Cherokee National Park TN Roads

[Tbone221]

I'm a new member to the club and came back to BMW ownership last October with the purchase of an 09 RT. While I loved my wing, one test ride on the RT spoiled everything!!

Figures this would be the year of record snow in the mid-atlantic states. I live in North Jersey and my daughter is a student at Virginia Tech in beautiful Blacksburg.
I've traveled most of the Blue Ridge and will complete the last section in Asheville during an upcoming ride the end of April. I've got most of the route planned around the Great Smokey Mountain National park and would like to spend one day riding through/around Cherokee National Forest.

Anyone out there participate in last year's rally in Johnson City? If so, would appreciate any suggestions for a 200-250 mile loop. I'd like to start in Dandrige TN and will be spending that evening in the Lake Watauga area. Interested in great roads and scenery over stopping and visiting local attractions (I'll save that for 4 wheels with the wife and kids).

Any suggestions will be appreciated. Great forum!!!

Thanks,
Tom

 

[texanrt]

Welcome

Welcome to the forum, Tom. You'll find lots of information about rides here. Last summer before the rally one of our brethren was good enough to post some ride information for the Johnson City area. I've linked to a couple of those threads below.

I love riding in that part of the country -- there are so many great places to ride it's hard to choose just one. If you do ride through the park, take the Cade's Cove road -- it twists and winds through the park and comes out near the Foothills Parkway which leads to 129 (Tail of the Dragon). That can take you down 129 to the Cherohala Skyway. It's a great day ride if you can fit them into your schedule. You're going to love riding that RT in the twisties.

Here are those links, and again, welcome.

httphttp://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=32851&highlight=rally+rides+twisties://

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=36907&highlight=rally+rides+twisties

Here's the link to information so super secret I could be booted from the membership for divulging........

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=39517

 

[beemermyke]

Hey Tom, welcome to the forum! I travel this area alot, and just wanted to throw out a few ideas:

If you pick up the Cherohala Skyway from the Dragon as John describes, you'll be travelling east to west and end up in the small town of Tellico Plains. If the day's shadows are getting long by then, here's a great place to spend the night. Mark and Renee are the owners, and they're very accomodating:http://www.cycleresort.com/events.html

Also in Tellico Plains, a nice little bike shop owned by Mike Dozier. Lots of textile stuff in his shop should you run accross any clothing emergencies: http://www.tellicomoto.com/

A bit to the south in Hiawassee, GA is the annual Georgia Mountain Rally on April 29th. Great event, just expect some rain off and on that time of year. (A buddy referred to it as the "Bring More Water" rally): http://www.bmwmoga.info/gmr/index.php

 

[roborider]

The nice thing is that it's hard to pick a bad road in the area.

I have a Smokey Map on PDF I can send you if you PM me your email. I'd be happy to spend some time on the phone with you and show you some roads on Google Maps.

Foothills Parkway from I 40 south to the mountains is great, and not heavily patrolled. From there you can get to Gatlinburg and take Little River Road to Townsend. Little River is beautiful, with many sweepy and tight turns along a river. Townsend is a small town and HEAVILY patrolled.

Continue past Townsend a couple of miles to Foothills PKWY along the Smokeys. Very nice ride with forest and gentle sweepers. This dead ends you to the TN side of the Dragon.

Left takes you to the Dragon, right will work you to Tellico Plains (not directly). I think the Dragon is a pain in the butt. If you have never ridden it, then fine, do it and buy the shirt. Otherwise, I'd go to Tellico and take the fantastic views and sweepy turns on the Cherohala to Robbinsville.

Short of Robbinsville, take the road through the Joyce Kilmer Forest to the NC side of the Dragon (not direct). Then HWY 28 Fontana Dam which is worth a stop and some pictures. From here, many routes await you to the Lake.

Alternatively, you could get to HWY 28 via Robbinsville and come back HWY 28 to the Dragon and back to Foothills PKWY to Townsend, LIttle River to Gatlinburg, then 441 over the Summit of the Smokeys. On the other side of the mountains, a zillion roads to numerous to speak of here can lead you to your lake destination. This route would allow you to take 441 over the summit which is great, includes a 360 degree turn which wraps back and around via a small tunnel, and drops you at the Blue Ridge.

You can't go wrong in this area. I ride it all the time.

Robo

 

[rvb1019]

Hi Tom,

I'm heading down to NC April 10 (or April 12 if the wife won't let me go earlier) to April 18 to join the BMWLT.com guys at our annual Spring Training Camp. We use the Ironhorse Ranch in Stechoah NC as a home base. I'm planning on slabbing it to just outside Rockfish Gap, VA and then riding the whole Blue Ridge into Cherokee. I could use a little company to keep away the deer.

We'll be playing all week up in that area and even RT riders are welcome...if you can keep up with us fat pig LTs. There will be tech sessions and great food!

Your're more than welcome to join us. I plan on camping but they have cabins and bunkhouses for the more gentile crowd.

For more info, click here.

You can also pick up the Mad Maps for the region. They have some great routes already done for you including places to stay and eat.

 

[Tbone221]

Thanks Guys for your help!

This forum is great. I appreciate your help and offer to send maps and discuss my options.

My e-mail is tom.beringer@sanofi-aventis.com. I can also be reached on my mobile at 908 883-0771.

I'll be leaving NJ the last week of April and returning the first week of May. Four of us are riding (including my BMW buddy) and the other harley guys are flying into Asheville and renting bikes.

I'm setting up my new RT and planning the ride while the snows still falling. Thanks again!!

Tom

 

[Visian]

Four of us are riding (including my BMW buddy) and the other harley guys are flying into Asheville and renting bikes.

tom - are you going to be staying in Asheville? i see the request about Cherokee National Forest, and the rides you've been linked to are all pretty good candidates in that area, but some involve a little extra travel rom asheville before you get there.

i'm aware of a number of other good candidates that are all mostly around asheville itself, so let me know if these are of interest.

also... there's a southern section of the forest that is bordered by the smokey mountain park and the dragon. bunch of other good roads around there, too!

ian

 

[Tbone221]

Thanks Ian

I spoke with a local gentleman who lives around lake watauga who advised on some good roads east of Johnson City and around the lake area. He said he's sending a local map and that might do the trick.

Thanks for your help.

Tom

 

[roborider]

If you want to avoid superslab in Asheville, use 63 to HWY 209 to Hot Springs. You can shoot down from Marshall on Meadows Town road to 63 also. This is a good set of windy scenic roadway near Asheville, coming or going.

209 to Hot Springs is one of my favorites. Very bucolic and mildly twisty. Barns, cows, waterwheel, etc.