I'm planning a trip next week through Tennessee and looking for some advice on good roads to take and maybe places to stay. I'd like to get a good experience of the smokies staying away from the touristy places. I'll be in Tennessee Thursday evening of next week and start heading for home by Sunday afternoon. I thought about The Tail of the Dragon but I've heard it's smart to stay away on the weekend if you've never done it.

Any tips on places to stay, roads to take, things to do or even eats would be greatly appreciated.

 

go to tailofthedragon.com and check out that site. You can find plenty of info on places to stay and roads to ride down in that area. Just about all the roads are nice. I just got back form there mid July. I stayed at Fontana Village Resort , North Carolina which is only about 10miles from the Dragon. If your not going to ride the dragon at least head over to where it starts on the North Carolina side.

 

You need to ride the Cherohala Skyway

http://cherohala.org/

You can stay in Tellico Plains or Townsend. The dragon will have riders on it by Friday but shouldn't be crowded until Saturday. The Foothills Parkway is a really nice ride and scenic.
I used to ride the dragon to Moonshiner 28 to Hwy 74 and to either 441, which is the road through the Smokys or the Blue Ridge Parkway towards Asheville.
There a lots of good rides here...Check out these web sites...

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/
http://www.openroadjourney.com/

Have fun and be safe.

 

Thank you. Lots of good info there. Just what I'm looking for

 

There is not a bad road in the area.. Just watch out for the gravel.Even out by us 60 miles East of Nashville their is a ton of bikes out here in the country..

 

I like to stay at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Camp in Canton, NC and Maggie Valley NC.
So if it was me I would make my way to Tellico and see Cherohala and 129 then cruise through the Blue Ridge Parkway to Waynesville NC and cut over to Canton. there isnt a bad road in the mountains just some visited more than others. there are several twisty roads exiting the BRP if thats your thing (with no Cameras or traffic)

Townsend is Beautiful and where Cades Cove is.

 

Ride to Clingsmans Dome. It is the highest peak east of the Mississippi and on a clear day you can see for 50+ miles. The observation tower is a 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot at an elevation of 6400 feet. Cades Cove is a great road that follows a river. Spent a week down that way the end of May and as others have said not a bad road to ride there.

 

Hate to burst your bubble CarrollB but that is not the highest point east of the Mississippi river...Check out this link:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/...Mount-Mitchell

 

There are NO hotels in Tellico Plains. There are a few cabins you can rent.

 

Your gonna want to ride the Cherohala Skyway (RT 165/143) out of Telico Plains, TN over to Robbinsville, NC, you could stay in the Microtel there or find a local place catering to motorcycles. From Robbinsville, take US129 up to the Tail of the Dragon, do the tourist thing, hit the "Deals Gap" store for souvenirs. US 129/28 meet at the Deals Gap Store, US129 from that point will take you the traditional 11 miles 322 curves route, and 28 the other direction, US28 is a nice ride. If you chose to stay on 129, once you finish the ride you will come out over by the Chilhowee Lake, take a right on the "Foothills Parkway," another great ride. Once the Foothills Parkways comes to an end, take a right on US321 (Townsend is a good place for lunch) for a few miles, then stay straight onto SR73, "Old State Highway 73 Scenic, also known as the Little River Road. The road will end at US441, a visitors center, at the end of Gatlinburg, were you can do more tourist stuff, or turn right on US441 and head up and over the mountain, there will be photo ops, stop at the top and Clingmans Dome. Once you fall over the mountain to the NC side and 441 ends, hang a left to Maggie Valley, there's a Casino in Cherokee if you want to try your luck. If you look on Google Maps, you will see another opportunity to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) vice taking 19, I'd suggest taking the BRP. Anytime you get a chance to take the BRP, it's always a good choice. There are so many roads to ride in the area, the upper and lower part of 28 are great.