Hi Folks,

Wife and I are thinking of heading back down to Skyline/Blueridge, staying in Maggie Valley/Waynesville (looking for land there to settle at some point) and then heading to Natchez and ride the entire Natchez Trace and return to NH over a 14-16 day period. I figure on seven - nine days for covering the ride down/through Skyline/BRP and around the Maggie Valley area for bagging some other routes we missed due to torrential rain last year (dragon, snake, moonshiner, triangle type things) land shopping and weather related wiggle room. A two/max three day ride to Natchez if there is a good ride from Maggie Valley area over to Natchez that can be covered in that time. Then a day and a half on Natchez trace (staying somewhere prior to Nashville) and just passing through Nashville or around it for this trip and heading back toward NH. Any good route from Nashville area up through West Virginia and back over to 81 would also be good info (yeah, got to do some interstate). Won't have time to explore much of Natchez nor Nashville on this one but last year we didn't have time to explore Maggie area so just rode through, figured we would do a bit more around that area this year. Can always go back to MS/TN to explore another time if we like it when we ride there. I am good to go on info around Skyline/BRP but would like pointers on staying in Maggie/Waynesville area, the trip to Natchez and a good place to stay there, someplace safe/nice to stay ~300 miles up the Trace and any recommendations for passing through Nashville at the terminus of the Trace and heading east/northeast back toward 81 in PA or WV area. Other than that not much :-)

Thanks
Dave

 

Back to NH eh? I ride thru VT/NH every year!! Sometimes twice. Especially on Route 302 through North Conway I believe it is by story land. LOL

Anyway...... when you go back to Natches US-85 will be nicer than US-20, but my suggestion would be to pick pretty much any road at all because all of them are going to be really nice going to Natchez. Preferably staying off the interstate.

If I had more time, I would share a load of things to do in the Tennessee and Carolina area like The Dragons Tail (314 turns in 11 miles).....be super careful with a passenger since you are likely to be scraping your pegs or floorboards.

There is a TON of GREAT riding in that area.

Not sure if I hope much but a bunch of guys I am sure will have one time to tell you about a whole bunch of really good rides.

BuzzCap7

 

I would recommend you take a "little" time to explore Natchez as you will probably not make it back unless you fall in love with the Trace. Beautiful antebellum homes there. In its heyday, there were more millionaires living there than anywhere in the world. The Trace is a nice ride with a lot of history along the way. The speed limit gets a little old. Plan your gas stops as there is no gas on the Trace. I don't have any good route recommendations to get there. It is a boring ride over there from where I live. No idea what roads Buzz is talking about.

 

A lot of bikers LIKE this place in Maggie Valley IF u do not already know abt it.

www.wheelsthroughtime.com

Father and son own/run it they have a LOT of old bikes and will start them for you.

SUPER nice ppl too,.

My personal opinion is the Trace itself is like the Blue Ridge/Skyline Drive where personally, it gets boring (same-same) after a while. Just my opinion.

I am very surprised more ppl have not jumped in here to give u btr assistance than me.

Oh, if u get to Rte 20 in Vicksburg, there is a Hampton Inn there what is freaking WOW!!!!!! <-- Gorgeous!!! I often go out of my way to stay there. :-) Tho I like Hilton Garden Inns btr. But that place is GREAT!!! I think 5th flr is adult only.

Anyway.............

BuzzCap7

 

WTT is a must see in Maggie Valley. We spend 2 days there last summer and it wasn't enough. The museum is amazing, so is the riding in that area. We rode the Natchez Trace last March. It was cool, but it got boring after the second day.

 

When you leave Maggie Valley headed for Nashville, the beginning of the Trace, the fastest way is on I-40 but hwy 70 or 62 and 70 will both take you there. Hwy 62 is a bit more rural than 70 but they both join together before Nashville. If you have time 62 crosses 127 and if you turn right on 127, you will eventually come to Pall Mall Tennessee, home of Sgt.York. It's interesting to see his grave, home, land, family owned country store, and the Wolf river.
Anyway, just before you come to the Trace, just southwest of Nashville, is the Lovelace cafe and the food is good but a bit pricey and the place is always packed.
The speed limit on the trace is 45 and there are no gas stations so you have to get off to refuel. The Trace can be boring without frequent breaks. Enjoy Natchez...it is beautiful.

 

Falls creek falls state park in TN is worth a visit.

true that unless you hit a lot of the side stops the trace at 45 mph for long ways can get ho hum... but I love the history. Windsor ruins is worth a side jaunt. Longwood in Natchez, not your ordinary antique filled plantation house. Worth a look even if you don't tour.

 

I live north of Nashville and we love riding Natchez trace. We will actually be going there Saturday but only to Foley Al. We will be going to visit the Wichapi stone wall.
http://www.natcheztracetravel.com/na...tone-wall.html


I have included a link below to a ride report I did last fall. if you ride it backwards you will see some beautiful country and not be on the Interstate. Hwy 30 goes right beside Fall Creek Falls and is a great stop to stretch your legs or they have cabins and camping.


If your riding BRP you can hit the Cherohala to Tellico then hop over to Athens and pick up HWY 30. This is definitely not the fastest way to get to Nashville!


Have Fun and Be Safe!




https://www.hdforums.com/forum/road-...hwy-129-a.html

 

Hi BuzzCap,

Thanks for the response. Yeah, 302 is actually Crawford Notch and if you turn onto 16 into Pinkham notch you go right by storyland. Some of our finest riding in the state. Try a notches loop sometime if you have not all ready. Include the Kangamangus all the way across 112 (lost river side included) and you are guaranteed a great ride. I also ride all over VT but live in Southern NH. Yeah, I am familiar with all of the Hellbender/Tail of the dragon, Snake etc. and we will cover em, just trying to figure out how to cut across to Natchez after (some interstate is OK but prefer the back roads).

Thanks
Dave

 

Hi Slapshot,

Yeah, it was raining so frigging hard when we were in Maggie Valley last year that we bailed and I think WTT was closed that day (probably due to the really heavy rain). Definitely on our list to see this year. I hear ya on Natchez being a bit boring after all of the curvy mountain riding we will do first but we figured we would cover it in ~ 1.5 days and head from south to North to migrate back to NH. If we saw things along the way that interested us, we will go back again (I always seem to go back again to everywhere we go, thus we don't expand outward much in any given year).

Thanks Dyna Rider,

We will want to hit Natchez first so we can head north for return to home so I am looking for a route from Maggie Valley to Natchez then from Nashville NE through WV, Lovelace will be on my list for food when we get off the Northern end of the trace!!

Hi RoadkingQ,

Maybe we will take a peek at one of your listed items. I won't be spending much time stopping on the Natchez Trace but if it is something near a gas stop requirement etc. definitely we could do something.

Brandon,

I am just starting to view your links and I appreciate you sending them. I want to head from Maggie to Natchez then up to Nashville so I will review your trip and see how I might apply it to my needs. Enjoy the ride - in my area on NH in has been eh, a bit harsh this year but we are getting close now. Just waiting for a good rain or two to clean off the damn salt.

Thanks everyone for your inputs!! Keep em coming. Really helps and I used a bunch of folks posts last year to plot our trip to Skyline/BRP etc.

Dave