Intermediate to Advanced
Beginning from the same start & finish line shared by past National, Olympic, and World Champions including Thomas Pidcock, Savilia Blunk, and Kate Courtney, our Chasing Rainbows route features 8-miles of Intermediate and Advanced singletrack at Fayetteville’s Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain – including the purpose-built cross country mountain bike racecourse known as “World Cup.”
From a stretch of tarmac, the route dives onto World Cup #1 and the first of four segments that comprise the only racecourse of its kind in the Southern United States. Built to test even the best athletes, the World Cup racecourse features extensive rock gardens, massive jumps, punchy climbs, and daunting drops – keeping cyclists out of the saddle through the first few miles of the route. An arduous 100-foot climb up a powerline corridor leads to “OZ Mountain” and a technical 8’ rock drop. Riders not ready to send it can opt for an alternative b-line – an advanced level rock garden that rattles down alongside the drop.
After 2.5-miles of rowdy terrain on World Cup, the route pops out at the main trailhead before dropping onto the Fayetteville Traverse and then Learners Permit for a counterclockwise ride around the park’s perimeter. From the mountain’s peak, the route follows Junk Drawer and a popular 2-mile section of trail that descends off the mountain’s southern face to a gap jump – and over the bed of an abandoned pickup truck!
A half-mile climb leads to Captain Fantastic and one of four directional, downhill trails on the southside of the park. Taking advantage of steep and technical terrain, Captain Fantastic stacks up trail features as it descends some 150’ in a ½ mile. Built to session, riders have the option to follow a short section of Junk Drawer clockwise back to the top to ride it (or any of the other trails) again. The route finishes with a short, one-mile punch back up the mountain along the Fayetteville Traverse and to the main trailhead.
Where to Park
Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain features a 12-mile trail system that includes purpose-built cyclocross and cross-country mountain bike racecourses. Since opening in 2021, the park has hosted some of cycling’s most prestigious events – including the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. The park’s primary trailhead includes free public parking, a pavilion, restrooms, and water bottle filling station.
