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Poston Park

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 4.1 (47)
  1. Areas
  2. NC
  3. …Central N. Carolina
  4. …Gastonia
  5. George Poston Park
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“A diverse ride made up of five loops that get progressively more difficult on the way up Spencer Mtn ”

Vinnie Connors
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Map Key

7.1

Miles

11.4

KM

95%

Singletrack

834' 254 m

High

674' 205 m

Low

475' 145 m

Up

474' 145 m

Down

3%

Avg Grade (1°)

12%

Max Grade (7°)

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Poston is ALWAYS open! The trail drains very well and does not close for rain.

Overview

Poston has something for everybody - a nice mellow green loop for the beginner, lots of good climbs, some AWESOME downhill, rock gardens, some tight tree sections, plenty of roots, and the some of the biggest and unique jumps in the Piedmont.

Need to Know

Random trees along the trail are color-coded with spray paint. Lake loop is orange, Laurel Hill loop is pink, Big Leaf loop is red, Soccer loop is blue, and Spencer Mountain loop is yellow.

Look before you leap! Poston has many large gap jump options, designed with the expert rider in mind, not for beginners or intermediate riders. Poston has a road gap jump, a ravine gap jump, and a few creek gap jumps. Full suspension recommended.

Description

When you enter the park, take the first left and the kiosk will be up ahead on the left. The trail starts on the Lake Loop in the counterclockwise direction. The Lake Loop is the least difficult terrain and has some of the best views. One of the bridges on the loop is very narrow. Handlebar clearance is very minimal if you have wide bars.

The Lake Loop connects to Laurel Hill Loop and continues in a clockwise direction. Laurel Hill consists of a few climbs and a few short downhill sections. This part of the trail is quite rocky and is very similar to Uwharrie. Laurel Hill connects with the Big Leaf Loop after a second bridge crossing.

The Big Leaf Loop starts off in the clockwise direction. This trail is mostly a climb as it approaches the Soccer Loop. The Soccer Loop climbs more on the way up to the Spencer Mountain Loop.

Spencer Mountain Loop starts with a fairly mellow downhill which leads to the "Deja-vu Climb". You have two options at the top of the climb. Take the right downhill option first (the path marked with a 1). Downhill 1 has an optional 4 foot ledge drop and a few jumps and leads back to the "Deja-vu" climb. Downhill 2 starts off down a massive hill to build speed for the huge ravine gap jump. The ravine gap is 10+ feet and is not for the faint of heart, but you can by pass it on the left. After another climb, Spencer Mountain Loop connects back to the Soccer Loop and mostly fast, flowing downhill from this point.

The Soccer Loop connects with Big Leaf Loop at a very poorly designed road gap jump and continues with mostly downhill sections. Big Leaf Loop connects with Laurel Hill Loop at an optional creek gap jump.

Lauren Hill Loop connects back with the Lake Loop which leads back to the kiosk.

Contacts

Local Club: Piedmont Area Singletrack Alliance

Land Manager: Gaston County, NC

Shared By:

Vinnie Connors with improvements by Eric Barnes
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.1 from 47 votes

#1

in George Poston Park

#440

Overall
  4.1 from 47 votes
5 Star
35%
4 Star
46%
3 Star
13%
2 Star
7%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in George Poston Park

#29

in North Carolina

#440

Overall
70 Views Last Month
18,355 Since Jun 6, 2013
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
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Add a Photo

Photos

Spencer mountain loop has some great jumps!
Jan 13, 2019 near Ranlo, NC
Beautiful fall afternoon at Poston
Sep 29, 2017 near Ranlo, NC
Cruising around Poston Mountain Bike Trail
Oct 17, 2013 near Ranlo, NC
The view of the lake from the first bridge.
May 30, 2013 near Ranlo, NC
View of the waterfall from the bi-directional bridge.
May 30, 2013 near Ranlo, NC

4 Comments

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Current Trail Conditions

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Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Mar 24, 2024
Matt Pierce
Jun 5, 2022
Will 2K
Laurel loop and big leaf, yeehaw 6mi — 1h 00m
Jun 1, 2022
Gail Petruska
Just started 5mi — 11h 45m
Aug 8, 2021
Gary Shute
Fun a bit over grown in spots. I can get fast quick and you need to be prepared for the roots . Mark fairly decent , had to pull out the app a few… 5.8mi
May 8, 2021
John White
Nov 1, 2020
Mike Davis
6mi
Jul 9, 2020
Lloyd Griffith
Feb 2, 2020
Heath Frye
Little soggy today but still fun 4.4mi

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