Buffalo Mountain Dirt Church (Pinnacle Side)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Commonly Bikepacked · Drops/Jumps · Views

For those that want access to the trails on Buffalo Mountain from I-26, this is a big ride that samples most of the singletrack on the mountain. It includes the newly-opened trails along with a big descent at the end on Pinnacle Mountain Tower Trail with some great views along the way. With several trails that are rated expert level difficulty and over 4,000 ft of climbing, this is rated as a difficult ride.

There is restroom access at the trailhead.

This ride is accessible from the Pinnacle Mountain Tower Trail trailhead in Unicoi off Exit 32 of I-26. There is parking, restrooms, some areas to picnic, and a natural play park.

The ride begins with a climb up the Pinnacle Mountain Tower Trail til you get to where Trail #29 and Briar Creek Road (FS 188) intersect with the trail. You'll turn right onto Trail #29 and stay on that trail following the ridge until you reach Upper Briar Creek Spur (TN-FSR4354A) which will eventually take you to the start of Number One.

You'll descend most of Number One before coming to a trail hub where you turn onto Rustic Ridge, which climbs for a short bit before your descent begins again. At the end of Rustic Ridge, you'll climb back to the trail hub you just left, using Church Trail, and continue the final descent down Number One onto the road (Dry Creek).

Take a left and follow the road until you reach the bottom of Briar Creek Road (FS 188) where you begin a nice, long climb up to the top of the mountain with 360-degree views of the surrounding area ending with a final grin-inducing descent back to the trailhead.

Only recently, due to the advocacy of many individuals with the old Northeast Tennessee Mountain Bike Association (now SORBA Tri-Cities), these legacy trails are now legal.