Bracken Preserve (Bracken Bracken Mountain)
Mountain Biking Trail
Moderate
7.85 mi
1,330 ft
Flowy but steep singletrack rideable from downtown Brevard.
While Brevard, North Carolina receives high acclaim as arguably the best mountain bike destination in the Eastern United States, there's really only one trail that's rideable from downtown Brevard. That trail is Bracken Preserve.
Unlike most of the riding in the greater Brevard area, Bracken Preserve is relatively flowy and smooth overall. The trails were machine-built, unlike most of the singletrack in the Pisgah National Forest, providing great rolling grade reversals, rollers, tabletop jumps, and berms. While overall this singletrack is much flowier than the other trails in the region, there are still a decent number of rocks and roots to keep you honest.
While all of the climbs are rideable, like pretty much every single Brevard-area trail the climbs feel like they head straight up the mountainside, gaining elevation quickly as the singletrack heads toward the top of Burl Mountain.
Once up top, the flowy rip back down the mountain is a reward so sweet, you'll forget about the pain of the climb! Berm after berm, jump after jump, this descent is a true gem.
While the route shown here turns around at the top of the mountain, if you carry on over the top you'll enter the Pisgah National Forest and can connect over to the Fish Hatchery, and beyond. The only limits to the routes you can begin from Bracken Preserve are your fitness... and your imagination.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
While Brevard, North Carolina receives high acclaim as arguably the best mountain bike destination in the Eastern United States, there's really only one trail that's rideable from downtown Brevard. That trail is Bracken Preserve.
Unlike most of the riding in the greater Brevard area, Bracken Preserve is relatively flowy and smooth overall. The trails were machine-built, unlike most of the singletrack in the Pisgah National Forest, providing great rolling grade reversals, rollers, tabletop jumps, and berms. While overall this singletrack is much flowier than the other trails in the region, there are still a decent number of rocks and roots to keep you honest.
While all of the climbs are rideable, like pretty much every single Brevard-area trail the climbs feel like they head straight up the mountainside, gaining elevation quickly as the singletrack heads toward the top of Burl Mountain.
Once up top, the flowy rip back down the mountain is a reward so sweet, you'll forget about the pain of the climb! Berm after berm, jump after jump, this descent is a true gem.
While the route shown here turns around at the top of the mountain, if you carry on over the top you'll enter the Pisgah National Forest and can connect over to the Fish Hatchery, and beyond. The only limits to the routes you can begin from Bracken Preserve are your fitness... and your imagination.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| No warmup | 0.45 mi | 253 ft | 10.6% |
| Brushy Creek Climb | 2.16 mi | 495 ft | 3.4% |
| Brushy Upper B | 3.06 mi | 856 ft | 4.9% |
| Second Push | 1.17 mi | 407 ft | 6.6% |
| Upper Bracken Climb | 1.13 mi | 351 ft | 5.9% |
| Bracken Mt. Super D, segment 1 | 1.64 mi | -515 ft | -5.5% |
| Upper Bracken DH | 1.22 mi | -410 ft | -6.2% |
| Bracken DH entire | 3.00 mi | -1,001 ft | -6.3% |
| Bracken Super D | 1.41 mi | -561 ft | -7.5% |
| b | 0.68 mi | -354 ft | -9.8% |
| Bracken Final DH | 0.49 mi | -223 ft | -8.5% |
| Braaack | 0.44 mi | -249 ft | -10.5% |