more stats
1.1 miles
Distance
28 ft
Climb
-180 ft
Descent
00:06:50
Avg time
-153 ft
Altitude change
2,233 ft
Altitude min
2,409 ft
Altitude max
2,385 ft
Altitude start
2,234 ft
Altitude end
-2.7%
Grade
-15.3%
Grade max
6.1%
Grade min
1,280 ft
Distance climb
3,612 ft
Distance down
725 ft
Distance flat
00:06:50
Avg time

Explorer Loop Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Bent Creek Experimental Forest
    Bent Creek, North Carolina
  • Ref Number
    #337
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Local Popularity
    85 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 80 in Trail Running
    • 80 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #59695 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #116434 in Trail Running
    • #117500 in Hiking
  • State Ranking
    #424 in Mountain Biking · North Carolina [+]
    • #1,203 in Trail Running
    • #1,417 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Mixed
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Land Owner

This is a fun flowing trail. Nothing to difficult so the beginner can ride it without panic. However you can get up some speed to raise the smile factor of the novice/intermediate rider as well.

Tags
Family friendlyFlowy
Local Trail Association

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 12 rides
  • 12 miles average
6 Months
  • 285 rides
  • 11 miles avg distance
All
  • 2,240 rides
  • Last: Oct 7, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

Explorer Loop Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Nov 16, 2025 @ 1:08pm (America/New_York)
Nov 16, 2025
Mar 1, 2025 @ 12:54pm
Mar 1, 2025
Dec 25, 2024 @ 1:27pm
Dec 25, 2024
Oct 23, 2024 @ 8:47am
Oct 23, 2024
Minor erosion. Watch for areas of erosion that are hidden by leaf cover. Otherwise this trail is clear.
Aug 21, 2024 @ 1:15pm
Aug 21, 2024
more »
Status:
on Nov 16, 2025
Ideal
Avg: 4.12 (18 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (10,127)
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      Directions to explorer-loop-28476 trailhead (35.469410, -82.643310)

      Photos

      3 more »
      mtb
      175 |
      Sep 25, 2021 @ 6:00am
      Sep 25, 2021
      mtb
      259 |
      May 18, 2019 @ 12:08pm
      May 18, 2019
      report
      mtb
      163 |
      May 16, 2020 @ 8:53pm
      May 16, 2020

      Videos

      1 more »
      Mountain Biking Bent Creek // Pisgah //...
      mtb
      8:13 | 1015 | Jun 14, 2019 , Bent Creek

      Routes with this trail

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      4.2 ★★★★★
      18 Ratings
      5 ★ 33%
      4 ★ 50%
      3 ★ 17%
      2 ★
      1 ★

      1 Review & Comments


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      • By blowmyfuseTF Pro & contributors
      • #28476 - 3,977 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Explorer Loop located?
      Explorer Loop is located in Bent Creek Experimental Forest, Bent Creek, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Bent Creek Experimental Forest trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 35.46941, -82.64331.
      ▼ How hard is Explorer Loop?
      Explorer Loop is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 2.7%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Explorer Loop?
      Explorer Loop has 28 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 180 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 2,233 ft to 2,409 ft.
      ▼ Is Explorer Loop a point to point trail?
      Explorer Loop is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is mixed.
      ▼ How long is Explorer Loop?
      Explorer Loop is 1.1 miles long. The trail type is mixed.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Explorer Loop?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Explorer Loop. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Explorer Loop?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Explorer Loop are:
      • August (119 activities)
      • September (113 activities)
      • June (112 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Explorer Loop? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Explorer Loop are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Explorer Loop?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 7 minutes to ride Explorer Loop. The trail is 1.1 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Explorer Loop?
      Explorer Loop is a very popular trail. There have been 10,157 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 10,127 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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