This trip has been on our list for a while. We’ve passed it up in the past because it involves quite a bit of driving and it’s not a continuous trail, but it was just what my younger son and I were looking for this year – a change of scenery, front country campgrounds, and a mixture of flowy and rugged singletrack. Dupont and Pisgah drew us to the area, but we found some unexpected gems along the way.
Day 1: Drive to Roanoke and camp at Blue Ridge Adventures.
Day 2: Explore the incredible network of trails at Carvins Cove Natural Preserve.
Day 3: Drive to Bent Creek Experimental Forest, with a detour to Waid Recreation Park.
Day 4: Explore more of the Bent Creek Experimental Forest trails.
Day 5: Drive to Ash Grove Campground and explore Dupont’s Ridgeline Trail Loop.
Day 6: Ride Fawn Lake Super Loop in DuPont (similar to: Best of Dupont)
Day 7: Pisgah – Kitsumah Point Lookout Look and Black Mountain Loop
Day 8: Drive home
To break up our drive from Maine to Brevard, NC, we decided to stop in Roanoke, VA. In hindsight, we would have spent an extra day in Roanoke, or stopped again on the way back. The trails at Carvins Cove Natural Preserve are beautifully designed and just tons of fun.
When we returned to our campground after a crazy fun day at Carvins Cove, we met our camping neighbors who were returning, grinning and giddy, from their day. They had been playing at Waid Recreation Park and insisted that we check it out. We’re so glad we did! The 5 miles of trails at Waid are ridiculously fun.
After Waid, we drove to Lake Powhatan campground, in Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Here we could bike right from our campground. We explored several trails that evening and many more the next day before heading to our true destination, the spot that had led us to this area in the first place – Dupont.
Dupont did not disappoint! We drove straight to the Ridgeline Trailhead and rode the loop before going to our campground. It’s fast, flowy, and so much fun! The next morning we spread the DuPont State Forest National Geographic map on the breakfast table and looked over our options. The most adventurous route by far was the Fawn Lake Super Loop – a 25-mile route that traverses the east side of the forest. We decided to pack a lunch and ride this big loop. It led us across streams, along lakes, and through mountainsides of hardwood forest dusted with green buds. We were supremely happy with our choice.
On our last day of riding we decided to take on the Kitsumah Point Lookout Loop. It’s a tough climb up with steep switchbacks, but the long descent is worth the effort.
We absolutely loved this trip!
Sarah Hunter 
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