Grandfather Ranger District
The Grandfather Ranger District in National Forests in North Carolina (North Carolina) has 182.2 miles of motorized routes on the U.S. Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map — 117.8 miles of roads and 64.4 miles of trails across 85 designated routes. Vehicle access: ATV 57.3 mi · Motorcycle 68.7 mi · E-bike routes. Seasonal routes generally open Apr 1 and close Dec 31. Every route here is informational and derived from the MVUM data — it is not a legal document; carry and follow the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map. Download the routes as GPX for your GPS or riding app.
- Total motorized miles
- 182.2
- Roads
- 117.8 mi
- Trails
- 64.4 mi
- Year-round miles
- 68.2 mi
- Seasonal miles
- 113.9 mi
117.8 mi of roads · 64.4 mi of trails, across 85 designated routes on the Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Vehicle access
What the MVUM designates for each vehicle class in this district — open miles, route count and season. A blank designation means the class is not designated here; it is shown as such, never guessed. ATV, motorcycle and e-bike classes are highlighted.
| Vehicle class | Open miles | Routes | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core off-highway (OHV) | |||
| ATV | 57.3 | 31 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Motorcycle / dirt bike | 68.7 | 40 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Other wheeled OHV | 4.4 | 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Wider OHV (over 50 inches) | |||
| 4WD > 50" | 12.6 | 7 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| 2WD > 50" | 4.4 | 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Tracked OHV > 50" | 4.4 | 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Other OHV > 50" | 4.4 | 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Narrow OHV (under 50 inches) | |||
| Tracked OHV < 50" | 4.4 | 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Other OHV < 50" | 4.4 | 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| E-bikes | |||
| E-bike Class 1 | 0 | 13 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| E-bike Class 2 | 0 | 13 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| E-bike Class 3 | 0 | 13 | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Road-legal / licensed vehicles | |||
| Passenger vehicle | 117.8 | 46 | Varies by route |
| High-clearance vehicle | 117.8 | 46 | Varies by route |
| Truck | 117.8 | 46 | Varies by route |
| Bus | 117.8 | 46 | Varies by route |
| Motorhome | 117.8 | 46 | Varies by route |
Seasons
Of the 182.2 motorized miles here, about 68.2 miles are open year-round and 113.9 miles are seasonal — the seasonal window generally runs from 04/01 to 12/31 (MM/DD). Each vehicle class can carry its own season; see the access matrix above, and always confirm current status on the official Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Download the routes (GPX)
Load these into your GPS unit or riding app (onX, Gaia, Avenza and most handhelds read GPX).
Named routes
Show the 49 named routes in this district
Named routes on the MVUM and whether ATV and motorcycle use is designated on each. This is a per-district reference, not a separate page per route. Use the filter to find a route.
| BM 1A | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| BM 1B | ✓ | ✓ |
| BM 8 | ✓ | ✓ |
| BM 9 | ✓ | ✓ |
| BM1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| BM10 | ✓ | ✓ |
| BROWN MOUNTAIN | ✓ | ✓ |
| ELLIOT DEER | ✓ | ✓ |
| KIRBY'S LOOP | ✓ | ✓ |
| MILLER CIRCLE | ✓ | ✓ |
| NED'S KNOB | · | ✓ |
| RICHARD'S BYPASS | · | ✓ |
| SULLIVAN'S PASS | · | ✓ |
| ARMSTRONG | · | · |
| BACK-IRISH CREEK | · | · |
| BOONE FORK | · | · |
| CARROLL CREEK | · | · |
| CHESTNUT MTN | · | · |
| CURTIS CREEK | · | · |
| DOBSON KNOB | · | · |
| EDGEMONT PINOLA | · | · |
| FOX CAMP | · | · |
| FRANKUM CREEK | · | · |
| GOOD CEM | · | · |
| JARRETT CREEK | · | · |
| KAWANA | · | · |
| LITTLE BUCK CREEK | · | · |
| LOSTCOVE | · | · |
| MAPLE-SALLY | · | · |
| MARKS MOUNTAIN | · | · |
| MORTIMER PIEDMONT | · | · |
| MORTIMER R.A. | · | · |
| NEW GINGERCAKE | · | · |
| NEWBERRY CREEK | · | · |
| OLD FORT | · | · |
| OLD HOUSE GAP ORCHARD | · | · |
| PEARCY CREEK | · | · |
| RAVEN CLIFF | · | · |
| RICH COVE | · | · |
| ROSEBORO GRAGG | · | · |
| ROSEBORO-EDGEMONT | · | · |
| ROSES CREEK | · | · |
| SCHOOL HOUSE RIDGE | · | · |
| STEELES CREEK | · | · |
| SUGAR COVE | · | · |
| TABLE ROCK | · | · |
| THUNDERHOLE | · | · |
| WATAUGA TURNPIKE | · | · |
| WISEMANS VIEW | · | · |
Data: U.S. Forest Service, Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) Motor Vehicle Use Map — Roads (layer 1) and Trails (layer 2), retrieved 2026-07-11. A work of the U.S. Government, public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). State assignment: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb state boundaries.
This page is a searchable summary of the Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map data — it is not the official MVUM and not a legal document. Route designations, closures and conditions change. The controlling document is the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map: carry it and follow posted signs when you ride.
Data vintage: USFS EDW MVUM, retrieved 2026-07-11.
Nearby districts
The six nearest ranger districts by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-forest and cross-state neighbours included — for planning a wider trip.
| District | Forest | Total miles | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga Ranger District | Cherokee National Forest, TN | 86.9 | 65 km |
| Unaka Ranger District | Cherokee National Forest, TN | 151.5 | 95 km |
| Appalachian Ranger District | National Forests in North Carolina, NC | 68.8 | 102 km |
| Pisgah Ranger District | National Forests in North Carolina, NC | 87 | 105 km |
| Mount Rogers National Recreation Area | George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, VA | 214.1 | 105 km |
| Clinch Ranger District | George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, VA | 85.7 | 131 km |
Frequently asked questions
- Can you ride an ATV in the Grandfather Ranger District?
- Yes. The MVUM designates ATV use on about 57.3 miles across 31 routes here (apr 1 – dec 31). Confirm on the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map before you ride.
- How many miles of motorized routes are in the Grandfather Ranger District?
- 182.2 miles total — 117.8 miles of roads and 64.4 miles of trails, across 85 designated routes on the Forest Service MVUM.
- Is this the official Motor Vehicle Use Map?
- No. This page is an informational, searchable view of the MVUM route data. It is not a legal document. The controlling document is the district's official MVUM — always carry and follow it.
- Are the routes open year-round?
- Partly. About 68.2 miles are open year-round and 113.9 miles are seasonal (typically open Apr 1 to Dec 31). Each vehicle class can have its own season — see the access matrix above.
More in North Carolina
See every ranger district in National Forests in North Carolina, browse all North Carolina national-forest routes, or read the methodology behind these figures. New to MVUMs? Start with what a Motor Vehicle Use Map is.