Starting at the Pisgah Ranger Station, turn right onto Highway 276 (busy highway most of the times). Turn right on
Avery Creek Road to start the climb. This section is gradual, and be sure to enjoy the warm-up on the easy stretch.
At just over 2.5 miles, turn right onto
Clawhammer Road. Clawhammer is one of the necessary evils in Pisgah. It's a long gravel road/doubletrack that climbs over 1,300 ft. Just keep going, as the descent is well worth the climb!
From
Clawhammer Road, turn onto
Black Mountain Trail (#127). This trail is legendary for many reasons, but mostly it is known for its downhill, which loses over 1900 ft. from its highest point. Black Mountain has plenty of technical riding. There are loads of rocks, small drops, and some eroded areas. Overall, the trail gets less technical the closer you get toward the bottom.
There is a solid amount of gnar between the summit of Black Mountain. and the Turkeypen Gap trailhead. This section is steep, with ditched-out trail and waterbars that don't function anymore. The lower section near Thrift Cove is more mellow than the upper.
Eventually, the trail ends at
FSR #5061. Turn right on the road to return to the trailhead.
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