All trails at Tsali are rated at "more difficult" mainly due to length. Unlike nearby Pisgah, the Tsali trails are relatively level and not very technical, as they follow the contours around the mountainsides rather than climbing the fall line. Short, sidehill climbs of a few dozen feet or gradual, long ones of 300 feet or so, combined with long, fast descents and banked curves make for a roller-coaster like ride! Tsali gets its difficulty from the length of the trails and the speed you can get on them. The surface is generally smooth and hard packed, with just enough mud, rocks, roots, jumps, and gravel to spice it up. Scenery and incredible views abound. Turquoise blue, rocky bottomed Fontana Lake, shimmering hundreds of feet below or just off the trailside, is quite inviting on a hot day...

Details--Tsali Trail Information

Trail name	Length (mi)	Comments
The Four Main Trails
Right Loop	11	Shorter loops possible using connector trails. Some lakeshore riding, lots of hilly interior riding with a few steep, challenging spots. Has lots of great jumps. Has a few creek crossings, one of which is done on a brand new bridge. Sections are fast, buffed, winding, narrow, sidehill singletrack that clings to the side of a mountain. Be sure to keep a finger on the brakes in those outside curves--to avoid a trip off the side of the mountain! Intersects a side out-and-back trail to Windy Gap overlook--worth riding for the trail itself, not really the "overlook". Also intersects Overlook Loop and Left Loop (see descriptions below). Loop is completed with a fast, smooth ride along County Line Road (doubletrack/gravel) which is shared with Left loop.
Left Loop	11.9	Longest Tsali trail. Starts with a roller coaster ride along the lakeshore that you can control! Trail dips into a cove, crosses a creek, then emerges to zoom along the lakeshore time and again. Toward the overlook, the trail moves into the interior hills of the peninsula. Here, there are rolling sections, and 2 relatively long climbs, followed by 2 steep downhills; the second downhill has several great jumps. Further on, a very muddy creekside climb is followed by a fast, rolling cruise that connects to Overlook Loop (see description below). Loop is completed with a ride along County Line Road (doubletrack/gravel) which is shared with Right Loop.
Mouse Branch Loop	6.5	Has one long, fast singletrack downhill, with a gradual climb up to it. Good views, trail passes over neat clearcut hills--in one spot, you can see the trail snaking over on the next ridge. Watch how quickly the forest can change as you go in and out of coves and along ridges. Connects to Mouse Branch Overlook Loop (see description below).
Thompson Loop	7.7	Some stream crossings and old logging roads.  Mixed pine and hardwood forests at Tsali are easily recognized on this trail. Some old homesites. Neat part of forest with tall hemlocks and rhododendron, not typical of the heavily logged areas at Tsali. More great lakeshore singletrack riding with long, gradual hills. Some really great fast gravel road sections.
An excellent ride can be made by combining the Right and Left Loops at Tsali. For information on the loop, see Tsali's Left/Right Loops Best Ride Page.
Other Roads/Trails
County Line Road	1.5	Runs from the main parking area to the 4-way intersection with Right Loop, Left Loop, and Overlook Loop. Mostly hardpacked doubletrack but some gravel/rocky sections. Gradual climbs and some nice downhills in either direction. Huge kickers on this road just before the road hits the 4-way intersection will send you launching into midair. Both the Left and Right loops combine this road with singletrack to form the loops.
Mouse Branch Overlook Loop	~2.5	A new addition. One way trail (counter-clockwise). Good view from the overlook, not as spectacular as the one from Overlook Loop but well worth the ride out there. You can see some neat islands down in the lake. This extension also has some great downhills, which makes it even more worthwhile.
Overlook Loop (on Left Loop)	~2.0	The ride up to overlook is challenging but fun, short, and definitely worth it! The view is incredible, and the ride down has some steep, rocky switchbacks. Recommended riding direction: clockwise.
Right Loop Connector Trails	??	Connect Right Loop with County Line Road in two places, creating two shorter loop possibilities.  Short, but fun!