the project.
The highlight of the trail restoration is the newly constructed exit of Yancey Ridge Trail, now officially open! This 1.2-mile section of new trail reroutes the segment that was on private property onto US Forest Service land, closing out an erosive section that was draining sediment into the creek. A new trailhead was constructed just north of the intersection of Roseboro Road and State Road 90.
In addition to the reroute, trail maintenance was completed throughout the entire 6 miles. Maintenance work was significant and included road to trail conversion, reestablishment and construction of drainage structures, and the closure of ditched out segments.
The Yancey Ridge Trail restoration is the first project to be completed out of the Mortimer Trails Project, which approved 10 miles of new trail construction and 3 miles of trail relocations. All contracted work on the Yancey Ridge Trail was completed by Michael Thomas of Terra Tek Trails, a local trail builder based out of Linville, NC who is also an active volunteer member of The Alliance.
In addition to the amazing volunteer effort, the Yancey Ridge Project has been supported by partnerships from concept through construction. Funding for the work on Yancey Ridge was provided through a Santa Cruz Bicycles PayDirt Grant, a North Carolina Recreation and Trails Program grant in partnership with Trout Unlimited, and funding from the US Forest Service Grandfather Ranger District.
Learn more about the project and how to get involved at the Northwest North Carolina MTB Alliance Website.
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