Elevation profiles for mountain biking in North Carolina
On singletrack, a few steep pitches decide whether you ride or push. Draw any trail in North Carolina and see its climbs, descents and grade, read from lidar that sees the ground under the forest.
Profile your next loop
Tap out the trail on the map and read the climbs and descents. Free, no account.
Open Elevation Profile →Why elevation profiles matter for mountain biking
- Climb or push: the profile shows where the steepest pitches are.
- The balance of up and down: see whether a loop earns its descent with one long climb or many short ones.
- Time and energy: total climb, not distance, sets how long a ride takes.
- Route choice: compare a forest-road climb with a singletrack climb to the same top.
For every kind of riding
Cross-country: rolling loops where the climbing is spread out. Trail and enduro: long climbs to earn technical descents. Shuttle and downhill: the descent is the point; the profile shows how much there is. Bikepacking: forest roads and trails over several days.
How to create an MTB elevation profile
- Open Elevation Profile and find the trailhead.
- Switch to the USGS Topo basemap, or the aerial basemap where a trail is easier to see as a line through the trees.
- Tap along the trail, with a point at every switchback.
- Finish the line and read the chart and figures.
A line can be up to 15.5 miles long; draw a big day in sections.
Understanding your MTB profile
Key figures for mountain bikers
- Total climb in feet: how much you have to earn.
- Total descent: how much you get back.
- Grade: on a short line over one pitch, the climb divided by the length gives its grade. A 15% grade climbs 15 ft every 100 ft.
- High point: where snow lingers longest on high trails.
Reading the chart
Steep sections are where you slow down most on the way up and pick up the most speed on the way down. A short, steep spike on the climb may be a push; a long, steady line is usually a grind you can ride.
North Carolina riding to profile
Around Asheville and Brevard
The mountain singletrack around Asheville and Brevard is steep and runs through hardwood forest: a long climb on forest road and trail, then a long descent back down. Draw the climb and the descent separately to see each one clearly.
The Piedmont
The trails around Charlotte and the Triangle, and the Uwharries between them, have shorter, punchier climbs that come one after another. A profile shows how the many small climbs add up over a loop.
Planning a ride with the profile
Estimating ride time
Time on a mountain bike depends far more on climb and terrain than on distance. Compare the profile with rides you know.
Choosing a bike
A loop with long climbs and gentle descents suits a lighter, efficient bike; a short climb to a long, steep descent suits more travel.
Training and fitness
Track the climb of your regular loops and build it up gradually before a big day or a race.
Shuttle or pedal up?
Draw the climb and the descent separately. If the climb is a long forest road, a shuttle may save time; if it is a fun trail in its own right, ride it. The profile tells you how much climbing you skip with a shuttle.
What a profile cannot show
A profile shows grade, not technical difficulty. Rock gardens, roots, drops and jumps do not appear, and trail features smaller than the elevation model’s cells are smoothed out. Use the profile for climb and descent, and trail reports or local knowledge for how technical a trail is.
See the climbs before you ride
Draw any trail in North Carolina and read its profile in seconds. Free, no account.
Data quality for mountain biking
Ground elevations on this site come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) seamless bare-earth model: 3.3 ft per pixel where a full-resolution lidar survey has been flown, about 9.8 ft per pixel where the model is built from older lidar, and about 33 ft per pixel elsewhere, with elevations above NAVD 88. The data is in the public domain. North Carolina’s statewide lidar is published through NC OneMap and carried by USGS 3DEP. USGS 3DEP serves lidar-derived elevation across North Carolina: 3.3 ft per pixel where a full-resolution lidar survey exists, about 9.8 ft per pixel where the model is built from older lidar. Lidar reaches the ground between the trees, so forest trails are profiled at ground level rather than at the canopy. Bridges over creeks show as a dip to the water, because the model has no structures. More from the USGS 3D Elevation Program and NC OneMap’s elevation data.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a climb is rideable or a hike-a-bike?
Grade is only half of it; surface, roots, rocks and switchbacks matter as much. Use the profile to find the steepest sustained pitches, then compare them with climbs you know you can ride. Draw a short line over just the steep part to read its grade.
Can I compare different trail options?
Yes. Draw each option as its own line and compare the total climb, the descent and the steepest sections. It is a quick way to choose between a long, gentle climb on a forest road and a short, steep one on singletrack.
How much climb is a good MTB ride?
That depends entirely on you and the trails. Profile a few rides you know to get a sense of scale, then judge new loops against them.
How accurate is the grade?
The elevations come from the USGS 3DEP bare-earth model, 3.3 ft per pixel wherever lidar has been flown, and lidar reaches the ground under the trees. Grades over short distances are only as good as your line: on tight switchbacks, put a point at every turn or the line will cut across the slope.
Can I use this for race planning?
Yes. Draw the course, section by section if it is long, and note where the climbs, the long descents and the flat sections fall.