Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Rocky Knob Park- Boone NC

27K views 121 replies 40 participants last post by  streamkeeper 
#1 ·
Trail Dynamics was selected for a design/build contract for this new mountain bike facility in Boone. http://booneareaoutdoors.com/2010/07/14/trail-days-of-summer/

Phase 1 is currently under contract, this will be the beginners' loop trail which is just under 2 miles.

The design team (Kristian, Chuck and Bob) have been working for 2 weeks on the design and that is now complete. Volunteers began clearing corridor on July 22 and will work again this weekend. Trail Dynamics will begin machine rough in of the trail on Monday July 26. There are several very burly rock gardens to get through on this first loop.

Plans for the whole park include:

- More mountain bike loops including moderate and more difficult loops
- A flow trail with jumps
- An adventure playground at the trailhead
- Skills areas of different difficulty levels (beginners and more advanced)

This is a hybrid contract with TD staff responsible for the trail design and rough and finished grading with machines, while volunteers are responsible for corridor clearing and finish work.

This coming week is a great opportunity to get involved in the project. We have a kick off meeting at the Broyhill at 6PM on Thursday July 29. This will be a 1.5 hr general overview of what the project is all about. We will show some photos of what the landscape on Rocky Knob looks like, but also some images of visions for the complete trail system (all loops) and what we want the trails to look like.

On Sat. July 31 we will be presenting a Sustainable Trails Design workshop at the Best Western and out at the park. Indoor session will be 9-12 and then lunch, followed by a field session for crew leaders and volunteers from 2-6 at the park.

For more info, check out the Boone Area Cyclist website:
http://www.booneareacyclists.com/

http://www2.wataugademocrat.com/story/Officials_break_ground_on_biking_trails_id_003028

This is a very exciting project and TD is super excited about the potential for this park to have a great trail system. We look forward to working with many of the locals up there in the high country to develop the park and trails to the fullest potential.

Woody
 
See less See more
#69 ·
I rode the trails last fall and they are beyond great. I'm just wondering if there is room for expansion down the road, or will it always be 8 miles. I'm glad that the park is filling the free ride niche for younger riders, but my technical riding days are over. But hey, I'm all in when you guys come up with a declining skills park.
 
#70 ·
There is not really much room for more trail at Rocky Knob and the building is very difficult and nearly impossible to build easy trail in due to all the rock. Boone Area Cyclist are working with TDA to identify a new location for additional trails, and hopefully some true beginer trail.

From a contractors standpoint, BAC and TDA were great to work with. I have a scheduled risk management inspection coming up and I look forward to visiting the knob and get a ride in as well as my work.
 
#76 ·
There is such thing is packing trail too close for the sake of mileage that draws away from the experience. I don't feel it particularly appealing when I see multiple riders crisscrossing back and forth for a few miles throughout the trail. Often these over stacked trails have sections where they ran out of space and are building within unsuitable terrain like drainage areas and low flat spots that stay muddy throughout fall winter and spring.
 
#77 ·
That's a good point, but isn't that also a function of the amount of traffic ( local population) ? If I don't see another rider, it doesn't bother me if the trails are stacked.
Sounds like the skills park is the big draw which should further reduce the pressure on the trails. As far as unsuitable terrain, well all I can say is the
RKP trails are currently closed anyway.
 
#82 · (Edited)
The flaw in this whole discussion over the past two days is separating quantity from quality. For most people in most circumstances, quality and quantity are synonyms, not antonyms- at least in regards to trails. Think about it this way- if all we had was 8 miles of awesome trail in Pisgah district, nobody would travel here to ride. Instead, we have about 170 miles of open trail and many many more miles of road/ two track, a small% of which matches the "quality" definition from a sustainable trails perspective. It's the quantity that makes this a destination. The trend, intentional or not, to separate quality from quantity is detrimental to me (and many others I know) as a mountain biker.

EDIT: Sorry about the semi-hijack. If I go Wilkesboro to camp/ride for the weekend some time this summer, I also intend to check out Rocky Knob. It does look like something fun!
 
#83 · (Edited)
The flaw in this whole discussion over the past two days is seperating quantity from quality. For most people in most circumstances, quality and quantity are synonyms, not antonyms- at least in regards to trails. Think about it this way- if all we had was 8 miles of awesome trail in Pisgah district, nobody would travel here to ride. Instead, we have about 170 miles of open trail and many many more miles of road/ two track, a small% of which matches the "quality" definition from a sustainable trails perspective. It's the quantity that makes this a destination. The trend, intentional or not, to seperate quality from quantity is detrimental to me (and many others I know) as a mountain biker.

EDIT: Sorry about the semi-hijack. If I go Wilkesboro to camp/ride for the weekend some time this summer, I also intend to check out Rocky Knob. It does look like somethinf fun!
Well said. The best thing the Boone TDA could do would be to market RKP as the hub of the wheel, with Wilkesboro,Damascus & Wilson's Creek all within striking distance. That's the only possible way to tout Rocky Knob as a destination.
I also find it ironic that I rode Wilsons Creek (upper creek/barkhouse/ripshin/headleys) three days ago and the trails were in perfect shape, while the "sustainable" trails at RKP were closed.
 
#84 ·
I could definitely spend all day out there. Two loops for 16 miles, spending time in the skills area and 4-5 sessions on PB and J then to Mellow Mushroom would be a grand single day. Two different bikes would be ideal.

However, since I am driving from Raleigh, I would need to add Kerr Scott or Wilson's Creek into the destination. Or even Sugar if it was summer. Last time I went there was in the summer and we stayed at Kerr Scott, next time I will camp in Boone where it's much cooler.

Any way, back to 'destination'. I looked through the previous remarks and didn't see anybody referencing destination until we starting talking about mileage per acreage.

Ultimately, RKP is a great addition to that portion of the mountains. It would be great to see more mileage in the Boone area and hopefully Beech, Sugar, RKP will influence more doors to open.
 
#85 ·
Any way, back to 'destination'. I looked through the previous remarks and didn't see anybody referencing destination until we starting talking about mileage per acreage.
Destination has been the mantra from the get go...page 1 second post. You have to understand that any good contractor needs to meet the objectives of his employer and the foremost objective of the TDA is to enhance lodging in Boone.
 
#86 ·
I have traveled to ride Rocky Knob before and i'll travel to ride there again. Its not the same as Pisgah and that's part of the reason to go there. I do travel to ride allot, way more than most people especially non racers. Besides being top notch trails unlike anything else around, Rocky Knob is in a good spot between several other riding destinations; Wilson's, Pisgah, Bannerelk resorts, Damascus etc... its very easy to spend a day at Rocky Knob and get a full plate, enjoy Boone (possibly my favorite town in the South East) and hit another nearby destination the next day. As a tip, the trip from Boone to Damascus passing by the Grayson Highlands is one of the most scenic areas in our part of the country. Not every destination has to have hundreds of miles of trail to be worthwhile.

Keep it up Boone!
 
#87 ·
Yeah, I don't want to sound like I'm being critical of Rocky Knob itself; it sounds like an awesome development and I hope to see it myself soon. Please understand that. My comment was more a general observation of new trail developments/ advocacy efforts- which is why I called it a semi-hijack.
 
#88 ·
I live in Boone, and its worth mentioning that about a month or two ago we received one of the heaviest rains this area has seen in a long time. There was a lot of flooding, picnic tables from around the greenway are still several hundred yards away from where they started. The weather hasn't allowed a trail work day since, and its my understanding that the temporary closure has a lot to do with washouts caused by the flooding.
 
#90 ·
Mike's comment about the north facing aspect of Rocky Knob is so true. The northern exposure is what keeps snow lover's coming here to the High Country. Anyone that lives around here can tell you that a north facing area gets way more snow than any south facing slopes, mostly due to the prevailing wind direction. While this benefits Rocky knob in the summer with cooler temperatures, it also hinders riding in the winter. Rocky Knob is at it's location because that's where the land purchase was available. Any north facing slopes above 3000 feet have been quite wet this winter and RKP is no exception. It is a unique area with unique challenges. Let's enjoy what we've got!
 
#91 ·
Hey!

Well, the knob is now open! There is still heavy equipment on site at the kiddie park but the trails are open. We did have a severe storm last night that dumped a bunch of rain but should be reasonably dry this weekend. I like the dirt/clay a little tacky myself.

Now if I can just finish getting my Blur assembled...
 
#101 ·
From NWS:

* three to four inches of rain is possible along the crest of
the Blue Ridge... with around two inches over the remainder of
the associated counties.

* While isolated flash flooding cannot be ruled out... the main
threat will be flooding along creeks... streams and rivers.


I suspect the festivities will be postponed.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top