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Meet Dan
Hey, I’m Dan, and I’ve been a Brevard local since 2007. I grew up in a super outdoors-focused family — always on the water, camping or riding bikes. I started coming to Brevard in middle school with my dad to go backpacking, then I spent my first full summer here working at a camp after high school. A few years later, I got a cycling scholarship to Brevard College and just never left. I love the quiet resilience of the Appalachians, the people and the fact that I can ride year-round. These days I’m a biking coach and a dad, and I’m always out adventuring with my wife, daughter and three-legged pup.
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Family-friendly outdoor adventures
- Moore Cove Falls: This is a very easy hike that has a waterfall at the end. If we get a sustained cold snap, it will even freeze. It’s a very family-friendly, flat trail that is about 1.5 miles roundtrip. Also, Looking Glass Falls is one of Brevard’s more iconic waterfalls, and it’s even more spectacular when it freezes.
- Ridgeline Trail in DuPont State Recreational Forest: It’s a super smooth downhill trail that’s great for kids, and you can add or subtract extra loops if you want to tweak the ride.
- Mountains-to-Sea Trail: For winter hikes, we go to sections of the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway a lot. It's generally not too bad grade-wise, great for the novice, and it has nice views. You might have a bit of snow even when it’s too warm in town.
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Mountain biking
I feel like the Brevard area’s winter months are the best time for mountain biking around here! It rarely gets super cold. Highs are usually in the 40s and 50s. And with the leaves down, the views are better from the ridges and the trails are quieter.
- Black Mountain Trail: The top crest of this trail over Clawhammer Peak is one of my favorites. It's a narrow ridge and feels like you are above everything. The views of Looking Glass rock from the top are great as well.
- Buckwheat Knob and Bennett Gap Trail: These are two of the more challenging trails in the area, though not super difficult for an intermediate level rider. As long as you’re OK with some bumps, then you’ll be fine.
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After I ride
- Smash NC food truck: They’re simple burgers, but they are so good after a hike or ride in the forest. The truck is usually at The Hub on Sundays, and a burger and drink are the perfect end to whatever outdoor activity you do.
- Brevard Pizza Works: They have great pizza and a good beer selection. Seating is outdoors, so make sure the weather is decent or dress appropriately.
- Oskar Blues: This spot is also a good time, with Pisgah National Forest just a 10-minute bike ride away, and their fries are a great snack with whatever you want to drink.
- 185 King Street: There’s good music here most nights of the week.
This insider authorship was produced in partnership with Explore Brevard.