In the area of Pineola, Newland, Banner Elk, NC

Lees-McRae College Trail Amenities:

At an elevation of 4,000 feet, our riders train and study in some of the best terrain in the country.  We are minutes away from thousands of acres of national forest yielding over 500 miles of trails, as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway, which lines our mountain tops with over 700 miles of paved roads.  This area is truly a mountain and road cyclist’s dream with epic climbs and great descents.

Our campus sits in the shadow of Beech Mountain where Lance Armstrong renewed his passion for cycling only to win the Tour de France the very next summer.

We are also circled by three mountain resorts, all of which have downhill runs and two of which hold summer through early fall downhill races just eight miles from campus.

Lees-McRae College has two different cross country single track trail systems and a dual slalom course.
The dual slalom course and some of the single track trail systems were used for the 2007 and 2008 NCCA Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships.

The dual slalom course and pirate trails are located by the lower practice fields along the Elk River greenway.

The Nationals cross country trail system can be accessed via the Hemlock Trail off of Mill Pond Road.

There are also an extensive amount of trails in the Wilson Creek Ranger District of the Pisgah National forest.

The Boone Area Cyclists will soon be making more accurate GPS maps of the area, but for the time being much local knowledge and a map can be obtained from either of the Boone bike shops, Magic or Boone Bike & Touring.

Lees-McRae and Surrounding Area Road Amenities:

The North Carolina High Country has a plethora of rural roads with great views and epic climbs.

The Lees-McRae College Williams Gymnasium parking lot is a great place to park, begin rides, and to take advantage of restrooms and drinking water.