Your source for Mountain Biking in the Triangle
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
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Your source for Mountain Biking in the Triangle Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill |
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| Category | Average Rating |
| Overall : |  3.5 / 5.0 based on 42 votes |
| Technical : | 3.3 / 5.0 based on 42 votes |
| Climbing : |  2.0 / 5.0 based on 42 votes |
| Freeride : |  1.6 / 5.0 based on 42 votes |
| Scenery/Wildlife : |  2.6 / 5.0 based on 42 votes |
| Flow : |  2.9 / 5.0 based on 42 votes |
Description
Location: Just off 15-501 half way between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro, west of Raleigh about 15 miles
Miles: 8-9
Skill Level: Intermediate (some advanced)
Map
Directions
Park Hours and Fees
Rules of the Trail
The Briar Chapel trails are still under construction but there is a decent loop at this time.
The trails are mostly novice skill level without much climbing, but there are multiple sections
of intermediate skill level and several rock gardens which will be difficult for just about anyone
if the toughest line is chosen.
We need more photos of Briar Chapel. If you have a picture you'd like to let us use, please contact [email protected]!
Directions
If coming from the south, from the intersection of hwy 15-501 and hwy 64 just north of Pittsboro,
take 15-501 north for about 6 miles. Briar Chapel Parkway is the first left past Jack Bennett Rd
and is only about 0.2-0.3 miles past Jack Bennett. Take Briar Chapel Parkway as directed below:
If coming from the north, take hwy 15-501 south about 5.8 miles from the intersection of hwy 15-501 and hwy 54
to Briar Chapel Parkway which will be on the right. Take Briar Chapel Parkway as directed below:
If coming from the east, you have to get around Jordan Lake. Use the mapping source of your choice to find a route
which best leads to the intersection of hwy 15-501 and Jack Bennett Rd and pick up Briar Chapel Parkway and then follow it as directed below:
Follow Briar Chapel Parkway about 1.7 miles to a traffic circle. On the opposite side
of the circle on the right is the clubhouse and pool and there is plenty of parking here.
Ride down Norwood Drive about 1000 feet and the trail will cross. The trail rides well
in either direction.
Hours and Fees
Free of charge, dawn to dusk, 365 days a year!
This trail is not open for night riding except for TORC organized group rides.
Rules, guidelines, and definitions for our TriangleMTB.com trail reviews
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Went around the entire briar chapel trails. To be honest I wasn’t a huge fan. There wasn’t any speed besides one short section at the Bennett mountain area. The Trails rated black at bennets mountain are extremely rocky, I suppose if you like a trials-like mtb trail then that would be good for you but I didn’t find it fun. The skills course was ok, the jumps are awkward and you need to go slow or you’ll overjump them. Overall, I think this is ok for someone close by, but wasn’t my style of riding. |
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Been a while since I've played in such rocky terrain. It's not as fast or flowy as other trails but it's a fun ride. Plenty of rocks and roots to keep you on your toes. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Briar Chapel has become one of my favorite trails in the triangle. The Woods Run section down near the Woods Chapel school has some great rock runs that require the correct line & momentum or you're going to have trouble. The Herndon loop is a great design that has some good flow & jumps, if you know the sections. The rest of the Copperhead trail can be done with some pace to get a good workout with a few root sections that require a little technical ability and/or proper speed. If you start at one end, go all the way around the "loop", back around in the opposite direction & a run down & back on Herndon loop, you can get almost 13 miles in without stopping. Has some of everything and several rock sections/runs that will test you. Takes a little longer to dry out in sections, so give it several days after a rain. | ||||||||||||||||||
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If you like rocks this is the place for you. The rocky areas are very challenging and technical which I like. Always room for improvement on my skill level. The loop around the neighborhood has good flow and some decent but small elevation changes. Signage is poor but the area is fairly small that you ride in so as long as you have Strava or AllTrails or something similar you will be ok. The skills area is the best I've seen yet (but I haven't seen them all in the area). It's challenging and well designed. You could easily spend a few hours just playing around there. It's the most challenging trail I've ridden yet and probably the best overall workout as well. Wear kneepads and stay home if you're worried about scratching your bike. | ||||||||||||||||||
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A combination of flowy parts and really rocky sections. As a more beginner rider, I found the rocky sections challenging but manageable and something to work on. The trail reminded me of a more technical Brumley. It was a lot of fun, but really poorly marked. I got lost many times at the parts that crossed the street, and there were several forks that weren't labeled. Definitely a good idea to download the map and track your location on google or strava. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Despite the moderately vague signage, Briar Chapel is my new favorite after riding every other trail in the triangle. It really feels like a mountain bike trail designed by mountain bikers, as opposed to a nature preserve that allows mountain bikes (I still love you, TLC) . Roots, rocks and climbs keep you on your toes 100% of the time. Herndon Loop is a must. Skills area is an epic treat. Riding the trail clockwise seems to have the best flow. Bennett Mountain will crush you like bug, as will the Pumpkin Patch which, oddly, nobody seems to be talking about (off-shoot of copperhead). Love it!! Thanks TORC! | ||||||||||||||||||
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This is easily the most underrated trail in the area. If line choice and tech are your preference, this is your spot. If not, BC offers tons of opportunity to hone your skills. Plenty of flow, but this trail MUST be ridden with speed. | ||||||||||||||||||
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I rode this yesterday, two days after some pretty strong thunderstorms. I hit everything but the Herndon Loop and skills area. Pluses: not a huge amount of other riders, easily accessible, well-maintained (mostly). Minuses: large number of walkers, you're riding practically in backyards at times (at least parts of the main trail feel that way), signage is okay but not stellar (e.g. finding Bennet Mtn/Herndon from the main loop can take some searching). The main loop is nice and has some reasonable fast/flowy parts, but because this winds through the middle of a (rapidly expanding) subdivision), you have to keep your eyes peeled at all times for walkers sharing the trail. There is almost no elevation on the main loop, there are some gentle dips and rises but no actual climbing. There are some pretty seriously rocky parts, including one rock garden that I had to walk a couple of times just to make sure I could actually see where the trail exited. Bennet Mtn. was not fun at all for me. I was trying to get to the Herndon loop but gave up - it's just rocky obstacle after rocky obstacle as you wind up a fairly steep hillside - if that's your thing, you might dig it, but I definitely did not. It was also pretty hard to follow in parts, figuring out what was trail and what wasn't proved difficult. Having said all that, if I lived in Briar Chapel I'd be out on this thing every freaking day. It's plenty nice, it just isn't my favorite. The flowy parts are sweet, but worrying about crashing into pedestrians kept me on edge a bit, and the rocky parts are too slow and rocky for my tastes. The trail was plenty dry, btw, although other reviewers imply that the Herndon Loop does not drain as quickly (again, I never got there). |
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Tight technical single track. It took me multiple trips to find the flow in some sections but once I figured it out even the technical parts had a good flow to them. Herndon loop takes a few days to dry out completely after the rain but it a great loop with berms and lots of jumps to session for hours. |
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Fun w/ lots of rocks. A little weird riding in a subdivision but would love to have a trail that close to my house! | ||||||||||||||||||
