Off-Road Trails in North Carolina

    7 trails ranging from easy scenic drives to expert-only rock crawling across North Carolina.

    3 Easy
    2 Moderate
    2 Hard
    Moderate

    Blue Ridge Backcountry

    Asheville, NC

    Forest roads branching off the Blue Ridge Parkway through the ancient Appalachian Mountains. Sweeping views of blue-haze ridgelines, rhododendron tunnels, and hidden waterfalls.

    Overlanding·100+ miles
    Hard

    Nantahala National Forest

    Franklin, NC

    The largest national forest in North Carolina with technical mountain trails, misty waterfalls, and deep gorges. 'Nantahala' means 'land of the noonday sun', only the gorge bottoms see direct sunlight at midday.

    Trail·80+ miles
    Easy

    Uwharrie National Forest

    Troy, NC

    Central North Carolina's go-to OHV area in the Uwharrie Mountains, one of the oldest ranges in North America. Red clay and rocky trails run through pine and hardwood forest, with creek crossings and old gold mining country.

    Trail·20+ miles
    Hard

    Brown Mountain OHV Area

    Morganton, NC

    Technical single-track and forest roads in the Pisgah National Forest. Famous for the unexplained Brown Mountain Lights, mysterious orbs seen above the ridgeline for centuries.

    Park·35+ miles
    Moderate

    Pisgah National Forest Backcountry

    Brevard, NC

    500,000 acres of diverse Appalachian forest with rushing mountain streams, rhododendron-lined roads, and access to some of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi.

    Overlanding·150+ miles
    Easy

    Outer Banks Beach Driving

    Cape Hatteras, NC

    East Coast beach wheeling at its finest. Drive miles of pristine Atlantic coastline at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where the fishing is legendary and the solitude is real.

    Trail·30+ miles
    Easy

    Croatan National Forest

    New Bern, NC

    Coastal plain forest between the Neuse River and the Atlantic Ocean. Sandy trails through longleaf pine savanna, pocosins, and swamp habitat, unlike any other forest on the East Coast.

    Hidden Gem·40+ miles

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