Mountain Biking
Some of the best trails in the southeast!
Pinhoti | Bear Creek | Mountaintown | Windy Gap | Milma | Tibbs
Features from Mulberry Gap:
Total of 80 miles of single track trails offering a variety of challenge and fun for intermediate to advanced riders: out & back, point to point, loops canopied trails, stream crossings, switchbacks, seasonal views & overlooks, wildlife openings, climbing, ridge line, roller coaster descents & technical options. Excellent training routes for teams or individuals Elevation gain 14,521 - Elevation loss 15,845 Scenic connecting forest service roads can add hundreds of miles to your route.
Pinhoti Trail
An IMBA Epic Ride 
The Georgia Pinhoti Trail (Pin-hoe-tee) trail is one of the many crown jewels of our northwest Georgia region and sections of it are the closest and most popular ride in/ride out trails from Mulberry Gap. It is a unique, extremely varied trail which ridden end to end is 140+ miles in length from the Benton MacKaye trail in north Georgia to the Alabama line southwest of Rome, Georgia. At that point, it connects to the Alabama Pinhoti Trail which is closed to mountain biking.
The GPT trail contains several ecosystems and includes canopied hardwood forests, endangered eastern hemlock, brooks, lakes, rocky trails, country roads and segments of highways. It can keep any mountain biker entertained for several riding seasons and can be enjoyed anew with every change of season.
The trail is intermediate to advanced with many riding sections from which to choose. Some western sections are open to equestrian traffic but not the sections near Mulberry Gap. All GPT sections are open to hiking and trail running.
It can be difficult to research this trail as different groups call it different names and focus on different sections. We have provided additional links for maps and information provided below. If you have specific questions, please let us know and we will assist in answering those questions as well as posting them on our web site for the understanding of all. Plans are in the works to provide an assisted ride for the entire Georgia Pinhoti Trail. Please let us know if you are interested in that adventure.
Features of the Pinhoti Trail from Mulberry Gap:
- Some of the sweetest single track in the southeast
- Ride in ride out to 25 miles of the Pinhoti trail
- Elevation gain 4729, elevation loss 7302
- Point to point
- Loops
- Varying terrain and skill levels
- Beautiful hardwood canopies & hemlocks
- Sustainable trail beds
- Open all year
Pinhoti / Mountaintown Creek Trail
Pinhoti/Mountaintown Creek Trail is one of the most scenic and remote rides in northern Georgia. 5.5 miles of double and single track downhill surrounded by deep mountain vegetation. It has numerous technical creek crossings - your feet will get wet! The trail follows Mountaintown Creek for most of its way. There is some technical skill required and some sections are steep and loose. The trail can be treacherous in wet weather and and after periods of heavy rain due to the number of creek crossings. There are great photo opportunities with many cascades and small waterfalls. Wildlife sightings are possible.
To reach this intermediate to advanced trail a shuttle to the trail head is recommended. It can be ridden by taking the 5+ mile climb up FS 68 to the top of Potato Patch mountain. At the T in the road, take a right on FS 64 which is the lower edge to the Cohutta Wilderness and ride another 6.7 miles to the Mountaintown Creek trail sign. This is a remote area and it is not recommended that you ride alone. Start early in the day and be prepared with plenty of water and nutrition. It is an out and back unless you walk your bike across the foot traffic only connector trail to Bear Creek Trail (at mile 3.7) where you can hook into Pinhoti 1 then Pinhoti 2 and ride back to Mulberry Gap.
Warning: Because this trail is remote, it receives minimal maintenance. Although at one time, there was talk of making it into a 19 mile loop (11 single track, 8 forest road), it may be closed permanently to mountain bike traffic in the future. Until then, if riding it, please respect be extremely respectful of this wilderness trail and use proper biking etiquette at all times!
Mountain Creek Trail Video Link
Pinhoti 1
Typically ridden as an offshoot from Bear Creek loop, Pinhoti 1 is an intermediate trail with a challenging ascent and a fast flowy downhill. It is primarily pristine single track with a short gravel road climb which ends at FS 90. Intermediate to advanced, canopied, scenic, wildlife openings. Wildlife sightings are common. Trail length approximately 4 miles.
Pinhoti Trail Video Links
Pinhoti 2
This is one of the best single track downhills in Georgia - a fast, flowy, rollercoaster ride! Typically ridden from FS 90, turn onto FS90B and there is a 1 mile climb. P2 begins just past the guardrail on the right hand side as you enter the parking area. There is a double track climb to the top of the ridge where it becomes single track and follows the ridge line all the way down to FS 18 (Conesauga Road). At that point, turn right and ride 1.7 miles back to Mulberry Gap. Intermediate, scenic, pristine, canopied, wildlife sightings common. Trail length approximately 4 miles. Loop from Mulberry Gap is 10 miles.
Pinhoti Trail Video Links
Pinhoti 3
This is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding single track trails in our area. It is a diverse trail offering challenging uphills, fast downhills and many tight switchbacks. Typically ridden as an out and back from Mulberry Gap, this trail begins off FS 18 (Conesauga Road) and climbs 3.6 miles to the top which comes out on Hwy 52 W just past the Cohutta Overlook The overlook offers a gorgeous panoramic view of the Cohutta Wilderness mountains! This is the closest trail to Mulberry Gap at less than 1/2 mile from our gate. Intermediate to advanced, pristine, scenic, wildlife sights common. Out and back from Mulberry Gap approximately 8 miles.
- June 2010
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April 2009
Pinhoti Trail Video Links
Video Link
Additional Georgia Pinhoti Trail Information
IMBA Georgia Pinhoti Epic Trail
Georgia Pinhoti Trail Association
Pinhoti Trail Alliance
Pinhoti Maps Index - Georgia Maps 20, 21 & 22 are the trails surrounding Mulberry Gap
Pinhoti Trail Elevations - Distance charts mile 115-150 are the trails surrounding Mulberry Gap (primarily on page 4)
Pinhoti Trail
Northwest Georgia Sorba - Host of the Snake Creek Gap Time Trials, a Pinhoti Trail event in Dalton, GA
Pinhoti Trail information (west side)
Map overview of entire 140 mile Georgia Pinhoti Trail
Bear Creek Trail
Bear Creek Trail is one of Georgia's favorite and oldest mountain bike trails. This intermediate trail offers 9.6 miles of double/single track, a scenic overlook with a view of Fort Mountain in the distance, moderate to steep climbing, sweet descent, technical creek crossings and wildlife openings. There is an option to connect with Pinhoti “1” which ends at FS 90. Take a L on FS 90B and pick up Pinhoti “2” which ends at FS 18, turn R and ride the 1.7 miles back to Mulberry Gap.
Bear Creek is beautiful in any season. The lower section of trail runs along Bear Creek, crossing back and forth several times. The creek is picturesque and the surrounding forest is lush and dense. Bear sightings are common. The immense 400 year old Gennett Poplar, near the upper parking lot of the trail head off Gates Chapel, offers a glimpse of the preexisting forest before the area was logged earlier in the century.
There are two starting points. The recommended one is the upper trail head parking lot just past the overlook on FS 68. This requires a 4.7 mile climb from Mulberry Gap (we offer a shuttle). The other is from either of the lower parking lots located off of Gates Chapel which can also be accessed from Mulberry Gap via Shakerag Road.
YouTube Bear Creek Trail Video Links
Windy Gap, Milma & Tibbs Trails
Windy Gap Trail can be ridden alone or combined as a loop with Tibbs and Milma. These trails offer the most technical riding in ou
r immediate ride in/ride out area. If combined, the total distance is 10.9 miles of which 8.7 are single track. Wooded with views, these trails offer steep climbs, very technical, rocky and challenging down hills and banked turns. They are shared use with ORV so conditions are unpredictable particularly after heavy rains.
From Mulberry Gap, the top of Windy Gap can be accessed by shuttle or by climbing the 6+ miles on FS68 to Potato Patch mountain, turning L at the T, continue on 4+ miles on FS 68 past Lake Conesauga until it dead ends at the Windy Gap trail head. Windy Gap is 3.6 miles to the lower trail head. It can be ridden as an 8 mile loop with Milma and Tibbs.
From Mulberry Gap, the lower trail head can be accessed by riding FS 18 4.5 miles plus 
2miles on the paved CCC Camp Road. Turn R on FS 218 and ride 2 miles to the trail head Recommended route is to head up Windy Gap, turning R after 1.3 miles at the Milma junction. Ride 3.8 miles until you reach the Tibbs Trail junction. Tibbs is a steep 1.4 mile climb to FS 68 near Lake Conesauga. Take a R on FS 68 and ride past the Lake until the road ends at the upper Windy Gap trail head. Windy Gap is 2.3 miles to the Milma junction and another 1.3 back to the lower trail head
"Every time I've been on Milma, I was either crying from having just climbed Windy Gap, crying because
I was about to climb Tibbs, or both."...David Muse
"On Windy Gap-Milma-Tibbs...I love how much I hate them and hate how much I love them."...Ony Anglade
Local Trail Information
Sorba Chattanooga Southeast Trail Guide
For information on local bike shops please check out our Links Directory page.