First Time Riding Gateway Trails

Gateway trail mountain biking old fort boys summer camp.jpg?ixlib=rails 2.1
Best boys camp mountain biking.jpg?ixlib=rails 2.1
Mountain biking boys camp.jpg?ixlib=rails 2.1

This week, a group of Falling Creek mountain bikers rode at the Gateway Trail system in Old Fort, North Carolina for the first time!

scroll down to see the video!

These are the newest trails in the Grandfather District of Pisgah National Forest, and are an ongoing project led by the “G5 Trail Collective.”

Gateway trails pisgah national forest.png?ixlib=rails 2.1
Gateway Trail System Map, from www.g5trailcollective.org

As their website says, “The G5 Trail Collective is a 501-c3 non-profit initiative powered by Camp Grier in partnership with the USFS, local communities, and recreational trail user groups. G5 Stands for the Grandfather District and the 5 counties it covers - McDowell, Burke, Caldwell, Avery, and Watauga.”

Boys summer camp mountain biking.jpg?ixlib=rails 2.1

So far the first 6 miles of trails are open to the public, with 42 total miles planned! Many of the trails start and finish on Jarrett Creek Road, so riders can use the gravel road to extend their loops and create new route variations. The popular Kitsuma and Heartbreak Ridge trails in this area are already well known to more advanced riders because of their long climbs and technical descents, so we’re excited for the new trail options that offer a wider range of difficulty levels!

Mountain biking camp for kids.jpg?ixlib=rails 2.1

Campers Cobin (Lugoff, SC), Henry (Tuxedo, NC), Riggs (Greenville, SC), and William (Columbus, GA) were the first from Falling Creek to ride on these trails, along with counselors Owain (Wales), Alexander (Cornwall) and Yates Pharr!

Here’s a short video featuring their first thoughts on the trails: