Thinking about a Smoky Mtn Ride

[max_caper]

Hi All. I have a week off this fall and am thinking about trailering my bike to NC or Tenn, finding a suitable base, and then riding the Dragon and any other great roads in the area. Any suggestions on a good, safe place to park my trailer and van while I'm out riding? What accommodations in this area are best to visit/avoid? Any hidden gems in terms of routes that I must ride? I rode the Dragon in 2009 and while I was in the area I meandered down to the Dahlonega, Ga. area and found a lot of other great routes. Very nice people too!

Cheers!

Blaine

 

[hijacker]

Any of the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great ride. If you ride the Dragon, you stop in Deal's Gap, South Carolina and if you are there you might as well ride the Cherohala Skyway.

Enjoy the trip, it is some beautiful country.

Some sites to help you plan...

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
http://www.dealsgap.com
http://www.cherohala.org
http://www.gatlinburg.com

 

[max_caper]

Any of the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great ride. If you ride the Dragon, you stop in Deal's Gap, South Carolina and if you are there you might as well ride the Cherohala Skyway.

Enjoy the trip, it is some beautiful country.

Some sites to help you plan...

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
http://www.dealsgap.com
http://www.cherohala.org
http://www.gatlinburg.com

Many thanks for the info!

Blaine

 

[jfeagins]

Shala & I stay at a place called Smoky Falls Lodge in the town of Maggie Valley when we go to that area. Maggie Valley has tons of biker friendly motels. Google is your friend.

We like to go off the West end of the Cherohala Skyline to Bald River Falls too. It's located on River Road, right off the Cherohala as you near Telico Plains.

This year, we went down the Moonshiner Highway aka hwy 28. That's a nice curvy route down into Georgia, following a creek with falls. There's one place along hwy 28 where you can pull off onto a small semicircle drive taking you beneath/behind Bridal Veil Falls. It's a money shot right there!.

Hwy 107 all down through the area south of the BRP is great riding also. And of course, you can't go wrong riding the BRP itself - kind of like being in a different era.

 

[captduncan]

Yea, maggie valley would be a great base , have breakfast at joes pancake house,visitors center or any store will have printed info on about anything you want to do,the leaves will be perfect this week end. I live here so if you have any trouble ,brakedowns etc, just let me know...i have a friend flying in wednesday, we are riding parkway thursday.hopefully less traffic.good luck and have fun

 

[Rollie]

+ 1 on the Moonshiner . You can pick it up at the Gap . Very nice ride full of 50-75 mph 2 lane sweepers under a canopy of trees with water here & there for pics.

 

[max_caper]

Thanks again for all the good info!

What's Hwy 441 like? It looks like it takes you all the way across the Great Smoky Mtn National Park.

Blaine

 

[jfeagins]

You get on 441 right at the entrance to the BRP right outside Cherokee. FIRST RATE ride through there to Gatlinburg. Mostly very new asphalt, and few bumpy spots to be found last month when Shala & I rode through it. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you add that to your itinerary. Bear country too - first time I personally ever spotted a bear running across a hwy.

 

[max_caper]

You get on 441 right at the entrance to the BRP right outside Cherokee. FIRST RATE ride through there to Gatlinburg. Mostly very new asphalt, and few bumpy spots to be found last month when Shala & I rode through it. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you add that to your itinerary. Bear country too - first time I personally ever spotted a bear running across a hwy.

Cool! I will add to my list!

Blaine