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
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The 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!

Speak

We’re a chapter of SORBA, the largest nonprofit mountain biking organization in the Southeast.

JOIN US

Build

Our members build and maintain sustainable mountain bike trails for everyone to enjoy.

VOLUNTEER

Respect

We are dedicated to respecting the environment; building and riding trails respectfully.

ABOUT US

Ride!

Whether you’re an experienced rider or just starting out, we’ll connect you with the MTB scene.

OUR TRAILS

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.

Sep
30
Sat
Upper Wilson and Schoolhouse Work Party @ FSR 4068
Sep 30 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

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.

Oct
21
Sat
SORBA Fall Board Of Directors Meeting @ Anniston, AL
Oct 21 all-day

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.

Group Ride – Hickory City Park @ Hickory City Park
Oct 21 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Group Ride - Hickory City Park @ Hickory City Park | Hickory | North Carolina | United States

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.

Oct
27
Fri
Mortimer Trail Weekend Fall 2023 @ Mortimer Campground
Oct 27 – Oct 28 all-day

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.

Nov
4
Sat
Lake James State Park – Community Workday and Ride @ Lake James State Park
Nov 4 @ 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Lake James State Park - Community Workday and Ride @ Lake James State Park | Linville | North Carolina | United States

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

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...

Old Becomes New On Yancey Ridge

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.

Bald Guy Brew
Six Hours of Warrior Creek
Integrity Bicycle & Machine
Camp Grier
DeFeet
DeFeet
Full Metal Chicken