Ride the Ridgeline Trail: Dupont State Forest

Make sure you park in the Lake Imaging Access Area and get ready for one of the best flow trails in North Carolina! The Ridgeline trail is only 2 miles by itself and is an in and out ride. The trail is a blast but we like to ride this loop (described below) to add a little length to the ride, hit some of the best trails in Dupont, and instead of making the climb back up to the top. The loop we like to ride is 7 miles long and is, in my opinion, the best loop in Dupont State Forest.

Here's how we ride it:

From the Lake Imaging Access Area, follow Lake Imaging Road until you see Hilltop Loop on your right, then ride the Hilltop loop. Then take a left on Lake Imaging, then climb back up and take a right onto Locust Trail, a left on Isaac Heath, a right on Jim Branch and then a left on Buck Forest Rd. You can follow Buck Forest all the way from the end of Hilltop, but the route we like to take, described below, is more fun.

From the Lake Imaging Access Area, follow Lake Imaging Road until you see Hilltop Loop on your right, then ride the excellent Hilltop loop. From here, we like to take a left on Lake Imaging, then climb back up and take a right onto Locust Trail, a left on Isaac Heath, a right on Jim Branch and finally a left on Buck Forest Rd. You can follow Buck Forest all the way from the end of Hilltop, but the singletrack route described here is more fun.

Follow Buck Forest until you reach Hickory Mountain Road at the Guion Farm (Sky Valley Rd) parking area. Take a left and follow Hickory Mountain to the end. This is the top of Ridgeline. You can ride the Hickory Mountain Loop while you’re here if you want, then head all the way down Ridgeline and head back to your car.

Below is a link to a trail map of Dupont State Forest if you want to get a visual of where you are going and where else you might want to ride. Get out there and shred!

Dupont State Forest Trail Map