Hello,

I am thinking about taking a trip to Asheville NC next month. I pretty much figured that I want to go Skyline Drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Does anyone have any scenic road suggestions from Boston to the entrance to Skyline Drive. Also, any suggestions on the route back. Any websites that might be helpful would also be greatly appreciated.

I have plenty of time and would like to avoid interstates if possible.

Thanks in advance for your help

Dave

 

I don't know the best way to get there from Boston but thirty years ago I found that Rt. 23 in SW MA a real nice road to take into the Catskills. Then work 23A into 30, cross the Delaware at Hancock then 370 in PA. I would take I-81 & 80 around the Scranton area. Around Bloomsburg you can pick up Rt. 11. Take that untill you hit 522 in Selinsgrove. This is the same 522 that runs through Maryland/West Virginia then Virginia. It runs into Rt. 340 at Dinosaur Land south of Winchester. (use Rt. 37 bypass around Winchester into Tasker Rd. and out to 522 again to avoid downtown traffic.) 522 & 340 split in Front Royal. Stay on 340 and the start of Skyline is right there. (left side just out of downtown)

With plenty of time take the extra 80 or so miles of the BRP south of Asheville and hit the Smokey's. Best done early and midweek. Take an extra two days and ride the Foothills Parkway, Deals Gap and the Cherohala Skyway. Cades Cove at sunrise in the Smoky's is the most beautiful place east of the Mississippi. That's at sunrise, by 10 AM it's packed with cars.

Try the coconut cream pie at Tuggles Gap MM165 on the BRP.

PM me if you want to return on some back roads in SW Virginia and WV.

 

Thanks for your comment. . I checked out the route and it looks great! This is my first long ride. I have done rides around Boston that have been 6 - 8 hours. Any suggestions on how long I should ride a day. Or should I just go until I am tired and find a hotel?

 

I'd suggest playing it by ear on the BRP. When the weather goes bad, it really goes bad, and you might find that you don't make much milage on those days.

Matt

 

Dave The best way to plan a trip is to know when you leave and when you have to be back. Anything in between should just happen. With as you say "plenty of time" I would take two days to get to Front Royal. Two more days will put you into Asheville or the Smoky's (Gatlinburg, Cherokee or Maggie Valley) I like Maggie, it's not as tacky plus it has the Wheels Through Time Museum, a must see stop. At least two days in the Smokey area will give you the time to run the roads I listed above.

Now a warning. Matt is dead right about the weather. The storms can pile up on the west side of the mountains and bathtubs full of rain can dump on you. Go through a tunnel to the east side and it's sunny, if your lucky. You may hit fog so thick you can't see the edge of the road. South of Asheville the edge of the road is not a place to ah, miss. So if you need another couple of days because of weather or because you spent all day at Dale's museum that's OK.

If you find you have a lot more time than you had planned, just about any road off the Parkway will be very twisty with lot's of verticle. Just zig-zagging back and forth across the BRP you will find roads that will sear into your brain for the rest of your life. I liked it so much I retired in Virginia just for the riding. That's a major change of style from NE Jersey.

Some of the best roads off the Parkway I found because of detours from a storm the day before. In the last 12 years I've run the BRP 20 plus times. I think I only made it through once without hitting a detour someplace. Some are long term, some a surprise.
As to your last question, I would not plan ahead on where to stop, let it just happen. Nor would I ride until tired. The deer and bear hang on the side of the road looking for tired riders. It's harder to commit suicide with an alert rider.

I've never had a problem finding a room during the week. If looking to stay in one of the lodges on Skyline or the Parkway you may want to call ahead.

On the way back you might want to consider, Rt. 16, Rt 58 or Rt 42 in SW Virginia. Burkes Garden off 61 is worth the trip. 311 through Paint Blank is interesting. From there 60 into WV 219-55-150-219 S to 39-92-66 to Cass Railway is good riding. Any road through this section of WV is great riding. There will be sand or gravel in the turns, stay in the tire tracks of cars and don't apex a tight turn. A early morning run east on 39 from Marlinton into Virginia through the river mist in the woods is a favorite of mine.

 

The first two weeks in June were fantastic for sickles. Dry and hot, even up here in the highest elevations. The change has set in as of this week. It's warm and muggy in the mornings, it gets hot around lunch and shortly after the thunderstorms begin. There is enough moisture in the forest cover now that we have our own little micro system, it rains here in the clouds when everything below us is dry. It seems Dog Days are here a little early, meaning rain every afternoon. The lightning has been exceptionally bad this week as well. It's all part of the adventure, ride safe..
MM

 

to do brp the right way you'll need 3 days . 2 days your hauling *** and missing the view.
might as well do the dragon ,rt 28 and cherohola skyway while your down that way. growing up in the city. it unbelievable how beautiful this country is and no betterway than seeing it on 2 wheels