Best Mountain Bike Trails in Georgia
Tsali (technically NC but everyone rides from Atlanta), Pinhoti, Bear Creek, FATS. Our team's Georgia MTB picks.
Georgia MTB is North Georgia. The Pinhoti Trail system (named after the area's Native American word for turkey) cuts through the Cohuttas and the Chattahoochee — long, flowy, southern Appalachian singletrack at its best. Owen has ridden Pinhoti 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 in a single weekend (back-to-back-to-back) and rates it among the top east-coast point-to-point rides anywhere.
FATS (Forks Area Trail System) near the South Carolina border is the most beginner-accessible — fast, smooth, well-marked. Bear Creek up near Ellijay is a 14-mile loop that's the most fun ride in the state if you only have one day.
By region
North Georgia / Cohuttas
Pinhoti Trail, Bear Creek, Mulberry Gap. Flowy singletrack, 60–90 minutes from Atlanta.
Atlanta urban (BRP, SOPO, Sope Creek)
Everyone needs a 90-minute weeknight ride after work. These are them.
FATS (Augusta border)
Beginner-friendly, IMBA Epic, 35 miles of fast smooth flow.
South Georgia / Chattahoochee
Less famous. River-corridor riding, alligator country in summer (genuinely).
When to go
Plan a ride in Georgia
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Common questions
- When is summer too hot?
- Mid-June through August in lower elevations. North GA mountains stay rideable; just start early.
- Tick season?
- April through October. Permethrin everything; check yourself after every ride.
- Mulberry Gap?
- Cabin / glamping / shuttle hub up in the Cohuttas. Worth a weekend; book ahead.