Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance
A SORBA Chapter promoting land access, trail preservation and new trail development on the federal, state & local lands of Northwestern North Carolina Sign Me Up!Where to rideThe best mountain bike trails in North Carolina
Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance (The Alliance) is building and maintaining some of the best MTB trails in North Carolina, tucked away in the Northwestern part of the state. We build, ride and protect single track mountain bike trails in towns of Boone, Conover, Glen Alpine, Hickory, Lenoir & Wilkesboro and the Grandfather District of The Pisgah National Forest. If you’re just looking for the most recent trail status or a whole new place to ride, we’re here to help connect you to the best mountain bike trails around.
Great trails rely on members
The Alliance is a chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association and relies on membership, volunteer hours and donations from mountain bikers to operate. Members continue the mission of making mountain bike trails accessible and sustainable through our core values: Speak, Build, Respect, Ride!
Ride!
Whether you’re an experienced rider or just starting out, we’ll connect you with the MTB scene.
Trail Status Reports
Trail status is updated by our local trail stewards, but you should always check with each trail’s website or Facebook page if conditions are suspect. Most trails close for a minimum of 24 hours following rain.
= Open | 
= Caution | 
= Trail Closed
Upcoming Events
The Alliance holds regular work parties, socials, board meetings and other events throughout the calendar year. Be sure to subscribe to our calendar below to keep up with the latest happenings.
Join us September 30th for a workday on two trails in Pisgah. We will be meeting near the Upper Wilson Ridge Trailhead on Schoolhouse Rd. (FSR 4068) at the Forest Service gate on NC 90 near Maple Grove (36.010585, -81.734860). If you are unfamiliar with this part of the forest, it is a remote area so plan accordingly to be on time or early. There is no reliable cell service. Parking is also limited, so carpool with others that you know are attending. At 9am, we will divide into groups and drive in the gate to get closer to the work sites. Bring sturdy footwear, work gloves, and water. Tools will be provided. Also, please fill out the Trail Volunteer RSVP form so we can plan ahead. Rain date is Sunday 10/1. If this gets postponed, the call will be made by 7am the day of and an email will be sent to the RSVP list.
The SORBA Fall Board of Directors Meeting will be hosted by NEABA in Anniston, AL Oct 21st, 2023 in conjunction with the yearly Coldwater Mountain Fat Tire Festival. The schedule of events, registration link, lodging and camping details, and other info will be posted soon. Our Chapter will be represented and give us a shout if you’re heading down.
We’re going riding! We will meet at 10:00AM in the main parking lot. This will be a no drop ride and we’ll split up the group based on abilities. We’ll likely meetup post ride for a little hang time too. Looking forward to seeing y’all there.
After a successful Spring Mortimer weekend, we decided to go for it again in the Fall! This event is being co-sponsored by the G5 Trail Collective, and will be centered around a trail workday on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. In addition, there will be several organized rides on surrounding trails. Free camping will be available for those who sign up for the trail work. So we can plan accordingly, if you will be attending any portion of the weekend, fill out the following form: Mortimer Fall Trail Weekend RSVP. Any updates to the plan (weather, etc.) will be emailed to the RSVP list.
Tentative Schedule:
October 27, 2023
Friday Ride – 4:00 p.m.
Friday Night Camping
October 28, 2023
Saturday Trail Work – 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Saturday Afternoon Ride – 3:00 p.m.
Saturday Night Camping
For the trail work, bring sturdy footwear, work gloves, snacks/lunch, and water. Tools will be provided, but bring your own favorite tool if you have one.
Join the Alliance for a Community Trail Workday at Lake James State Park! This event is free of charge.
Meet at the Paddy’s Creek location on Saturday, Nov. 4th. This will be a community effort with: Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail (FMST) and Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail (F3ST) volunteers serving as our partners and leaders. We hope to have a great turnout!
Please bring a daypack with water and snacks. We will provide TOOLS and experienced CREW LEADERS. No experience required. We will be working on the Wimba Loops. Work will include trimming and clearing drainage to help control water on the trail. If you have safety glasses, please bring them for your own use.
Click Here for required pre-registration
Also, for those interested we’ll lead a, no-drop, group mountain bike ride after the workday. So, bring your riding gear and your bike!
SCHEDULE:
9:00 am – Meet at Lake James State Park MTB Trailhead
9:00 – 9:15 am – Safety talk, crew assignment, explanation of tasks
9:15 am – 12:15 pm – Work
12:15 – 12:30 pm – Return to trailhead and collect tools
1:00 pm – Group Ride
*We hope to increase the volunteer capacity of all trail groups within Burke County through partnership events like this. Thank you for your support1
**WEATHER CANCELLATION WILL BE POSTED VIA NWNC MTB ALLIANCE SOCIAL PAGES BY 9pm THE EVENING PRIOR
News
Photo Gallery: New Zacks Fork Gravity Trails
This past summer, over a year's worth of planning, volunteering, and contracted trail work led to completion of the Gravity Trails expansion at Zacks Fork Trails in Lenoir. The fundraising effort began in 2021, with some grant writing and the establishment of a budget...
Schoolhouse Ridge Trail Restoration Complete
This trail, rated “most difficult,” follows the historic alignment in many places, including several steep, rocky sections.
Old Becomes New On Yancey Ridge
New Reroute of Exit Now Open! The Alliance is pleased to share that the newly constructed exit of Yancey Ridge Trail is now officially OPEN! This 1.2 mile section of new trail reroutes the segment that was on private property onto US Forest Service land. The...
Chapter Partners
The Alliance recognizes the following organizations for their partnerships and contributions to furthering the sport of mountain biking in Northwest North Carolina.
