Ride Rock Creek – Downhill Bike Park in Zirconia, North Carolina

Ride Rock Creek calls itself the Southeast’s best downhill park – and it has the résumé to back it up. Set on around 300 acres in the quiet Green River community of Zirconia, North Carolina, the park backs up to DuPont State Forest, about 15 minutes from Hendersonville and around 45 minutes from Asheville.

The park was founded by professional downhill racer Neko Mulally and business partner Dave LaMond, and it opened to the public in December 2022. In its first year it hosted the USA Cycling downhill and enduro national championships, and it has also welcomed a stop of the Pro Downhill Series.

Shuttle-served downhill trails

There’s no chairlift at Ride Rock Creek: custom-built shuttle trucks pulling bike trailers take you back to the top, so every run is pure descending. The vertical drop is about 800 ft, and pedalling up the mountain isn’t allowed.

The trail map lists 12 downhill trails:

• Beginner: Green River and George Green.
• Intermediate: Bark Buster, Strange Beast, Tumbleweed and Big Baby.
• Advanced: Rodeo, Dark Hollow, Easy A, High Noon, Slingshot and Stampede – including double-black lines built to race standard.

Opening days and prices

Ride Rock Creek is open Friday to Sunday, almost all year round, rain or shine (it closes on a few days for private events, and riding stops for 30 minutes when there’s lightning nearby). The park is closed to riders from Monday to Thursday, and riding outside opening hours isn’t allowed.

An adult day pass with unlimited shuttles costs $55 (plus tax), with cheaper youth and afternoon passes, monthly passes and annual passes. Joint passes also cover Ride Kanuga, the founders’ sister park near Hendersonville.

Rentals, coaching and e-bikes

• Rentals: Specialized downhill bikes and full-face helmets, Friday to Sunday. A full-face helmet is required on the trails.
• Coaching: private lessons, clinics and camps are available.
• E-bikes: allowed on the trails, but not ridden up the mountain – use the shuttle like everyone else.
• Waiver: everyone on the property needs a signed waiver (a parent or guardian signs for under-18s).

Tips for your first day at Ride Rock Creek

• Warm up on Green River or George Green before trying the blue lines – shuttle laps add up fast.
• Bring full downhill protection: full-face helmet, gloves and knee pads at least.
• Sign the waiver online before you arrive to save time at the shop.
• Check trail status before driving over, especially after heavy storms.
• Make a weekend of it: combine a day at Rock Creek with Ride Kanuga or the trails of DuPont State Forest and Pisgah.

Ride western North Carolina with a local guide

The area around Brevard and Hendersonville is one of the best mountain bike destinations in the eastern US. Ride the jump and flow lines at Ride Kanuga Bike Park, learn new skills with MTB Skills Factory or EndlessBikeGirl MTB Skills, explore DuPont and Pisgah with Blue Wall Adventures, or find more MTB guides, schools and bike parks in the United States. Tickets and opening hours are on the official Ride Rock Creek website.