The Southeastern USA is a hotbed for mountain biking. With lush, tree-covered mountains, rolling hills, and a temperate climate that baits riders to pedal 12 months out of the year, trails are a natural part of the landscape. In many places, ancient singletrack dating back to the continent’s earliest inhabitants blends with modern trail building techniques based on the desires of modern mountain bikers.

The mountain biking disciplines being practiced in the Southeast only continues to grow more diverse. Downhill mountain bike parks are springing up in unsuspecting locations, without even the consideration of a snow sports component. Bike-packing routes are being pioneered across the region, with long-distance trails that rival the best in the West.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Raccoon Mountain is the marquee ride in the Chattanooga area, boasting 24 miles of trail with some very technical descents. Ride around the manmade reservoir on top of the mountain, or bomb down a long, flowy descent to the base–or do both! While Raccoon Mountain is the #1 trail system everyone talks about, Five Points just outside of town is fun, Enterprise South offers great beginner trails, and Stringer’s Ridge offers sweet singletrack that can be ridden from downtown. Chattanooga is home to over 100 miles of singletrack within 25 miles of downtown, and even more is on the way.

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Published by Singletracks on April 9, 2018: Written by Greg Heil