Find the top rated horseback riding trails in Boone, whether you're looking for an easy short horseback riding trail or a long horseback riding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a horseback riding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
My son and I rode this on a drizzly Monday, so pretty much had the entire trail to ourselves. We left a car in Bristol, drove to Mendota and rode one way. If you do that, know the drive will take a while on some narrow backroads. Also be aware that the trail from N to S is a steady climb; even a 3% grade can wear you down after 10 miles. The trail is almost all gravel, and the road crossings are mostly across dirt roads. There’s a stop with water at mile 5.5 heading north, mile 7 heading south.
The first section out of Bristol is nice pavement. Then you hit about half mile of chunky rock. After that trail is great. Nice gravel. Lots of trees.
A delightful, albeit short, trail in Elkin, NC.
We stopped to check out this trail on our way south after riding the longer New River Trail State Park rail trail, and we're glad we did. Even though it is only 1.8 miles long (3.6 miles round trip), it was a fun ride featuring a dam, two bridges, two underpasses, and excellent interpretive signage.
The trail surface is more sandy than crushed stone, with a few gentle inclines. There is plenty of parking, although a few additional restroom facilities would be a welcome addition. Be sure to bring your own water; if there were any drinking fountains, I didn't see them.
Even on a Thursday morning, the trail was busy with walkers and dog owners enjoying the beautiful surroundings. While this is not a trail I would drive a long distance specifically to ride, it makes an excellent stop when traveling to or from one of the area's longer trail systems.
The trail currently comes to an abrupt end, and I hope it is extended someday. For those seeking a little more adventure, there is a mountain bike trail branching off the main route, along with at least one hiking trail.
I highly recommend this trail if you're in the area. It would have earned five stars from me if it had been a bit longer.
The trail from the Johnson City isn't bad albeit mainly downhill until you get to G Street in Elizabethton... Once in Elizabethton the ride sucks due to numerous road crossing, dis-courteous drivers who park in the cross hatches.
The Creeper Trail is still one of my favorite trails. I love riding it from the Abington end and from the Damascus trailhead. Both are absolutely beautiful and well worth the trip.
I am also a local. To the tourist that think this is meant to be a trail—it’s a ROAD. people live here and are driving to and from work. we are constantly made late by people riding bikes and leisurely walking while refusing to let cars by and being hateful because they are out of towners who believe this to be a biking trail. i’m sorry but it’s just not, this road is dangerous enough as a vehicle coming up on another vehicle. that becomes disaster when there’s people standing in blind curves taking pictures and gawking when people are trying to go make a living and not be made late by out of touch tourists.
My friends and I meet at Lions Field in Elizabethton and take a vehicle to the trailhead in Johnson City where we start our 4 miler. The trail is wide enough for runners, bikers and walkers to navigate past each other safely and easily. The trail is chat/gravel and from the JC trailhead, mostly a gentle downgrade. This portion of the trail is scenic; woods, countryside, stream. The last 6 miles of the trail traverse Elizabethton and are mostly urban. The trail is heavily used, especially on weekends, from dawn to dusk. We do this run weekly and it’s one of my favorite trails.
Started at Johnson City trailhead. Trail descends toward Elizabethton resulting a climb back to Johnson City. The trail surface is crushed stone which is not smooth like hard-packed stone dust, so is a rough ride for road bikes.
We rode from Damascus to the end of the trail in Abingdon. The weather was sunny and mild, temps were in the high 60’s. Trail conditions were excellent. Traffic on the Creeper was brisk, even on Friday during the school year. This ride completed our previous ride from Damascus to White Top back in 2022. Maybe someday we will be able to ride the east end, a lot of work needs to be done to put the trail back together following Hurricane Helene. Be sure to visit the local stores in Damascus: Damascus Outfitters, Damascus Brewery, Appalachian Heritage Distillery, the Damascus Diner, Damascus Pizza, etc.
We rode the trail from Elizabethton starting in the late morning heading west. Road crossings in Elizabethton were a bit challenging, besides the fact that there are quite a few in a short distance, they come at sharp angles. Have your flashers on and watch the traffic carefully. The remainder of the trail to Johnson City was very nice. I look forward to riding the trail again in the future.
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