If you want to bike across a beautiful looped trail with a complete lakeside view, then you need to make sure that you are moving across the Salem Lake Trail! This trail is a scenic location that will test your mountain biking skills because it is a trail that takes you through the wilderness of Salem, North Carolina! Additionally, if you can handle a massive seven mile trail, then it can be the perfect beautiful day trip for you.
It takes you all around the beautiful Salem Lake, but just because it is a lakeside loop doesn’t mean that it is easy. Instead, you will find that your mountain biking abilities will all be used during this loop, and there are also a few different ways to get on and off the trail when you decide to end the day.
You will start the trail on New Greensboro Road, just off the entrance road, and once you find the parking lot entrance gate, then you just need to head down the left side and you will be on the trail.
Then you can bike all around the lake, and the lake trail itself is pretty rough. There are a lot of log crossings and some rougher spots inside the trail on dirt paths, and in some cases, there are even jump tracks where you can pick up some speed and go through the air. The best part is that the trail itself is a closed loop, so you can bike all the way around in one day and then head back the way you came. Especially if you park your car at the parking garage near the entrance, so you can start and end your trail at the place you park your car.
The one real disadvantage of a looped trail is that once you start the trail, you’ve either got to finish it or head back the way that you came. So make sure you are prepared to commit to the entire seven mile journey before you start pedaling!
There are three accessible spaces in the parking spot, additionally, the trail is shared between people who want to bike, hike, and even ride horses. So there is a very high likelihood that you won’t be riding the trail alone! Additionally, dogs are allowed as long as they are leashed, and the trail is open any time of the year!
There aren’t many obstacles on the road, and most of the trail is either paved or very clearly marked, and as long as you keep the lake in sight you will be perfectly fine. However, the Salem Lake Trail does connect to a few other trails in the area, so it can be easy to get lost on the branching paths. So make sure to always keep the lake in sight and you will know you are on the main trail, plus you will get some fantastic lakeside views as well!
The one precaution that you need to keep in mind is that the gate locks when the park closes in the evening, so if you happen to be biking closer to when the sun sets, you should make sure that you leave the park before dark. Additionally, if heavy rains hit the lake and the water overflows the dam, the water might overflow the dam and that will close the back gate.
The Salem Lake Trail is a beautiful lake trail that is always going to give you wonderful views, and give your body a workout! So get riding!
10 mi 
