I am looking for some opinions about a road trip we are planning to the Blue Ridge Parkway area.

This is our tentative plan:

Leave North Alabama 6:00AM on Friday
Ride to the Ironhorse Lodge near Robbinsville, NC
Setup camp (tent), and then go ride the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway
Pack up Saturday morning and ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway to the High Country Motorcycle Camp near Boone, NC
Camp that night at High Country
Pack up Sunday morning and ride to Two Wheel Only (TWO) Motorcycle Campground in Suches, GA
We’ll camp at TWO and spend Monday morning riding around the GA mountains. I think some call this the Suches Loop or Little GA Dragon.
Then back to North Alabama Monday afternoon.

I guess I’m looking for something like:

Don’t forget to checkout ???

There is a great place to eat at ???

??? is a bad road, avoid that.

I wouldn’t stay at ???? because ????

Any knowledge about these areas would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

I'm heading to that area (Maggie Valley) on friday also. Coming from IL. You might want to stop a Cherokee for a look around. I have also rode HWY 68 south of tellico plains, this is a fantastic road. You will end up at tellico plains on the west end of the skyway. Have a good ride, there is really no bad roads in that neck of the woods.

 

Thanks.

Anybody else?

 

woodlands BBQ when in boone great place to eat...

 

Been a while since i did the parkway, but a couple things stand out still.

Spears BBQ in linville falls. Looks kinda upscale on their website, but man what a great place for a cold one and pulled pork ! (i didnt feel outa place in my worn out jeans) Wicked chocolate cake for desert.

Second would be Willville bike camp (also on the net) Its a motorcycle only camp. The owner rides and treats you like family. 15.00 for tent site and 40.00 for a cabin.

I did 14 days of camping one end of the blue ridge to the other and back again. (cherohala skyway was pretty awesome too) Maybe the best trip i ever did !

Have a blast ! i'm jealous.
cheers.

 

I would consider on Friday to come up thru Chattanooga and up SR 411 to Etowah, TN and over to Tellico Plains, the terminus of the Cherohala. Take the Cherohala to Robbinsville, NC the other terminus and on over to the IronHorse. Unload from the IronHorse take SR 28 to Deals Gap. Otherwise from the IronHorse doing the Cherohala and Deals Gap is a long loop.

You can get good food at Tellico Plains and at Robbinsville. Also the food at TWO is awesome.

 

I'll mark the food places on the GPS,

We won't make it all the way to Willville, but I've heard good things about the camp.

I really like catching the Cherohala on the way in.

Thanks.

 

Well, yer startin off right by hittin the Dragon on a week day...weekends are crazy up there.

Don't know how far ya have to travel that Friday...but, if ya have the time and wanna also hit TN-68 as whitrt mentioned...from US-411, take US-64/74 east along the Ocoee river (home of the '96 Olympic kayak/canoe events) to Ducktown. It's a very scenic ride, and in Ducktown ya can pick up TN-68 N. back towards Tellico Plains where, like tnharley7 said, ya pick up the Cherohala. If ya take this route, there's a good place for lunch in Copperhill, TN called the Ironhorse Cafe. When ya get to Ducktown...before headin north on 68 to Tellico Plains, take 68 south for a few miles to Copperhill...the Ironhorse Cafe is on the left in town (upstairs), and there's parkin out back.

Sounds like ya got a pretty good trip planned.

 

If you have the time and want to see the biggest trees east of the mississippi, just north of Robbinsville is a place called Joyce Kilmers memorial forest. Check your road atlas, you will see it.

 

Really rough pavement from Linville Falls/221 north to Grandfather Mtn. on the Parkway, pay attention to the posted speed and warning signs. Dress warm, it has been cool this week above 3000 ft. on the Parkway.
Ride safe,
Mad Max