Smokey Mountain Touring Recommendations?

[mieczkow]

Fir the last two summers (August or September) my friend and I have met up in Little Switzerland on the Blue Ridge Parkway to spend a couple of days together riding. He comes down from the Detroit area and I come up from Tampa. We ended up in the Blue Ridge/Little Switzerland area because it represented about exactly the same distance for each of us to reach a rendezvous point leaving from our respective homes.

This year we face the same time and distance constraints (typically we have about 5-6 days total including travel time), but would like to think of an alternative and it looks like going a little more westerly into the Smokey Mountains represents a possible alternative. Anyone make some recommendations of nice areas in the Smokey Mtn. area? Or some other ideas about something west of the Blue Ridge? Or anyone have some other ideas about selecting an interesting ride?

 

[roborider]

Townsend, TN, on the western side of the Smokies is nice. Small with decent hotels and food. From there, you can ride forever. Little River Road, 441, Foothills Parkway, Cherohala, Dragon, HWY 28 Fontana Dam, Hwy 64 to Highlands (Bucks for coffee and lunch), back on the BRP....I could go on and on.

 

[beemeup]

Smokey Mountain Rides

I'd be interested in hearing some first hand accounts of rides in this area too in that I'm planning a trip there for this summer. One thing that I picked up off E-Bay is the Mad Map for the Smokey Mountain Region. It looks good, they've mapped out 36 rides in the area very nicely.

 

[murphychuck]

There are so many nice roads here that are well known and many others that you have to discover on your own! I like to ride the Cherohala Hwy to Tellico Plains and have lunch at the Tellico Cafe,behind Hardee's (Great food!) and then ride down Hwy 68 to Copperhill/McCaysville. 68 turns into Rt.60,follow it over Rt,76/515to the sign below; From there you can either do Wolf Pen Gap,Blood Mt. or follow it to Dahlonega or to Helen,Ga. From Helen you can head back north and go through the Highland/Cashiers area and either take 64 East to Pisgah NF or head back north towards Asheville. Rt.68 from Tellico is a very underrated road that is tricky,but the real nice roads are in Ga.especially Rt. 60! Ride safely and have fun!

 

[murphychuck]

This is the sign at Rt.60 in Mineral Bluff/Blue Ridge Ga. that leads to the "Kool Run"!

 

[blakduc1]

GMR Area

Most all that cool stuff is accessible from the Ga Mountain Rally. So just come there April 30- MaY 2 and do some great riding!

I like a lot of the roads up around Waynesville, NC, and off the Parkway also. Some of the ones near Caruso where the moto campground is are really nice. And down toward Hignlands and Cashiers and Franklin, NC (Hwy 28)..... from there you can work your way over into GA and across HWy 76 over nearer where Chuck is referring to...

...lots of possibilities there!

dp

 

[njnear]

Outer Banks

The ride to the coast is boring no matter which way you go, but we did a loop a couple of years ago that took us to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Kitty Hawk (birth of flight) to Ocracoke (quaint tourist town at the southern end of the Outer Banks) is an experience. Lots of sand, beaches and light houses. You will need reservations for the ferry ride between Ocracoke and the mainland.

Warning - there are no twisties! But there are places where the islands are just a wee bit wider than the road with ocean on both sides.

 

[texanrt]

Townsend, TN, on the western side of the Smokies is nice. Small with decent hotels and food. From there, you can ride forever. Little River Road, 441, Foothills Parkway, Cherohala, Dragon, HWY 28 Fontana Dam, Hwy 64 to Highlands (Bucks for coffee and lunch), back on the BRP....I could go on and on.

All great rides.

We stayed in the Sevierville area before -- too much tourist traffic despite some great lodging deals. We'll try Townsend next time.

 

[Visian]

Anyone make some recommendations of nice areas in the Smokey Mtn. area? Or some other ideas about something west of the Blue Ridge? Or anyone have some other ideas about selecting an interesting ride?

you might enjoy hot springs, nc. that's basically in the middle of the blue ridge.

another couple of places west-ish of there are robbinsville, nc and tellico plains, tn.

ian

 

[roborider]

If you hit Hot Springs, ride HWY 209 south, it is pastoral and twisty: great road. Then, when it hits HWY 63, either continue on 209 to I 40 (boring) or take HWY 63 to Asheville which is another great piece of asphalt.

 

[pffog]

If you hit Hot Springs, ride HWY 209 south, it is pastoral and twisty: great road. Then, when it hits HWY 63, either continue on 209 to I 40 (boring) or take HWY 63 to Asheville which is another great piece of asphalt.

Or go visit Hookers and avoid Asheville all together.................................Those who really know the area know what I am talking about