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4.5 miles
Distance
719 ft
Climb
-1,802 ft
Descent
00:53:20
Avg time
-1,083 ft
Altitude change
1,622 ft
Altitude min
3,188 ft
Altitude max
2,705 ft
Altitude start
1,621 ft
Altitude end
-4.5%
Grade
-57.2%
Grade max
36.1%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
3 miles
Distance down
915 ft
Distance flat
00:53:20
Avg time
Kitsuma Details
-
Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaKitsuma-Bernard Mountain Area
Old Fort, North Carolina -
Difficulty Rating
-
Voted DifficultyBlue (4 votes)
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Local Popularity100 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 90 in Trail Running
- 50 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
-
State Ranking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeAM, XC
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DirectionDownhill PrimaryPopular Direction Shown
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Climb DifficultyBlack Diamond
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Physical RatingHard
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SeasonYear Round
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike Allowed
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TTFs on TrailBerm, Jump, Rock Garden
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Land Owner
Kitsuma is a point to point singletrack trail that has what was originally machine groomed tread, but over time this has evolved into a rougher experience. A steep, punchy switchback filled climb from Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC, followed by downhill ridgeline trail to the parking lot of Old Fort Picnic Area. It can be accessed from the base at Old Fort Picnic Grounds or the base of the upper climb.
Access Info
Two parking areas - Kitsuma parking lot via Royal Gorge Rd or Old Fort Picnic Area. The climb from Old Fort picnic area can be either up Old Hwy 70/ Point Lookout Trail (USFS gated paved greenway next to Piney Grove Church) or Mill Creek Road (paved then turns to gravel) for a longer climb.
Trail Supporters
USFSLand Manager
Local Trail Association
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-
Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 16 rides
- 12 miles average
6 Months
- 217 rides
- 17 miles avg distance
All
- 982 rides
- Last: Oct 24, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Kitsuma 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
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- Description
- Photos
- Description & Photos
- Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
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US Cell Coverage
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Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Winter Trails
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Missing Trails
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Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
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Slope Aspect
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Directions to kitsuma trailhead
(35.621150, -82.268390)
Photos
51 more »
Videos
42 more »
Routes with this trail
★ 4.0 • 9 miles • 1,614 ft • 2 •
The trail starts at the Kitsuma trailhead through a gentle forest road next to Interstate 40 then quickly...
9 miles • 2,523 ft • 1 •
15 miles • 2,397 ft • 4 • Shuttled •
One of our favorite Old Fort routes combines the legendary Kitsuma trail with Lower Heartbreak. Get 4...
25 Reviews & Comments
dorkbike
The new pit toilet and resurfaced parking lot looks great.👍
Jasonlikesdirt
Conditions on 1/1/2026 were Great. There were a few wet spots here and there still some leaves in sections, but not detrimental.
johnisakson7
Ajriding is the typa person that gives mtb ers a bad name. Nobody cares about your kom. Ride for fun
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Nearby Trails
- Mill Creek Road 1,119 ft
- Parris Creek Trail 1 mile
- Bernard Mountain Road 1 mile
- East Ridge Trail 2 miles
- Old Mitchell Toll Road 2 miles
Kitsuma-Bernard Mountain Area
- By blowmyfuse
& contributors - #39628 - 32,010 views
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