Signal Hill
Distance: 4 mi Elevation Gain: 200 ft Est. Time: 20–40 mins for a full lap Difficulty: Beginner
Old-school, twisty singletrack in Statesville with roots, short punchy climbs and fun wooden features. Beginner-friendly but not easy, and most features have a go-around.
Signal Hill is a City of Statesville trail on Signal Hill Drive, just off I-77. It packs about 4 miles of old-school singletrack into a small site: the main Signal Hill loop plus Circuit City, a short extension that runs alongside Fourth Creek.
The trail is tight and twisty, with roots, red clay and the odd rocky or gravelly patch. There are plenty of short hills to punch up, but the trail mostly traverses across the slopes rather than climbing straight up them, so there isn't much sustained climbing.
Part of the trail sits on top of an old landfill, and the builders have put the leftovers to good use. Expect skinnies, wooden rolls and drops, small bridges, berms and a few small jumps, made from scrap concrete, brick, block and timber. Most features have a go-around, so you can ride what you're comfortable with and skip the rest.
Signal Hill shares its site with a disc golf course and the City's parks maintenance facility, and you'll often meet walkers and runners on the trail. Ride with a little care and say hi.
Interactive Trail Map
Details & Logistics
Signal Hill trailhead lot (off Signal Hill Drive)
450 Signal Hill Dr Statesville, NC 28625
From I-77, take exit 50 and head east on East Broad Street, then turn left onto Signal Hill Drive. The lot is a short way up on the right, marked by a Statesville Parks & Recreation sign. The trail starts in the woods just down from the lot. The trailhead has a picnic table, shade and a bike repair stand with tools.
Get DirectionsGate open 8am to 4pm typically, but park open 24 hours for riding. Just make sure to park in the parking lot, outside the gate!
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.
Red clay that gets slick when wet. After rain, low spots on the north-facing hill above the creek, and a couple of tight bends just before the "toilet bowl", are the last to dry, so give it a full dry day and check the trail status before you go. In summer, growth can crowd a few sections, so expect the odd branch.
Ride the main Signal Hill loop counterclockwise from the trailhead.
Night riding allowed, but make sure to be parked outside the gate (where you should be parked anyway!)
Gas, food and shops are a couple of minutes away on East Broad Street by I-77 exit 50. Want more miles? Big Leaf Slopes Park, another Trailblazers trail, is about 1.5 miles away. Bike shop nearby in downtown Statesville.
No bathrooms on site.
Trail Segments
Signal Hill
The main loop, starting in the woods just below the parking lot. Tight, twisty and rooty, mostly red clay, with short punchy climbs and lots of built features made from wood, concrete and brick for more advanced riders. Most features have a go-around.
Circuit City
A short extension alongside Fourth Creek. Pick it up across the paved road at the end of the main loop, and it brings you back toward the parking lot. Flatter than the main loop, with only gentle ups and downs.
First Timer Tips
- Start from the trailhead next to the parking lot and ride the main Signal Hill loop counterclockwise, adding Circuit City on the way.
- Expect a busy ride rather than a long one: lots of tight turns, roots and short, punchy climbs. Carry a little momentum into the small hills.
- Wooden and concrete features come thick and fast, and most have a go-around. If you can't see a way around, stop, take a look and walk it if in doubt.
- Don't ride it muddy. The red clay stays slick and the low spots near the creek hold water. Check the trail status at the top of this page first.
- You'll share the trail with walkers, runners and dogs. Slow down on blind corners and give hikers the right of way.
- There's a bike repair stand with tools at the trailhead if you need a quick fix.