DuPont State Forest NC Ride In March

Around 4pm on a Monday in early March, I looked outside and saw there was still light out after work. The time change had arrived, and with it came the realization that there was finally enough daylight to squeeze in a ride.

I hollered at my neighbor Sam. He was game. Thirty minutes later we were pulling into the Corn Mill Shoals lot at DuPont State Recreational Forest — one of western North Carolina's best,  to get in our first after-work laps of the season.

The Area: DuPont State Recreational Forest

DuPont State Recreational Forest sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Cedar Rock, NC — about an hour south of Asheville. The forest is best known among mountain bikers for its exposed granite slab riding, fast flowy trails, and some of the most scenic mid-ride views in the region.

The trail network is extensive and easy to combine in a number of different ways. Most visitors follow the classic loop hitting Big Rock, Cedar Rock, and the slab overlook. Sam, who grew up here and knows these trails better than most, had something a little different in mind.

MTB Gear

This was a spontaneous ride, which is exactly when being dialed on gear matters most. I grabbed my bike, loaded up my Founders Edition Kitloader 70, already packed up and had my Hip Pack and Flat Kit strap ready to go. No scrambling, no delays.

That pre-packed setup is what makes these last-minute windows actually happen. When the weather is right and a neighbor says yes, you can just go.

Finding the flow (our route)

Sam's loop started unconventionally: we rode up the Big Rock descent. This is not for the faint of heart, especially straight out of the parking lot. It's technical, it's chunky, and I did not clean it. But the move was intentional — it set us up to drop right into Cedar Rock, which looped us back around to the traditional approach and the climb up to the slab for the proper Big Rock descent.

At the top, we took a moment at the overlook. It's one of those spots that earns its reputation — wide open views, granite slab under your wheels, and the whole trail network laid out below you. One of my favorite mid-ride stops anywhere in the region.

On the descent, we kept things controlled but let the bikes move. A few hoots and hollers may have been involved. At the bottom, we hooked right onto Twixt, climbed the double track on Rock Quarry Road, and finished by dropping Wilkie Trail back to the truck.

 

Trail DNA

Big Rock: While not typically recommended as a climb trail -- starting on the ascent here allows for more downhill riding by paying up front. Its a technical grunt that requires reading the terrain and a willingness to put a foot down. This trail is one of the most memorable trails in the forest.

Cedar Rock: Fast and rough descending on rock slab. No big surprises, but will definitely give you a pump by the bottom. 

Twixt + Rock Quarry Road: The connector. Double track climb on Rock Quarry gives your legs a moment before the final descent.

Wilkie Trail: A solid closer. Enough descent to end the ride with a smile and a clean route back to the Corn Mill Shoals lot.

Riding with a local ripper 

Even after logging a lot of miles in DuPont, riding with Sam changed the experience. He grew up on these trails, knows the nuances, and the fact that he's now just around the corner from me is something I don't take for granted. 

Mental reset: the post-ride feel

There's something specific about a time-change ride. It's the first real signal that the season has shifted — that the windows for after-work pedaling are opening back up.

By the time we dropped Wilkie back to the truck, the legs were cooked in the right way and the head was clear. That's the real magic — the ability to clear the mental clutter and just be present on the trail.

Primo session. Great company. Spring has sprung. 

Terrain details

Terrain: Exposed granite slab on Big Rock and Cedar Rock. Fast flowie on Wilkie, double track on Rock Quarry Road. Expect technical line choices on the slab and root sections on the lower trails.

Best seasons: Year round riding. Assuming the trail remains open its great after a rain. Soil is sandy and the rock slabs get a nice cleaning from precipitation.  

Map

We didn't record this ride but below is a similar map. 

Trail stats