Alabama Roads and Rides

[dixieoutlaw]

The Alabama BMW Owners have posted their favorite rides on our club web site www.bmwmoal.org . From the home page, click on the Favorite Roads and Rides tab. The Garmin and GPX files are posted for each of the 27 rides. I have ridden most of the rides and can vouch for their excellent quality. Most are county and state roads. You may be suprised how good our riding is in Alabama.

Gary
club travel director

[ADVKmac]

There's a bunch of great roads in NE Alabama (and into Tennessee) that are off of Alabama 65 that aren't shown on any of these maps.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by ADVKmac

There's a bunch of great roads in NE Alabama (and into Tennessee) that are off of Alabama 65 that aren't shown on any of these maps.

Amen on AL 65. Actually, several of the routes on bmwmoal.org branch off AL65 (e.g., the Grant Mt./Crow Mt. rides - 006, 007, 017, 018). All are nice.

Cheers.

[ADVKmac]

From 65, when it runs into 146, if you take it up to 79, then head towards Tennessee. 79 changes to 16 at the TN state line. That area is FULL of the biggest, widest sweepers you will ever see (more fun if you're on a sportbike). 16 drops down into Winchester, then take a couple of back roads to 41 that heads up the mountain to Sewanee. Before getting to Sewanee take a detour down 56 until you get to the bottom, then turn around and backtrack to 41. Finish going into Sewanee on 41, then cross I-24 and take a left on 41 towards Pelham. At Pelham, go right on 50 towards Altamont. At Altamont take 56 to Beersheba Springs. Once you bottom out at Beersheba Springs, back track to Altamont, then Pelham. Then continue on 50 to Winchester. Head west out of Winchester on 50 all the way to Lynchburg. Take the Jack Daniels tour, then get back on 50 and continue to Fayetteville. If that's not the best ride in N Alabama/S Tennessee, I don't know what is.

[dixieoutlaw]

Agree with all replies. I ride several of the roads branching from AL65 including CR 27 just north of Princeton. Take AL65 all the way into Huntland, TN then hop over to Falls Mill (cir 1870) for the treasure of this operating mill.
Anyone familiar with the area can find a lot of great roads in N. Alabama. Another great road is Lauderdale CR8 in the NW corner of the state or take CR45 north out of Waterloo.
My intent of posting our club's favorite rides was to offer references to those who may be visiting AL or not know where to look for good riding.

Gary

[TomW]

Originally Posted by ADVKmac

...then take a couple of back roads to 41 that heads up the mountain to Sewanee. Before getting to Sewanee take a detour down 56 until you get to the bottom, then turn around and backtrack to 41. Finish going into Sewanee on 41....

AL117 north of Stevenson, AL turns into TN56 to Sewanee and has a nice detour into Lost Cove, TN just north of Sherwood. (Take Ford Spring Rd. off TN56.) There's also a GS road on the map that goes between TN56 just north of Sherwood and TN156 that I'd like to try (was two-up on a GSA and was smoking the clutch the one time I tried it). I don't know if it goes through unobstructed, but I saw where it pops out on TN156. Otherwise, go into Sewanee on TN56 and go right (N) on US41 a mile or so to the Franklin Co. Airport, hang a right on TN156 to Orme, then go south on Orme Mt. Rd, off the plateau into Alabama (AL CR98) into the Stevenson/Bridgeport area. If you have time, stop off at Russell Cave Nat'l Monument just south of the AL/TN state line on 98.

Lots of fun over there.

Cheers.

[dixieoutlaw]

TomW,
We need to link up and try that GS route. I live at Elkmont, just north of Athens. PM me sometime and let's check it out. I also sponsor a GS ride around Waterloo in the fall. Lots of creek crossings and one waterfall you can ride in. Haven't set a date for this year but will probably be in October. We primative camp on the TN River.
Gary

[GaM]

Originally Posted by ADVKmac

From 65, when it runs into 146, if you take it up to 79, then head towards Tennessee. 79 changes to 16 at the TN state line. That area is FULL of the biggest, widest sweepers you will ever see .

I used to canoe camp on the Elk River a good bit, coming from Rome, GA, and I think it must be that portion of 79 that comes up to the top in my memory bank every once in a while, the road was in great shape and practically no development along the road. I might just ride the bike up there and canoe camp again, there was a canoe livery along the river where you could rent everything and get a shuttle.

[ADVKmac]

Originally Posted by GaM

I used to canoe camp on the Elk River a good bit, coming from Rome, GA, and I think it must be that portion of 79 that comes up to the top in my memory bank every once in a while, the road was in great shape and practically no development along the road. I might just ride the bike up there and canoe camp again, there was a canoe livery along the river where you could rent everything and get a shuttle.

There's a park up in that area called the Walls of Jericho. The nice part about that hwy is that the trees are a ways off the road and the sides are well groomed. CAreful, though, there's a State Trooper that lives up there and the Game Warden is up there a lot, too. He likes to radio in the Winchester police:

[TomW]

Originally Posted by ADVKmac

There's a park up in that area called the Walls of Jericho. The nice part about that hwy is that the trees are a ways off the road and the sides are well groomed. CAreful, though, there's a State Trooper that lives up there and the Game Warden is up there a lot, too. He likes to radio in the Winchester police:

The Walls of Jericho park is practically unknown and a spectacular example of karst hydrogeology (and pretty to look at too). It's something like a 6 mile hike (3 mi each way), and all uphill on the way out, so set aside plenty of time (and drinking water) for a visit. Best to visit at times when there's water flowing in the creeks. Hiking in is well worth the effort. (Edit: As is hiking out.)

There are two trailheads -- one in Alabama, one in Tennessee and the prettiest part of the Walls actually straddles the state line. The Alabama trailhead is the shorter hike; it's just south of the state line on AL79 north of Scottsboro.

Cheers.

[Brent4ADV]

Paging GSBS to the courtesy phone...

[TomW]

Here are .gdb and .gpx files for the Stevenson-Sewanee-Orme-Stevenson route, with a detour to look at Natural Bridge just outside of Sewanee and another detour to look at the bottom of the old CCC road north of Sherwood.

Cheers.

[gravelhappens]

I just down loaded Mad Maps to my Garmin Zumo 550. There are many excellent rides with quirky names. I just did the Little River Canyon / Look Out Mountain route. The ride was last Thurs so the weather was 77 deg and sunny. All the kids were in school and cages parked at home or work. The loop was 170 blissful miles of great scenery and twisty roads. Does it still count if there was no dirt? Actually, I'd like to take my very road orientated 07 Tiger on some dirt roads but I'm new to the off pavement so I don't want to get in over my head. Any suggestions?

Devon
07 Triumph Tiger
08 Kawasaki Versys (for sale)
Pinson, AL

[EvilPhish]

I'm sure you guys know about the county maps collection over on ALDOT's site. Pretty cool stuff and quite useful if a little out of date.

[Swampy]

Try A LOT Out of Date!