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Ocoee & Tellico Mountains to Deals Gap:

From Chattanooga take I-75 north to the 64 by pass before Cleveland, TN. Follow the by pass to 64 and head east towards Ocoee. Stay on hwy. 64 you will cross hwy. 411 and ride into the Cherokee National Forest. Ocoee Dam #1 by Sugarloaf Mt. will be your first scenic stop. Continue on up the road by the Ocoee River past the marina. A nice side road is a couple of miles from there to the left FR #77. Goes up the top of Chilhowee Mt. to some fantastic views, also a campground at the end of the road. Continuing on up hwy. 64 you will follow the rocky mountain stream passing a couple of dams. Notice to the right running down the mountain will be a large water trough used to generate power. Lots of kayak’s on the water in the summer. The last dam Ocoee #3 is where they all put in and turn the water loose. There are several places to stop along the way, and some camping at the end. Past there a few miles is the new tourist area built for the Olympics. It’s worth stopping there and looking around. On up hwy 64 a few more miles to the right is a little pull off, with a good view of the mountains.

Take hwy.64 to hwy.68 north at Ducktown, Tn. Go through Dogtown and Turtletown staying on hwy 68 through some mountain farmland. Stay on 68 all the way to Tellico Plains. Be sure and gas up there and get supplies. Take hwy.165 up into the mountains. A few miles from Tellico Plains the road forks to the right. The sign reads Bald River Falls, Tellico Fish Hatchery, and Tellico Ranger Station. Turn there to go into some beautiful mountain country. If you stay on hwy.165 you will get on the Cherohala Highway. But first   take the River Road. This road is a little bumpy but not bad, follows the Tellico River up into the mountains. Lots of Trout fishing and camping. A twisting ride through mountain laurel and deep gorges, with a rushing mountain river twisting all about. About seven miles up the road you will run into Bald River Falls, a rocky waterfall you can play on. Up the road a half a mile on the left is Baby Falls. Pull over up the road at the pull off and go swimming there, get on top of the falls and go over. Don’t mind the sign that tells about the people drowning there, they are just trying to scare you. I have been going off since I was eight years old. On up the road about five miles is the store, gas, snacks, and beer but not on Sunday. A small motel there too. The Trout hatchery is there also, a neat place to look around. They used to have the Russian Wild Boar caged up there. There is lots of camping around the area. At the end of the road in North Carolina the road turns to dirt and there is free camping in there.

Now back to Hwy. 165 outside of Tellico Plains. Take highway 165, The Cheroalaha By Way, to Indian Boundary. There is some good camping in Indian Boundary, also good trout fishing down the dirt road to Citaco Creek. The Cheroalaha highway winds up Turkey Creek Mountain and across Sassafras Ridge with some fantastic views of the Tellico Mountains. You cross into North Carolina at Cherry Log Gap and ride through the Nantahala National Forest. A beautiful ride for motorcycles, great views of the Snowbird Mountains and the Santeetlah Wilderness Area all the way, nice high mountain roads with lots of curves. At the end turn left and ride down into the Joyce Kilmer Memorial area. Some of the largest hardwoods in the south are in there. Keep going straight through there and you will go up a mountain to a dead end. There is a trail there that goes out to a deck with a good overlook of the mountains. Come back out to Robbinsville, N.C. From there you can turn south on hwy.129 to highway 19 & 74 and head east towards Cherokee, N.C. or turn north on hwy.129 and ride through Santeetlah, Tapoco and to Deals Gap (See links).

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Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg:

About any road you take in the Smokey’s or surrounding foothills is a great ride, here are some of my favorites. From Deals gap head east on hwy. 129 to Chilhowee Lake and take the Foothills Parkway over Chilhowee Mountain to hwy.321. A nice bike shop, River Cycles, is a few miles to the east on 321. He has lots of parts and some nice old bikes there. Head west on 321 towards Townsend, Tennessee, a peaceful little town by the Little River. Enter the Smoky Mountain National Park and turn right at Laurel Creek Road. There is a nice swimming hole there, usually full of tourists. Ride up towards Cades Cove. A little side road to the left goes up to Tremont, a secluded little area. Go into Cades Cove and take your time riding the eleven-mile loop. Lots of old cabins and churches in there. Walk around and check them out. Should see lots of deer and a bear or two. Watch for the fast moving wild hogs. Part way around the loop is Rich Mountain Road, a dirt road that will take you back to Townsend. On around the loop about half way is the old Cades Cove community. Lots of old stuff to see walking around. The trail to Abrams Falls is a nice quiet walk also. From there Parsons Branch Road, a dirt road but not bad, will take you out of the park and put you back on highway 129 near the Dragon Tail (Deals Gap). Go on around the cove and back to the intersection at the swimming hole. Go straight on Little River Road up into the mountains. The road follows the river all through the mountains, with lots of pullovers and picnic areas. Part way up is a good swimming area called the Sinks, be careful of the water there if moving fast. Elkmont is up the road a bit with some camping in there. Ride on out the road and it comes to the Sugarlands Visitors Center, check it out. From there you can go into Gatlinburg. A good loop road there is Cherokee Orchard Road. On down hwy.441 to Pigeon Forge and take hwy. 321, a short cut back to Townsend. Highway 321 from Gatlinburg to Cosby has lots of camping and motels on it but not as scenic as some of the other roads.

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Newfoundland Gap, Cherokee and Maggie Valley:

From Gatlinburg take highway 441 towards Cherokee. A scenic road that winds up through the Sugarland Mountains. Goes through some switch back curves and tunnels and through some dark wooded forests as it climbs the mountain. Some good hiking trails along the way, Mt. Le Conte and Alum Cave Trail. At the top at Newfoundland Gap is a pullover with some way off views. Can be cool there even in the summer. Going down the mountain turn in at Clingmans Dome and walk up to the tower for some fantastic views of the mountains. Come on off the mountain on hwy 441 into Cherokee. A great little town on the Indian reservation. Lots of stuff to do and see there. They put on a good rally there in the spring and fall. Plenty of camping and motels also have electronic gambling there now.

Take hwy.19 east out of Cherokee and ride up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and cross it and ride down into Maggie Valley. A nice little party town with lots to do. Try some of the country roads around the area. Take the back road over to Cove Creek and get on the mountain road that goes up in the White Oak Mountains. It winds all through the mountains to Mount Sterling and into Tennessee at hwy.32 then to hwy 321 near Cosby, Tennessee. The Foothills Parkway over Green Mountain will take you to Interstate 40.

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The Blue Ridge Parkway, Tennessee to Virginia:

Get on the Blue Ridge Parkway just before you enter Cherokee, N.C. About ten miles or so up it is a great parkway extension to the left, take the big loop that goes past the Masonic Monument. Then goes by Chiltoes and Spruce Mountains. Winds all through the countryside and mountains around to Big Cove. The road forks after the cove, the right fork goes to Mingo Falls and back to the parkway, the left fork winds back up the ridge to the parkway. Continue on down the parkway and cross hwy.19 at Soco Gap. You then climb the Plott Balsams, at the top to the left is a road to Waterock Knob Lookoff. Check it out you can see forever on a clear day. Walk to the top of the hill and see the view. A nice ride off the mountain to Balsam Gap after that. Cross hwy.23 & 74 and back up the mountain to Old Bald Ridge.

From there you will ride through the Pisgah National Forest. To the left towards Cruso, are a couple of good motorcycle only campgrounds. Harley Creek is one and the other one I think is The Blue Ridge Parkway Motorcycle Campground; they serve a good supper and breakfast there. Both are nice places to camp. Onward on the parkway is Ashville, N.C., a pretty good party town. Past Ashville you start climbing the mountains again. The last Buffalo east of the Mississippi River was shot in one of the valleys below. You ride past some water sheds and a visitor’s center with some good information. After there turn left and go up to Mount Mitchell 6,684 ft. The highest mountain East of the Mississippi. Great view from up there, they record snow every month of the year there. Going north up the parkway you next come into Little Switzerland, a neat little place you have to check out. Tourist shops and some good places to eat.

There are several little stops after you ride on north. Grandfather Mountain and Blowing Rock are both scenic places to stop. There are lots of scenic side roads and quaint little towns scattered about from Little Switzerland to Boone. Spend some time in this area and see it all. There is an unusual bridge on the parkway around Blowing Rock worth looking at. From there you leave the big mountains and start getting into the foothill country and valleys into Virginia.

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The North Georgia Mountains:

   From Chattanooga go through the Ocoee River and take highway 60 south at Copper Hill, Tennessee and enter Georgia. Go through Mineral Bluff and Morgantown and some pretty rural country. You are in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Past Margaret turn and you can go to the Chattahoochee Fish Hatchery and a recreation area there. Up the road a little more is Suches, they have a motorcycle campground there. Turn left there on hwy 180, you go by Vogel State Park. Get on hwy 348 and go to the top of the mountain and look at some of the views. Come off the mountain and go to Helen, Georgia. It is a neat German type town with lots to do there. Great German food at the restaurant right in town. I think it's the Eidel House or something like that Go out highway 75 through Andrews Cove and turn left on hwy 66. Ride up to Brasstown Bald, highest mountain in Georgia at 4,784 ft. Have a visitors center there and can see four states from there. From there take hwy 180 across the mountain to hwy 129. Another way out of Helen is to take hwy 356 to hwy 197 and go Seed Lake and Lake Rabun and follow it to old hwy 441. Turn left to Clayton and through Mountain City and Dillard. Right past Dillard take hwy 246 to 106 to Highlands North Carolina, another neat little town kind of like Helen Georgia. Take hwy 28 to Franklin then hwy 64 east for a nice ride into Murphy, North Carolina. From there back through the Ocoee and to Chattanooga. There are several other roads and small towns in this area worth riding through. Lots of camping around also. Highway 2 out of Blue Ridge, Georgia is a dirt road but not bad, nice swimming hole and wilderness camping in there.Get a Northeast Georgia Mountains regional map and guide and have fun.

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Jack Daniels Tour:

    From Chattanooga take I-24 to South Pittsburg. Go downtown and turn right on hwy 156, goes up the mountain through the Franklin-Marion State Forest. At the end turn left on alt 41 and hwy 64 and go through Sewanee. Just before you drop off the mountain there is a big rock at a pulloff, you can see all through the valley from up on top. At the bottom of the mountain you go through Cowan, Tennessee and on into Winchester, TN. Get on hwy 50 heading east. Ride through some scenic rural walking horse country. On up the road you can stop at Tims Ford Dam, a nice place to take a break. Continue on out hwy 50 and turn right on hwy 55 to Lynchburg. Go through the town square and look in the old hardware and drug store. Go out to the distillery and take the free one hour tour. They show you the barrel houses and all through the distillery. Show how they make Tennessee Sour Mash, and a lot of history about Jack and his cousin Lem Motlow. It's definitely worth the time. No liquor though it's a dry county, you get lemonade. In the fall they put on a great BBQ and a coon hunt. Right down the road five miles is George Dickel Distillery. They don't have big tours or crowds but I have pulled in there and they have fed me and gave me personal extended tours. If your coming in from the west on I-24 get off at highway 64 at Beechgrove and head south to Wartrace, TN. There is a nice old train station there worth looking at. On down hwy 64 you come into Shelbyville. Get on hwy 82 and head south through Flat Creek and to hwy 55. Turn south to Lynchburg. Leaving Lynchburg take hwy 50 south to into Fayetteville, TN. Take hwy 231&431 to Huntsville, Alabama. Get on hwy 72 and head east through Scottsboro and on into South Pittsburg and Chattanooga. 

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Fall Creek Falls:

   Leave Chattanooga on I-24 and get on highway 41 at Tiftonia go past the highway patrol office. A nice side trip from there is to the right up Raccoon Mountain. Goes by the Tennessee River and past the pumping station. Go to the top of the mountain and the road makes a big loop around the man made lake. They hollowed out the mountain and then pump water in the lake and let it out to generate power. A one of a kind project. You can go down in the mountain in a fast elevator and see the cave they dug out it's huge. Some great views of the mountains and Chattanooga from up there. Back to hwy 41 and head east. Go through Hale Town and cross the Nickajack Lake on the old bridge. At the next intersection is a small store with gas. turn right there on hwy 27 ( Griffith hwy) and go through the back roads. Another side trip would be at Mullins Cove Road to the right. It follows the Tennessee River through Prentice Cooper State forest. Used to be some moonshinning through there. A good private type road that comes out at the bottom of Suck Creek Mountain on hwy 27. Come over Suck Creek Mountain and you will be at Powells Crossroads. Now back to Griffith Highway,don't take Mullins Cove Road and you will go straight through some farm country and be at Powells Crossroads. At Powells Crossroads get on 283 north ( East Valley Road). It follows the valley looking up at Walden's Ridge. Lower East Valley Road takes you into Pikeville, TN. Take highway west of Pikeville and go up the mountain and ride out till you hit hwy 284 (Park Road). That takes you to Fall Creek Falls State Park.There is A big falls there, one of the highest east of the Mississippi. Good trails in the area if you have time to hike. The road loops around by some deep gorges and bluff's. They have a good buffet at the end in the lodge there. Down through the campground is a good swimming hole in the creek you can have fun at in warm weather. Coming back out take hwy 284 south out to hwy 111 and turn left towards Dunlap, road turns into hwy 8. Turn south on hwy 127 and go through Dunlap and ride up the back of Signal Mountain. Some views and a big cave going up through there. Ride across Signal Mountain and turn left past the fire hall in Walden and go down the "W" road. Watch those first curves.

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