more stats
1,886 ft
Distance
51 ft
Climb
-68 ft
Descent
00:04:25
Avg time
-15 ft
Altitude change
5,105 ft
Altitude min
5,174 ft
Altitude max
5,174 ft
Altitude start
5,157 ft
Altitude end
-0.8%
Grade
-14.7%
Grade max
13.7%
Grade min
892 ft
Distance climb
869 ft
Distance down
125 ft
Distance flat
00:04:25
Avg time

Witches Tail Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
  • Riding Area
    Emerald Outback
    Beech Mountain, North Carolina
  • Difficulty Rating
    Double Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Mountain Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #56611 in Mountain Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Only
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Drop, Jump, Gap Jump
  • Land Owner
    Beech Mountain

This trail is short but fun, super fast and flowy with some decent sized jumps. Mainly clay based so avoid riding after large rains.

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 12 miles average
6 Months
  • 12 rides
  • 9 miles avg distance
All
  • 63 rides
  • Last: Aug 29, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Witches Tail Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
May 24, 2025 @ 1:01pm
May 24, 2025
Oct 7, 2024 @ 7:08am
Oct 7, 2024
 All trees and limbs have been cleared from Helene damage.
Apr 28, 2024 @ 3:25am
Apr 28, 2024
Nov 4, 2023 @ 12:17pm
Nov 4, 2023
 So good
Oct 29, 2023 @ 5:13am
Oct 29, 2023
more »
Status:
on May 24, 2025
Ideal
Avg: 4.1 (3 votes)
Your vote: 0

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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.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
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  • < 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
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  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
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Activity Recordings
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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

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to witches-tail trailhead (36.190700, -81.887920)
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        Photos

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        Videos

        1 more »
        Witch's Tail Emerald Outback MTB Trails at...
        mtb
        0:06 | 261 | Sep 3, 2024 , Beech Mountain

        Trail Lists

        4.4 ★★★★★
        3 Ratings
        5 ★ 33%
        4 ★ 67%
        3 ★
        2 ★
        1 ★

        1 Review & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Emerald Outback

        • By caleb93TF Pro & contributors
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        Frequently Asked Questions About Witches Tail

        ▼ Where is Witches Tail located?
        Witches Tail is located in Emerald Outback, Beech Mountain, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Emerald Outback trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 36.1907, -81.88792.
        ▼ How hard is Witches Tail?
        Witches Tail is rated as Double Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 0.8%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Witches Tail?
        Witches Tail has 51 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 68 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 5,105 ft to 5,174 ft.
        ▼ Is Witches Tail a point to point trail?
        Yes, Witches Tail is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Witches Tail?
        Witches Tail is 1,886 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Witches Tail?
        There is no information about dogs being allowed on Witches Tail. Check with local trail managers or the trail page for the latest access rules.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Witches Tail?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Witches Tail are:
        • July (13 activities)
        • June (10 activities)
        • October (4 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Witches Tail? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Witches Tail are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Witches Tail?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 6 minutes to ride Witches Tail. The trail is 1,886 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Witches Tail?
        Witches Tail is a very popular trail. There have been 404 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 468 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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