Brown Mill Trail
Distance: 4.5 mi Elevation Gain: 420 ft Est. Time: 30-45 mins per lap Difficulty: Intermediate
Concord’s first mountain bike trail: a one-way, 4.5-mile loop packed with climbs, berms, jumps, rock rolls and drops. The big features have go-arounds, so you can ride at your own level.
Brown Mill is the City of Concord’s first mountain bike trail, set on 36 wooded acres just minutes from downtown Concord. It’s a single one-way loop of about 4.5 miles, and it packs a surprising amount of riding into a small space.
Expect a bit of everything: punchy climbs, flowing berms and dips, switchbacks, jumps, drops and a gravity cavity known as Carebear Canyon. Natural rock outcrops provide some of the biggest features, including rock rolls and slabs.
The trail is rated intermediate. Most of the bigger features can be ridden around, so confident beginners can build up over a few visits, while stronger riders can lap it and hit everything. Be ready for plenty of climbing — the trail is nearly always going up or coming down.
Brown Mill opened in September 2021, built through a partnership between City of Concord Parks & Recreation and Tarheel Trailblazers, with a mix of hand-built and machine-cut trail.
Interactive Trail Map
Details & Logistics
Main Parking Lot
7 2nd St SW, Concord, NC 28027
Paved lot right at the trailhead, a few minutes from downtown Concord. Please be considerate when you arrive and leave — there’s a private home directly across from the trailhead.
Get DirectionsOpen dawn to dusk - no night riding.
Class 1 e-bikes are allowed on trails. Class 1 means bikes that only provide electric assistance when pedaling, don’t have a throttle and don't provide assistance over 20mph. Any bike with a throttle or that can provide electric assistance over 20mph is not allowed on trails because of the safety risk to other trail users, and the hard to repair trail damage they cause.
Brown Mill closes after rain, but it drains well and is often one of the first local trails to reopen.
Brown Mill is a one-way trail. Ride it counter-clockwise and follow the arrows. It’s also open to hikers, trail runners and leashed dogs, so slow down on blind corners, let people know you’re coming, and be ready to stop.
No night riding. The trail is open dawn to dusk.
Downtown Concord, a few minutes’ drive away, has plenty of places to eat and drink, plus a bike shop..
There’s a portable toilet at the trailhead parking lot.
First Timer Tips
- Save something for the climbs. The loop is short, but it goes up and down nearly all the way round.
- Not sure about a feature? Take the go-around on your first lap, stop and look, then try it next time. Care Bear Canyon deserves respect!
- Fit the ride to your time: one lap takes most riders 30–45 minutes and it’s easy to add laps or repeat sections.