Discover Lansing Creeper Trail Park's Hiking Trails

Across Big Horse Creek from the main Lansing Creeper Trail Park, you’ll find roughly 3 miles of hiking and biking trails that climb into the surrounding hillsides and follow the creek through the woods. Two named trails make up this network — the Daniel and Benjamin Karb Mountain Bike Trail and the Fred and Alice Stanback Walking Trail — and together they offer some of the best, most peaceful trail experiences in this part of Ashe County. Whether you’re looking for a long loop with views or a short, flat creekside walk, these trails deliver. Be sure to check out the YouTube video and pictures below to get a feel for the trails before you go — or to relive the visit after.

Getting to the Trails

The trail system is accessed by crossing Big Horse Creek from the main Lansing Creeper Trail Park. There are two ways across:

Pedestrian bridge near the Lansing Fire Department — a short, easy walk if you’re already in the park.
A nearby vehicle bridge — drive across and park closer to the trailhead.

Once across, head toward the picnic shelter — you’ll find trail signs just past it showing where each trail begins.

The Daniel and Benjamin Karb Mountain Bike Trail

The Karb Mountain Bike Trail climbs steeply up into the mountainside, with significant elevation gain throughout, eventually reaching a ridge with great views of Big Horse Creek, Lansing Creeper Trail Park, and downtown Lansing — particularly stunning in the winter months, when leaves are off the trees, and the views open up.

A note from our visit, though: while the trail is technically a mountain bike trail, we wouldn’t actually recommend biking it. Thorny brush sticks out into the path in several spots, making sections genuinely hard to push through on a bike. We almost made it to the end on foot before we lost the trail in the underbrush and had to turn back — so visitors should plan for both rougher conditions than a typical maintained trail, and the possibility of needing to navigate carefully in places. The trail forms a loop and connects to the walking trail, completing the network.

The Fred and Alice Stanback Walking Trail

The walking trail is the gentler counterpart in this network — roughly a mile long, mostly flat, and running alongside Big Horse Creek. It’s a peaceful, accessible option that offers some of the best creekside views in the area without much effort. If you’ve already spent time on the paved walking path across the creek and want something with a different feel, the Stanback Walking Trail is the perfect change of pace.

Good to Know

Trail system length: Approximately 3 miles total
Surface: Natural surface throughout — expect dirt, roots, and some brush.
Walking trail (Stanback): About 1 mile, mostly flat, easy.
Mountain bike trail (Karb): Looped, with significant elevation gain throughout, climbing to a ridge view. Currently better suited to hiking than biking due to overgrown brush.
Family- and dog-friendly — leashed dogs are welcome.
Best season for views: Winter months, when leaves are down, and the ridge views open up.
Pair with the Lansing Creeper Trail Park’s paved loop for a fuller day at the park.
Located across Big Horse Creek from the main Lansing Creeper Trail Park, accessible via the pedestrian or vehicle bridges near the Lansing Fire Department.

A Quiet Side of Lansing

What makes these trails worth seeking out isn’t flash — it’s the contrast they offer to the paved path on the main side of the park. The Stanback Walking Trail gives you a quiet, creekside experience with very little effort. The Karb Mountain Bike Trail gives you a steeper climb and a real view payoff. And the whole network feels delightfully under-visited, even on busy days at the main park. For visitors looking to dig a little deeper into what Lansing has to offer, this is the way to do it.