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5,197 ft
Distance
107 ft
Climb
-28 ft
Descent
00:10:26
Avg time
80 ft
Altitude change
2,209 ft
Altitude min
2,304 ft
Altitude max
2,224 ft
Altitude start
2,303 ft
Altitude end
1.5%
Grade
-5.4%
Grade max
9.2%
Grade min
3,533 ft
Distance climb
1,217 ft
Distance down
394 ft
Distance flat
00:10:26
Avg time
Explorer Loop Upper Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaBent Creek Experimental Forest
Bent Creek, North Carolina -
Ref Number#337
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Difficulty Rating
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Local Popularity60 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 80 in Trail Running
- 85 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
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Hiking SAC ScaleT1 Hiking
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Trail TypeMixed
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Bike TypeAM, XC
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DirectionBoth Directions
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Climb DifficultyBlue
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Physical RatingEasy
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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Family FriendlyYes
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike Allowed
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Land Owner
Explorer Loop Upper trail features red clay berms typical of the surrounding trails. Most of the trail is wide enough to be considered double track and the beginning of the trail features a beautiful rhododendron tunnel.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 3 rides
- 10 miles average
6 Months
- 112 rides
- 11 miles avg distance
All
- 1,025 rides
- Last: Jun 6, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Explorer Loop Upper Trail Reports
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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
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- > 90%
- > 80%
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- bi-directional trail
- no data
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- > 6 months
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- Both Directions
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Directions to explorer-loop-upper trailhead
(35.476520, -82.634090)
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Trail Lists
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All of Pisgah area check list 2022205 trails -
Pisgah Area SORBA Regions - All Trails
103 trails
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Pisgah Area SORBA - All Maintained Trails
61 trails
Routes with this trail
★ 3.5 • 10 miles • 759 ft • 30 • Loop •
A "figure eight" route starting and ending at the Rice Pinnacle parking area. A solid mixture of climbing...
★ 4.0 • 8 miles • 855 ft • 21 • Loop •
Starts with hard times connect to the for a gravel climb for 2.5 miles. Downhill from there via ,...
8 miles • 846 ft • 10 •
This route is what I used to ride every few months with the AVL Mountain Bike club. Just a nice chill...
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Nearby Trails
- Explorer Loop Connector 337b 1,558 ft
- Sleepy Gap 2,382 ft
- Laurel Branch Road 3,018 ft
- Boyd Branch Road 3,133 ft
- Lower Sidehill (eastern) 4,610 ft
Bent Creek Experimental Forest
- By markholloway
Trailforks Map Team & contributors - #39315 - 2,411 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Explorer Loop Upper
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Where is Explorer Loop Upper located?
Explorer Loop Upper 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 35.47652, -82.63409.
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How hard is Explorer Loop Upper?
Explorer Loop Upper is rated as Green difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 1.5%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
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What is the elevation gain for Explorer Loop Upper?
Explorer Loop Upper has 107 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 28 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 2,209 ft to 2,304 ft.
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Is Explorer Loop Upper a point to point trail?
Explorer Loop Upper is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is mixed.
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