I've ridden this in one day. It was a long day....

You get:

Little River Road
Foothills parkway (most of it anyway)
Cherohala Skyway
129 from Robbinsville to Deals Gap (nice)
Deals Gap
Hellbender 28
A little bit of 19 through Bryson City
Cherokee
441 to top of the mountain
Clingmans Dome
and then the other side of 441 down to Gatlinburg.

You'll be ready for a drink and a Nap afterwards...

Hope this helps.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,1.448822&z=10

lp

 

Check the Dragon website! I think a previous post had it backwards, Dragon is CLOSED ON TENNESSEE SIDE but can be accessed from NCarolina side. Be very careful do not ride above your skill level!
WATCH FOR 18-WHEELERS,MOTORHOMES,CAGERS with BOAT TRAILERS. C-Skyway is a great ride but be very careful at MILE MARKERS 2 and 10. Have fun ride safe.

 

lp - Perfect!

Exactly what I was looking for...

Appreciate the input from all you guys!

 

prior to our trip to this area, we purchased the book, MOTORCYCLE JOURNEYS THROUGH THE APPALACHIANS by DALE COYNER. got it off amazon for about $18. this info in the book will make your trip much more efficient as it is presented in zones of this area of the U.S. buy it, you won't regret having the info. the author did all the rides on a goldwing.

 

If it's about how many miles you can put on in a day, you may want to consider going elsewhere. We have a cabin there, and have been going to the area for 20 years. Nothing happens in a hurry in Gburg , Sevierville, or Pigeon Forge. Well....vacation time seems to wizz by damn quick, but that's all.

Some day trips.... from Gatlinburg at 9 am, take the Roaring Fork motor trail. Stop light 8 in Gburg. Its a single one way road with a top speed of.......10mph. Awesome views , old cabins, waterfalls, creek beds, hiking trails, and .....bears. : ) They are within a few weeks of finishing up repaving the road as of today ( 5/11/2010)....it will be great. Takes about 2 hours with stops. When you exit the Roaring Fork....turn left your in Gburg in about 500 yards. Or turn right towards Cosby....ummmm right. Take 321 east about 7-8 miles and look for State road 428 aka, Pittman Center road on your left. Follow it for some cool twisty's, and whoa! no guard rails and a couple off camber turns, no trees in some area’s either to catch you if you run off,… so *THINK* about it. Slow down to look around. Follow 428 till it ends...if it's about lunch time, just before the stop sign you see that "BBQ Shack"? Go back, you'll be glad you did. I'll take a order of beef brisket, a little bbq pork, ahhh what the hell, a little bbq chicken, tater salad, beans, a "soda" ....and a nap. Ok chubby, saddle up and hang a left at the stop sign, a quick right in 30 yards onto Upper Middle Creek road and follow it till it ends in Sevierville, your at stop light 8 in Sevierville, not Gburg light 8. They are all numbered. Left takes you to Gburg, Right towards the HD dealer at stop light 3. You decide. What do you think I am a tour guide?

Next trip take 321 east out of Gburg till it ends in Cosby, about 15 miles at state rd 32. Turn right and follow it to the NC/TN state line, it turns to dirt....pay attention here, there are no guard rails, lots of trees, a two way black top road ends at the NC / TN line in 10 miles from the 32/ 321 intersection. PAY attention to the mile markers, 10, 9, 8, etc going up. This road has about the same 300 curves in 10 miles as the dragon....except, no semi's and its basically car free. If you find a more twisty, smooth road, let me know about because I missed it. We normally ride to the "top" , the "appalachian trail" crosses at the top, TN/NC line and ride back down. Its a blast. Ohhh, you want miles? start walkin' the appalachian trail... hang a left where the pavement ends. When the trail ends, you'll be in Maine, out of vacation and in the best physical shape you've ever been in. But you'll have miles, about 2000 of them from here, or 200 into Georgia where most through hikers start.

On your way back down SR32, or "little more twisty than the dragon" I call it, pass by SR321 and keep heading north and hang a right in about 5-6 miles onto the Foothills parkway. This Parkway takes you to hwy 40 if your itchin' to click off some miles...the Foothills Pkwy is another of TN finest roads. Hwy 40 is an awesome sight if you want to get to say... Ashville and go to the Biltmore Estate, this is the way to go. Ohhh, and the Biltmore is worth the trip. If not ride up a bit turn around and head back.

Next trip, head north from Gburg into Pigeon Forge, and turn at stop light 3, Wears Valley road...The HD dealer is on your right in about 100 yards, you know you want another $40 t shirt...get it over with now. Hurry up day lights burnin'.

Ok, back onto Wears Valley rd west and follow it until you get to a stop light in ...who woulda' thunk it'....Wears Valley! Turn left to get to little river road and GBurg or Cades Cove...Cades cove gets my vote. Its just been repaved in the last month. One way in and very bucolic, if you dont go into Cades Cove you may of just missed what real heritage was like 75 years ago....its a must see and takes about 3 hours from here till you get back.

Orrr, you want to ride? Turn right from Wears Valley road onto, road ??? the opposite way of Cades Cove, lol.,,, towards Maryville. I'll look it up later and repost. ( state road 73) Anyway.....follow this road till you get to the west "Foothills Parkway", about 8 miles, left on the Foothills Parkway and enjoy the views till it dead ends at the river. Ohhh''' watch for cops here, whats the hurry anyway?? Decisions....left at the river takes you to the Dragon. You can't miss it, as there are no roads to turn off this one. Orrrr..... turn right and head for the Cherohala Skyway....I vote Cherohala, the dragons over rated...and besides you have ridden one better in Cosby. As your traveling north you will see two stores that sell Cherohala t-shirts and maps....whoa!!! MAPS!....now would be a good time to get one. Follow the road on the left at the store to Maryville. Get gas in Maryville, it will be your last gas station for a few hours. Enjoy what I believe is the most under used road in the Smokies, the Cherohala. You can loop around and come up the back side to the dragon, although its called state road 129 on ALL of the maps. IF you decide you want to do the Cherohala from GBurg, it takes all day... thats 9am out and head straight for the Cherohala Skyway, loop around and do the dragon and back in reverse to the Foothills parkway to Gburg. You will put some miles on here and will be your best riding day.

Next....get out again early... 9am, over the mountain towards Cherokee, look see, take pictures, take a leak at the top of the mountain annnnnd coast down the mountain towards Cherokee...just past the visitors center where its all flatland...cant mis-it....hang a left onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now your at mile post 389 or some such big number.... ride till you want to quit and either turn around or exit into some quaint town...I've never ridden much past Ashville, jump onto hwy 40 in Ashville and loop around to the Foothills Parkway "east"...back to 32, then 321 and G burg. This ride takes ALL day...if you left at 9am your back by 6-7pm.

Next ride, 9 am out, First stop is a visitors center from Gburg south about 2 miles is Little River road and the Visitors center. Lots of maps, books, and free museum. Back onto Little River road and into Cades Cove...do the loopy thingy in Cades Cove , lots of pictures of cabins, grist mill, wild life, what life was like 75 years ago, etc. then out, about 10 -12 miles your back to little river road and the road that I still cant remember the name of, lol. ( its state hwy 73) TURN left at the first stop sign next to a BIG river bend. There. lol.... left, and into Wears Valley , hang a RIGHT onto Wears Valley road and follow it till it ends in Pigeon Forge at stop light 3. It's late afternoon by now, I vote we eat at The Old Mill restaurant at stop light 5? maybe 6? plan on waiting an hour...its worth the wait. Walk around the shops while your waiting. Try not to look like a tourist.

I'll think of more... like a trip north of town to Douglas lake to see a Hydroelectric dam...20 -25 minutes and your there.

Here's a tip of the area. You can't get lost, there are no bad roads, only roads less traveled. Enjoy your trip, ride safe and post when you get back.

Linky thingy's ;

Our log cabin in Sevierville, its for rent, prices and calendar of availability at http://www.vrbo.com/288622, our web site http://www.timberland-usa.com/

Cherohala http://www.cherohala.com/

Blue Ridge Parkway http://blueridgeparkway75.org/

Foothills Parkway http://www.sundaymorningrides.com/road/3107364/

 

Incredible - thanks for ALL this info Timberland!

Unfortunately we have ONE day in the area - we all get to town on a Friday evening, plan to ride and see the best of the area on Saturday - then have a great meal and a few beverages... get up in Sunday morning and head our separate ways back home. So - having a plan for that Saturday ride which covers off all the 'greatest hits' is important... I'm gonna re-read your post now!

 

WOW! Lots of good info here, thanks lp and Timberland. Our group is headed there for the first week of June. Can't wait! We're staying in Maggie Valley. Just wanted to post so I can find this thread later.

Thanks again.

 

ONE DAY! ?..... Hands down Cherohala, Little river road to Townsend, then onto Foothills parkway, til it ends , turn right and head for the Cherohala, back around towards the dragon, us129... "if its open" and back to G burg. "If" the dragon, us129 is open ( cleaning up from a big rock slide), this ride takes 9am to 5pm with time to stop and see some views at the pull offs. If not, still do the Cherohala and head for us129 and hit it hard for Bryson City, NC then to Cherokee and 441 up and over the mountain back to G burg....its a trek....like 9am to 6-7 pm, you'll have to hustle. I've never ridden in total darkness in the mountains b4.....that could be interesting. And I know where I am going, lol...

A close second,..... over the mountain towards Cherokee , on the Blue Ridge parkway to Ashville, exit on hwy 40, then on to the Foothills parkway in Cosby til it ends at 32, left on 32, continue up 32 'the mini dragon", turn around , back down 10 miles and left onto 321, back to G burg. takes 9am to 5 pm with a stop in Waynesville, NC for lunch at Clyde's. Its by Ghost Town Harley Davidson. Clydes has the best fried chicken, taters, mmm' good plus they sell beer at a family restaurant...and the homemade deserts are the absolute best ever. From waynesville you can either back track to the blue ridge and continue to ashville to 40 or short cut from waynesville to 40....I would back track, the blue ridge is pretty cool riding...hwy40 can be a bitch, its tight at 45 mph for semi's , steep and curvy.

Only a day? Call in sick....make it two.

 

Ya'all do know they are having a big rally in Knoxville in June.

http://www.knoxvillebikerally.com/

Knoxville airport is about a 40 minute ride from our cabin.

 

Great info!