Sherman Branch Nature Preserve — Attraction in Mint Hill

I came by at 1:30 pm and the place is closed. I checked its status online and it said it's open. Even the sign at the entrance says it opens at 8. It's a nice sunny day and there's no construction from what I could see from the entrance. It's not even a holiday today. I assumed the gate was automatic, so I pulled up as close as I could to see if it would open, but it didn't. I waited a few minutes to see if someone that worked there would stop by to open the gate, but no one showed up. I was really excited to check this place out, as I've never been to it before. It took me half an hour to reach this place, only to be greeted with disappointment. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll come back here, as I don't want to drive and hope the place may...

[UPDATE: TOO CROWDED] I used to live in the appartments right near here, would walk my dog here. One thing people don't know is that if you go the opposite clockwise direction that the bikers are going, you are allowed to WALK the trails! Only bad thing in my opinion is its full of richie yuppies with their nice a* cars and their nice a* bike racks on their cars and their snoody attitude always staring at my lil car because it just isn't as nice as theirs and doesn't have a bike rack. TOO CROWED ON WEEKENDS DONT EVEN TRY Update: a year later and the crowding is absolutely ridiculous. All the time. Charlotte doesn't have enough bmx trails so people come from all over town...

One of my favorite mountain biking trails in east Charlotte off I-485. I highly recommend for MTBers of any skill level. Total mileage for riding Main, Roller Coaster, and Lake Loop is just over 10-miles. The entire ride for advanced riders can take around an hour. For beginners and slower riders, it can take up to 1:45. So, please make sure you allow plenty of time since park rangers are strict and will close the park gate when the park closes. Also, please be respectful of others on the trail. Not everyone is a fast rider. Properly communicate with slower riders ahead of you so they will move over to...