Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Whitesburg, Kentucky

Trail 23 - Flatwoods Road

Trail 23 is the main artery for the Dorton/Flatwoods Area of the new Pike County Hillbilly Trails System. Trail 23 is a wide, graded dirt and gravel access road for an array of utilities and…
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Total Miles
4.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Trail 10

You can expect a nice easy cruise up the mountain. It is a fairly gradual grade increase with occasional sections of loose rocks along the way. During the fall it seemed as though the trail…
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Total Miles
2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Decoy-Magoffin Loop

As with many trails in the under-development system that will become Eastern Kentucky's expansive off-road trail offerings, this route is a DIY adventure created by locals that know these mountains like the backs of their…
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Total Miles
27.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Clinch Mountain Fire Tower

This trail goes up and over Clinch Mountain and descends into Moccasin Valley. There are many vistas along the way, both ascending and descending the mountain. The surrounding area is full of history and places…
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Total Miles
5.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Old Fincastle/Big Andy Ridge

This is an awesome scenic trail. You can skip the Old Fincastle section if you just want an easy drive through the Red River Gorge.
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Total Miles
13.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Flatwoods Road 87D

This is mainly a gravel trail with several muddy spots. The trail is mainly flat but does have rolling hills to travel through. I encountered several mud holes but none of which are of any…
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Total Miles
4.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Flatwoods Road to 87A

Running Flatwoods road from Hickory Tree TN to HWY 421. This includes a section of Forest Service Road 87A when open. The main route is open year-round and is a combination of gravel and unimproved…
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Total Miles
22.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Jacobs Creek

This is a combination of gravel and dirt. It starts in the Jacobs Creek area and travels through the Cherokee National Forest from TN into VA. There are a few camping locations along the way,…
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Total Miles
3.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Jennings Creek Road

Jennings Creek Road travels along the border of Cherokee National Forest between the Horse Creek Recreation Area and the Old Forge NF Campground. The campground has walk-in sites with a parking lot only 10 to…
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Total Miles
2.3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa

Cave Fork Rd DBBB

A beautiful trail with plenty of scenery and a few shallow creek crossings. There are plenty of spots to pull over and enjoy the outdoors, and the creeks are cold and clear. This trail is…
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Total Miles
2.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su

Bald Rock Fork Rd

This is a great trail for beginners, and has a little bit of everything. Mostly gravel roads with a couple creek crossings, creek bed and a steep gravel hill. There are old oil buildings and…
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Total Miles
2.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

McQueen's Gap

This is the only unpaved route across South Holston Mountain. There are many off shoot trails that are open seasonally, but the main route isn't ever closed. You can access the Appalachian Trail from the…
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Total Miles
5.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Wade Adkins Branch Road

This trail is Easy/Medium. We started on a paved road then it turned to dirt. As we went farther the trail was more off-road and we came across some water crossings, hills, mud and woods…
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Total Miles
12.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su

Fixer Rd DBBB

Fixer Road is another section of the Daniel Boone Backwood Byway. This trail has a creek crossing, a creek bed section and some mud. It is very scenic and ties in with a few other…
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Total Miles
2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Myers Fork Road

A very scenic paved back road. This road will take you down and in between many trails in the area. This road is also part of the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. A fantastic set of…
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Total Miles
11
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Wentworth School Rd

The trail less traveled. This is an old road that leads to the Smyth Cemetery. Its a nice easy trail with a lot of low hanging branches.
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Total Miles
2.5
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

No Business Knob

No Business Knob is a tight but simple trail located in Cherokee National Forest. You will most likely get pinstripes from the branches lining the trail in an SUV or Truck. The trail is just…
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Total Miles
4.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

5583

The trail at the time was snow-covered (approximately 3-4 inches) but it is mostly a dirt/mud trail. I didn't encounter anything that a normal 4x4 couldn't handle. The trail from the road is mostly uphill.…
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Total Miles
0.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Su / Sp

Indian Creek Road

Indian Creek Road located in one of the northern portions of Daniel Boone National Forest and is a popular local summer destination for camping, swimming, and fishing. The majority of the road is gravel, two…
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Total Miles
4.5
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su

Hurricane Gap

Hurrican Gap is a well-maintained gravel road that travels from the Houston Valley area to just outside of Hot Springs, NC. While it's not particularly challenging, there are some great side trips along the way.…
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Total Miles
8.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Paint Mountain Road

Paint Mountain is a great way to connect Hurricane Gap to the east, with some of the other roads and trails west of this area. It's 1 to 1.5 cars wide and outside of a…
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Total Miles
3.7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa

Bearwallow Trail

Trails differ in skill level from blue and green to black and double black diamond. Very friendly for beginners/stock enthusiasts after their first badge. The double black diamond look to be a bit rough. I…
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Total Miles
4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa

Meadow Creek Tower Road

This short two-mile trail is a great quick route to visit the tower. It's relatively tame outside of a few sections with larger rocks. When paired with Big Clifty, it makes for a nice 10-mile…
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Total Miles
2.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Big Clifty Road

Big Clifty is a mild introduction to the forest roads in the area. This seven-mile track climbs to the Meadow View Lookout Tower and is easily traversed by a 2WD vehicle. Cell service is available…
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Total Miles
6.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Brush Creek Road

Brush Creek starts out as a narrow paved road, but once it meets the western end of Weaver's Bend it transitions to gravel. This is a beautiful drive and the namesake creek parallels the road…
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Total Miles
4.5
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Weaver Bend

Weaver Bend Road runs from its intersection with Brush Creek to the French Broad River. It transitions from gravel to dirt. Along the road, there are several marked campsites including several riverside. At it's namesake…
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Total Miles
2.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Rich Mountain Lookout

This short route is a must-see if you're in the area. If you're traveling Hurricane Gap it's well worth the detour. There area few campsites on the way up the mountain. Cell service is available,…
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Total Miles
1.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Fitchburg Stone Furnace

The Fitchburg Furnace is a historic iron furnace located in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Estill County, KY. The furnace is the world's largest charcoal iron furnace and the last to be built in…
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Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

White Sulphur ATV Loop to Overlook

White Sulphur OHV Trail System is composed of several Forest Service roads and trails in the White Sulphur area, forming a 17-mile trail system of connecting loops. It is located near Cave Run Lake in…
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Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Henry Mtn Rd

This is a beautiful gravel road that leads to a walking trail for the old cottage furnace. It is easy gravel road with beautiful trees and wildlife. There are a few other side roads that…
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Total Miles
4.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi