Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Dr. trip planning

This really is not a bad plan unless you want the feather in your cap for going straight through...

My personality leads me to explore and I have a really hard time staying on the BRP for a long period of time although it is my favorite road. The section from Cherokee to Asheville is outstanding. Speed around Asheville drops to 35 and is patrolled since people use it to commute. Skyline is also 35 and that is also hard to handle for miles and miles.

There are some great dirt roads right off the parkway to explore. The area around Mills River near Asheville is nice and connects back to 276. Take the time to do some of the short hikes if possible. Devils Courthouse is short but steep and offers great views.

Nice rig, is there a fuel cell in the hack? A Sporty with a side car and a stock tank can't go to far! AB

That's pretty ambitious. The speed limit on BRP is 35mph (enforced) and the scenery deserves that you don't rush.

Thanks, I sold it a couple years ago and really wish I would have kept it. Hindsight.

No fuel cell, it was bare bones. I had a 100 mile range. When I sold it I rode it 960 miles to Iowa to deliver it, rented a car and bought a BMW/Hannigan rig in Missouri and rode it home. Ironically due to the worse mileage of the BMW my range is only 120 miles.

One day I will find a hack for my shovel. AB

Are you going to be two-up on the Tenere?
My wife prefers to rider there, park up and jump on the back of me till we are ready for the next leg.
The problem with me is I'm not interested in smelling the roses, I'm looking at the map thinking" That looks a wicked road!" She's looking going " Oh, look there's a water fall there" so we have to compromise.

Wife's looking over my shoulder and just shouted!
"ya, your terrible for that!!"

Who me?????

Actually, the speed limit on the majority of the Parkway is 45 mph. It does drop down to 35 mph around congested areas, etc. - you can expect more enforcement in those zones naturally...

It also depends on who stops you. I was clocked doing 68 in a 35 up there and the officer just gave me a warning when he saw I was a local. You would think it would be worst cu's I know better.

"Keep it down son, I know how those Triumphs get away from ya"


I should have offered him some of the illegal Moonshine I had in my panniers....shit, I bet he buys from the same guy on Brown Mtn

http://www.oddfellascantina.com/

This place is in Floyd, VA. There are some B&B's in town. Friday, Saturday and Sunday is live bluegrass at the Floyd Country Store. It's a neat little town and only a short ride from Willville Motorcycle Campground in Meadows of Dan, VA.
Doug

Rode from ME to NM last Oct and home across the south and north up The Tail of the Dragon and Blue Ride Parkway. Must admit - Cherokee is a hole. Skip it. Holly Springs and other areas are nicer. Also - We got off at 181 Jonas Ridge Hwy just south of Linville and continued north on 221 to Deep Gap. Awesome riding.

Visit my blog for pictures and details: MargaritaMotoress.WordPress.com

Great write up on the 221, thats one of my favorite roads around here.
I'v been riding it for 12 years and it's only after someone pointed it out to me did I notice this....



Thats lens angel thats making it look that close, but thats the Linville Cove Viaduct looking up from the 221, as you know looking up while riding the 221 is not a good idea so I had never seen it + if you've riden that road as many times as we have you can take it at 55+ most of the way.

See, that's what I get for making statements from memory. Must'a been the Skyline Drive.

Either way it felt like I was holding back quite often.

Mount Mitchell was a worthwile side trip. Highest point east of the Mississippi.

We went from Roanoke to Boone and stayed the night and then Boone to Cherokee the following day. All told we took 4 days from Front Royal to Cherokee and I would've liked to taken longer with more side trips One highlite was the Music Center. Could've stayed there for hours.

I have ridden the BRP a few times. When conditions are right, nice weather and light traffic, it's a great ride. It is not unusual to have really crappy conditions such as heavy fog where it is better to just get off and ride at a lower elevation. I recommend a plan B just in case.

My last time on the BRP I quickly got frustrated at the cars doing 5-10 under the speed limit. I got off at 80 and back up to Little Switzerland on 226a. The roads that cross the BRP are often better than the BRP itself.

If you aren't camping the first night I have always had good luck with this place in Maggie Valley:



They even have a fire pit.



As Dirt Dabber mentioned, Heintooga Roundbottom is a great road if you have some time.

Another thing I usually do when staying in Maggie Valley is to ride up to Waterock knob to catch the sunset.



Enjoy your trip!

I've never ridden the parkway at 35. I'm usually in the 55 to 75 with never a problem, but I am also well aware that they are out there. I've been getting at least 2 trips a year there for 10 plus yeas. however, I've camped with guys who got a ticket their first 5 miles!

I saw the thread and had to add some info. My fiancée did a ride up the BRP, we started in FL and rode north.

She was on her way to the Berkshires to work for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the summer, I was getting ready to go to Louisiana to work on the oil spill. I only went about halfway, I turned back south right by the North Carolina/Virginia border.

We spent a day/2 nights there, at this place called "Frog Holler Cabins". Apparently the Yadkin Valley is the US' oldest winemaking region, there are a ton of wineries in the area, and the owner of the cabins offers tours of the local wineries. He drives, so it's a great stop on the bikes, he'll drive you around to wine tastings all day and drop you right back off at your cabin. If you feel like a stop about midway up the BRP, I very highly recommend it. The cabins are reasonable, and very nice, they are all along a nice creek and have private balconies with hot tubs. The tour was pretty reasonable as well. If you enjoy wine, I highly recommend a stop there.

Frog Holler Cabins

Al, here's another thread on the same subject:
http://bamarides.com/ride/best-roads-stops/wanting-to-ride-blue-ridge-parkway-in-june/

The parkway can be slow and frustrating. But you should do it once. Pay attention to all the wonderful side roads down the mountain. Rt 8 down to Floyd. Rt 56 down to the bottom and back with a quick hike to crabtree falls. 211 down the mountain to the east.

To get home 33 or 250 to 42. Look for roads that cross mountains if you want to have fun.

Dc is overrated. Run into Dulles and hit the air and space there then get the heck out of Nova. Personally I'd skip the entire northern section from waynesboro north. Low speed limit and pay to play. Just go west on 250 toward Monterrey or down into the valley on 11 and north. Or charlottesville with Monticello and Montpelier just north and the u va campus and its architecture.

You miss a ton by staying on the parkway.

Save Dc for a different trip where you wont worry about the bike and crappy Nova drivers.

have not been there in several years, but for a 1/2 star motel it beat sleeping in the rain. The restaurant there was good too.

I just remembered where we stopped the first night, it was Greenville SC. Beautiful downtown riverfront area. If I was going to do this trip again I would definitely make the stop in Greenville and Frog Holler. Two highlights of the trip for me.

We stayed there last August. Very basic, no phone, no A/C, no TV, a little tiny bit of cell service, but it was only $50/night and clean. We called a few weeks ahead and requested steaks for dinner, not an item on the menu but they will get them if you let them know when you are coming.