Off-Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell

Race - Jul 26, 2020

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Drops/Jumps · Views

The Off-Road Assault on Mt Mitchell is a 60-mile MTB race with 10,500 feet of climbing. From Old Fort, you climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and just below Mt Mitchell on beautiful Forest Service roads and unbelievable North Carolina singletrack. There are fully stocked rest stops approximately every 10 miles and you can send anything you want to the rest areas with our staff.

Mt Mitchell peaks at 6684 ft and is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi river. The MTB race starts and finishes in the town of Old Fort, North Carolina and sits at around 1400 feet. Most of the climbing is on Forest Service roads while most of the singletrack points downhill!

One of the best marathon distance MTB courses in the US!

Follow signs for parking in a large lot available on Commerce St.

From the town of Old Fort there is a police lead mass start out to Old US Highway 70.
• From Water St, you'll take a RIGHT on Catawba Avenue.
• Make an immediate LEFT on Commerce Street.
• Make a RIGHT on Orchard St.
• Make a LEFT on Old US Highway 70 (State Road 1400). Police will escort until the intersection with Mill Creek Rd (SR 1407) and then stop traffic until all riders are through and up Old 70.
• At the gate at the end of Old 70, stay STRAIGHT on Mill Creek Rd (SR 1407).
• Take a LEFT on Royal Gorge Rd (frontage road) just before reaching the overpass of Highway 40.
• Follow this road through the parking lot and onto Kitsuma (Trail 205).
• Kitsuma will turn into Youngs Ridge (Trail 206). Follow it down to the Old Fort Picnic Area.
• Turn LEFT out of the picnic area to make an immediate RIGHT onto Mill Creek Rd (SR 1407).
• Stay STRAIGHT to continue on to Graphite Rd (SR 1408).
• Rest Stop 1 – Graphite Rd (SR 1408) at Brookside Baptist Church
• Continue Graphite Road to take a RIGHT on Heartbreak Ridge (Trail 209).
• Follow this to make a RIGHT on Star Gap (Trail 208) heading downhill.
• Turn LEFT on Jarrett Creek Road (FS Road 4030). It doesn't appear to be labeled on the map.
• Follow this down through a recreation area to turn LEFT on Curtis Creek Road (SR 1227).
• Rest Stop 2 – Field across from parking for Jarrett Creek recreation area.
• Water Stop – Curtis Creek Road, about 2 miles past campground.
• Follow Curtis Creek Road (it will turn into FS 482) all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
• Rest Stop 3 – across the parkway from Curtis Creek - FS 2074 intersection with the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Turn LEFT onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow it for approximately 4 miles.
• Rest Stop 4 - FS 472 intersection with the Blue Ridge Parkway
• After Rest Stop 4, follow the Blue Ridge Parkway 9/10s of a mile to take a LEFT onto Heartbreak Ridge (Trail 208).
• Enduro Start – just after Adopt-A-Trail sign on Heartbreak Ridge
• Follow this all the way down to take a RIGHT on Star Gap (Trail 209). This is what you rode up earlier.
• Enduro Finish – campfire ring after descending rooty section of Heartbreak about 1⁄4 mile before railroad tracks
• Follow it down to Graphite Road (SR 1408) and take a LEFT.
• Rest Stop 5 – Graphite Rd (SR 1408) at Brookside Baptist Church
• Continue on Graphite Rd (SR 1408) to take a RIGHT on Mill Creek Rd (SR 1407).
• As before you'll follow it up to take a LEFT on Royal Gorge Rd (frontage road) to Kitsuma (Trail 205) which will turn into Youngs Ridge (Trail 206).
• Take a RIGHT out of the picnic area onto Mill Creek Rd (SR 1407).
• Turn RIGHT onto Orchard Street.
• Turn LEFT onto Commerce Street.
• Turn LEFT into the Old Fort Police Station parking area.
• Stay STRAIGHT to cross Catawba Ave onto S Railroad St.
• Turn RIGHT onto Mauney Avenue Extension and follow it in to the finish.