by Randy Ashley

Last week, I headed to Turkey Pen Gap for a soft 10-miler and a little bit of solace. Over the past decade, it has become one of my favorite running spots in the Southeast. If you’re looking for solitude, silence, and sweet singletrack, you can’t beat Turkey Pen’s quiet, pine-needle trails.

When you get to Turkey Pen Trailhead just off Highway 280 (8 miles north of Brevard and about 25 miles south of Asheville), take the trail to the right of the message board. This trail leads you down to the South Mills River in about one mile. Once the river comes in view, follow the trail east for about 100 meters and you will cross a bridge over the river. About 80 meters further, make sure you don’t miss the shapr left turn that puts you on the South Mills River Trail.

Over the next couple of miles, the trail rolls slightly away from the river, but the tumbling water is always within earshot. The trail undulates along strewn rock and the moist earth, but is wide and not very technical. At about 2.5 miles, you will plunge down a short, steep hill that drops into a pine forest.

From here, the trail is completely flat all the way to the turnaround. This section is on my all-time greatest places to run on this beautiful Earth. It is as if there is a track in the woods. The ground is as plush and smooth as a two-year-old’s skin after a hot bath. Except for a short creek-bed-type section, there are hardly any roots or rocks. You are also deep in the pines, running along shafts of light that pierce the canopy. I always open up the throttle here, doing short pickups as if I were a deer.

At four miles, you will come to the second bridge across the South Mills River. It’s a swinging bridge to your left. If you miss the bridge, you will dead-end at the river. Feel free to wade across to the continuation of the trail as I did my first time out at Turkey Pen when I totally missed the bridge.

Go right after the bridge. From here, the trail narrows to singletrack and becomes a bit more technical. You’ll come to the third bridge about one mile later. After crossing it, bear left, cross a log-and-rail bridge, bear right, and stride it out to the turnaround point: the old site of The Cantrell Creek Lodge, of which just the chimney remains. The lodge was built here in 1890 when the area was still part of The Biltmore Estate and was moved to the Cradle of Forestry. I figure this to be right at five miles out.

On the way back, stop at one of the creek crossings and put some water on your head, or just take a look down the alley of the river and enjoy the beauty and solitude that Turkey Pen offers. This is also a family-friendly area, as I have seen plenty of little tikes on bikes along the first few miles of the trail. Moms and dads may want to take the left fork at the trailhead and walk the bikes down until you cross the river.

Directions: Travel I-26 to Exit 40: Asheville Airport, Hwy. 280. Take 280 10.6 miles to FSR 297 (just before the Henderson/Transylvania County line). The trailhead is one mile up the narrow, windy road.

Randy Ashley is a coach with Zap Fitness and is seeking to re-attain the simplicity and curiosity of his four-year-old son, Jaks. He can be reached at wrashley@hotmail.com.