Trip planning...Skyline/BRP/Maggie Valley...

I have coerced my wife into a moto vacation and I'm embarrassed to say that after living in NC for over 14 years, we have never driven the BRP. I've planned a week or so, starting in Cary NC, to Front Royal following Skyline to BRP ending in Maggie Valley for a day trip around 441 to 129 then returning to Cary the next day.

I think I have most things planned out but wanted to check with the experts and inmates on what not to miss and/or things to avoid, just in case.

First, looking for best options from Cary to Front Royal. Wife hates being on the highway, being next to traffic at speed makes her very nervous, reason #1 for not going on trips with me.

I'm planning on out of the Triangle, up hwy501 to Charlottesville or maybe hwy15 instead? Don't know the best option, open to suggestions.

Next question is planned day trip out of Maggie Valley, out 441 to old hwy73 to 321 to foothills parkway to 129 to Maggie Valley. Looking for alternative to Cherohala/129 loop, 441 looks like a nice ride on the map, need feedback on this loop.

Thanks in advance for any guidance, advice or links to previous threads that may help...

Can't help you much on your route north. 441/73/ Foothills parkway is a nice ride. When you get to Deals Gap on 129 I like 28 past Fontana Dam to head back towards Maggie Valley. Wheels Through Time Museum is pretty much a must do in Maggie Valley. Say hello to Matt for me. Was there just last week. 209 to Hot Springs is nice. Are you camping or Hotel?

If at all possible, try to do Skyline Drive early on a week day.

tom c and I did Front Royal to Waynesboro last Friday. Took us about 3 hours to do the 105 miles, 45 to 50 mph nearly the whole way.

We entered at 8am and the place was just about deserted. The only Rangers we saw were at the entrance and exit station.

An excellent ride.








L'Dees Pancake House in Front Royal has great breakfast.

Motoranch - thanks for the feedback, I rode that route last year and will take the wife on it again this year. We are hotel, I can convince her to camp if we are in our Land Cruiser & Expedition trailer, camping lean on a bike, no way.


Planning on a trip to the museum, yes, a must stop. I missed it last year and won't miss it this year....

WayneJ - will do, its in the route on the GPS. Unfortunately, we will be doing it on Sunday am. Thanks for the great pics, we are planning a leisurely pace, makes my passenger much happier...

Good info here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=950582

Give your wife the park map and let her picks the places to stop Live will be good that way.

Woodberry Inn BRP mile post 174.1 treated us well. Browns Restaurant in Sparta is good eatin although a little off the parkway around marker 228 also gas nearby.

do a site search for blue ridge parkway and you'll find tons of info


501 and 15 are about the same, with 15, 360 gets slab like in that section, but you could take 47 up to Charlotte Court House then 40 over to Phenix and 727 into Appomattox and get some history

501 is fun N of Lynchburg.

personally I'd skip the Skyline Drive. speed limit is 35. WayneJ got lucky with traveling it at 50 normally, that's a big time fine from the feds

And stop at the Blue Ridge Music Center on the BRP, neat place!!

biker friendly places at The Alpine Inn in Little Switzerland, NC and Freeborne's near Laurel Springs NC

do not miss Wheels Through Time!! and do not ride Deals Gap on the weekend!!!

enjoy the ride!! it's a must do!!

If you're hungry when you get to US-33 on Skyline Drive, El Paso Mexican Grill on US-340 in Elkton is highly recommended. Opens at noon on Sundays. Best Mexican food in the area. It's about 6 miles from Skyline Drive.

Good idea and thanks for the link, good info...

Thanks for the ideas, will put in notes.

Thus far, we are spending day 1 in Front Royal, day 2 Peaks of Otter lodge, day 3 Blowing Rock, day 4 Pishag Inn, day 5 Maggie Valley...

I see this every time someone says they want to do Skyline Drive. It's one of the reasons I wanted to it, so I could find out for myself.

It's also why we did it early in the morning on a weekday, like I said, it was pretty much deserted up there. We slowed down at the obvious places where we might see law enforcement.

It was an awesome ride.

I also see this same thing posted about the 45mph limit on the BRP. Did that on a Friday afternoon a couple of years ago from Waynesboro to Roanoke. Had 7 bikes behind me, darn near every time I looked at the speedo I was doing 55-60. Same thing, slowed down where it was obvious there might be LE. No tickets, no jail time. The only Rangers we saw were near Roanoke, they were running radar.

Of course I may just be lucky. Or stupid, opinions vary. I've been riding street bikes since '72(damn...42 years ) and have never been pulled over on one for anything, never.

Sup Wayne We ran 55 60 on the BRP as well. During the week is better. LE is probably out more on the weekend and fall foilage time. I've never gotten a ticket in my 40 years either ...... at least not on the Ural

Needless to say, if you're in Maggie Valley, visit Wheels Through Time. Motorcycle museum.

you could opt for Willville MC campground vs peaks of otter and Blue Ridge MC campground inatead of Pisgah Inn. Both have cabins to rent. check out the websites. i you are the camping types, these two beat any hotel.

Thanks for the suggestion kitesurfer...

We are currently on the trip, been fantastic thus far. Traffic has been surprisingly light, weather has been stunning for late July, hit 53 degrees going over Grandfather Mountain.

I'll post up a ride report once done but have been supremely enjoying ourselves...

If you have time....some of the best riding is on the roads that lead up and down from the BRP. A few NC numbers of note are 215, 276, 151, 80, 226A for twisty pavement.

Agreed, we dropped off the parkway into Asheville for lunch, coming down hwy 694 which was very nice, with tight turns. We had lunch near UNC-A, going back up to the parkway via Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, even tighter and put the wife's sphincter into pucker mode...

I seen a bear on Elk Mtn last time I took it into AVL.

Are you in AVL now?...still heading South on the BRP?

Here's a few of my insights for once you get to the end of it if you're not there yet.

441 through the Great Smokies is nice but can be clogged with traffic, maybe not too bad mid week. I'd stay away from Pigeon Forge and even Gatlinburg unless you like sitting in traffic. But if you go over the mountain and hang a left at the visitor center that's a nice ride (if not in a traffic jam) but if you do that I'd suggest avoiding Cades Cove on a bike for the same reason. You can take a right through Townsend and catch the Foothills Parkway over to 129 to ride the tail of the dragon (I think I read you wanted to do that) Cherohala is great but takes up some time.

A really nice loop once beyond the Dragon is taking either Wayah Rd or 28 to Franklin and come back on the other.

Staying at Pisgah Inn tonight and had that ride planned for tomorrow, I as planning on taking a L at Little River/HWY 73, skipping a bunch of city. Looks like 73 connects to the Foothills Parkway, etc...We are staying in Maggie Valley tomorrow to hit the museum before heading home...

Funny you mention Shull's Mill Rd...missed the exits off of the parkway into Blowing Rock, thinking I knew better than the GPS. Instead of the usual "make a u-turn", it said take the next exit 12 miles down, no problem. It dumped me off at Holliway Mountain Rd, going R on a fire road to 105 to Shull's Mill Rd into town, that was a fun GPS inspired side-trip...

Stupid gps.

The museum is pretty neat...easy to waste half your day there. Hitting the touristy areas mid week is a good plan I think.

Will put together a ride report once I get back to a real computer, dealing with the video/pics on the road is a pain in the @ss.

We finished the BRP today, headed to Deals Gap for lunch, did the Dragon, headed thru to Foothills Parkway/321/73/441 to BRP and Maggie Valley.

Will hit Wheels Through Time tomorrow then its back to Cary (reality)...