Yancey Ridge Trail relocation complete
A years-long effort to restore and relocate the Yancey Ridge Trail in Avery County is now complete, including a 1.2-mile section of new trail rerouting a segment that was on private property.
This premier mountain biking trail is located on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest, descending the ridge from Old House Gap to Roseboro Road near the community of Edgement, a drop of nearly 2,000 feet in 6 miles. The project aimed to make the trail more sustainable while maintaining the ride’s technical nature. Volunteers from the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance contributed more than 950 hours to the project, which included trail maintenance along the trail’s entire length and construction of a new trailhead at the intersection of Roseboro Road and N.C. 90.
The trail restoration is the first project to be completed in the larger Mortimer Trails Project, which approved 10 miles of new trail construction and 3 miles of trail relocations. Contracted work was completed by Linville-based Terra Tek Trails, and funding came through a Santa Cruz Bicycles PayDirt Grant, a North Carolina Recreation and Trails Program grant in partnership with Trout Unlimited, and the Grandfather Ranger District.
