Gravel Grinding in Kings Mountain

It’s been raining a lot the past week and most of our local single track is closed until it dries out. I knew that meant either going and getting muddy at Poston Park which never closes. Instead of that, I decided to try and hit some gravel roads, but most roads in Gaston County are now paved.

Using Gravel Map I found a few near the Kings Mountain National Military Park and decided to head that way for a short ride today and it turned out pretty good. If you are interested in hitting some gravel roads around Charlotte it’s a nice quick little loop that can even be extended. Here is the route I took:

Turn by turn directions:

• Park at the National Military Park visitor center. (Pay attention to the park hours because they lock the gates when they close.)
• Turn right out of the parking lot
• Take the first left on Piedmont Rd. (Gravel Road that eventually turns paved)
• Turn left on Forest View Rd. (Paved but no traffic)
• At stop sign turn left on State Road 55. (Bigger road with a little traffic)
• Take the second left on the gravel Whitewolf Rd. (The first left Deal Rd that dead ends on a private road, but the map doesn’t clarify this)
• At the top of the climb, the road splits, take the left on Apple Rd. There are no street signs.
• Ride out Apple Road until you get back to Park Rd. Take a left back to the parking lot.

I added in a little extra while I was exploring and came out with almost 15 miles. Without those detours, I imagine it’s probably around 12 miles. You can see the Strava route for the GPX file and to get a better idea of the route.

Overall this was a fun little route, and I enjoyed just taking in the sights. I think it’s best to ride when you can’t ride anywhere else and are just looking to get outside.