RIDING THE CHEROHALA SKYWAY AND THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Today’s feature will take you on a virtual ride on two of the most spectacular roads in The United States.  We’ll pick up where we left off on the last post at The Tail of the Dragon.  Hopefully you stopped for lunch at The Tapoco Lodge and Resort as suggested.. If not, don’t worry.  I’ve got another great eatery to recommend on today’s ride.  We’re heading to The Cherohala Skyway, a 43 mile long stretch of beauty that runs between Tellico Plains, Tennessee and Robbinsville, North Carolina. It took $100 million dollars of our hard-earned tax dollars (and three decades) to complete. It is worth every penny.  This is my idea of a righteous infrastructure project!

My first visit to The Cherohala Skyway in 2019 was memorable but not very enjoyable. 20 miles in, and 5,000 feet up in the mountains, I rode into an intense mountain storm…literally riding IN the rain clouds.  No scenic views.  No fun at all.  Definitely one of the worst storms I’ve encountered in nearly 4 decades of riding.  So intense was this storm that I had to shut the bike down and seek some totally inadequate semblance of shelter under one of those little covered visitor information stations you find at trailheads in national parks.

Today is the complete opposite.  Perfect temperatures, clear blue skies with big fluffy white clouds and very little tourist traffic to contend with in April.  I’m riding today with a group of about a dozen riders; friends of mine from the Long Island BMW Riders Club.  We rendezvoused at The Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge in Stecoah, NC for a couple of days riding in The Great Smoky Mountains.  Google describes this venue as “a rustic motorcycle-focused lodge” then goes on to use the word “rustic” again, along with adjectives like “homey” and “casual”. To be honest they could be a lot more complimentary.  This place is great!  My creekside log cabin was lovely…warm and inviting. There is covered motorcycle parking for every cabin, bunkhouse and RV spot on the property. The main lodge houses the kitchen and dining areas as well as the front office and a small shop for souvenirs, snacks and necessities.  A huge bonfire pit is out back with plenty of seating on the creekside deck.  The folks that run the place are friendly and accommodating…and the WiFi service here, deep in The Smoky Mountains, was stellar. Highly recommended. 

After leaving The Tail of the Dragon we headed west around the Little Tennessee River then south along the Western boundary  of The Cherokee National Forest.  Our next stop would be The Iron Works Grille in Tellico Plains, Tennessee; the western terminus of The Cherohala Skyway.  Another highly recommended place. Great location, great food and diverse offerings that will please even those who choose to eat the kinds of healthy foods that are not normally found on rural pub menus.  It was a beautiful day and we had the added pleasure of dining on the creekside outdoor patio.

After lunch we headed east on The Cherohala Skyway but made a very quick detour onto River Road.  Do this!  It takes you a few miles down a narrow, paved road to Bald River Falls; a beautiful waterfall located right on the side of the road.  Heck, you don’t have to even get off your bike, or out of your car, to grab a picture.  I did have to “hike” about 50 yards from the parking area to get this photograph however.

Back on The Cherohala we continued east.  Our club has an unwritten rule for group outings.  Ride your own ride.  A few of the more aggressive riders take off on a “spirited” run and are soon out of sight.  A second group of riders takes a more leisurely pace, taking in all of the magnificent scenery as they carve up this wonderful road.  Then there’s that one guy (Me) who stops at nearly every scenic overlook to capture the majesty of this place with his camera. The mountains appear to go on for hundreds of miles.  Because they do.  The overwhelming beauty of this place defies description.  The camera has a hard time doing it justice as well.  This is truly one of the great motorcycle roads in The United States with its long sweeping curves and near-perfect pavement.  On this Monday in late April it had the added charm of being nearly deserted.  We had paradise to ourselves.

The next morning I say my goodbyes to my friends and point the bike towards Cherokee, North Carolina, the southernmost point of The Blue Ridge Parkway.  The beauty of The Blue Ridge Parkway lies in the fact that it was never designed to be a means of efficient travel between any two points.  At 469 miles in length it is America’s longest linear park. Its very design dictated that large population centers were to be avoided. If your goal is to go north or south from point A to point B as quickly as possible this is not the road to take.  In fact you would be going far out of your way if you chose this road to do so. There are no interchanges with any interstate highway and it is off limits to commercial vehicles.

One hundred sixty eight bridges, six viaducts and 26 tunnels are encountered along its length. In terms of overall distance, scenic beauty and the motorcycle riding experience it is one of the finest two wheel byways anywhere…certainly the finest in the eastern United States.

I first rode on The Blue Ridge Parkway some 20+ years ago.  That visit, on my first Harley-Davidson Electra Glide®, only encompassed the northern-most 100 miles, from the cities of Waynesboro to Roanoke in the state of Virginia. I fondly recall every single mile to this day.  I think of that ride often.  For some inexplicable reason I didn’t return to this two-wheeler’s paradise until 2019.    My ride today took me from it’s southern terminus in North Carolina north to Roanoke, Virginia. Perfect weather. Pure motorcycling heaven.  As of today I’m able say I’ve ridden every single inch of it’s 469 mile length.

Now you all can add The Cherohala Skyway and The Blue Ridge Parkway to your bucket lists of must-visit travel destinations.  We’ve already shared some of the other Great Smoky Mountain region rides including The Tail of the Dragon and The Foothills Parkway; and we haven’t even scratched the surface.  There are so many more great roads to ride in this area of the country: “The Rattler”, “Moonshiner 28”, “The Snake”.  The list is endless.  God, I envy the riders that live in this area of the country and can ride these incredible roads and enjoy these majestic views all the time.

Have you visited The Great Smoky Mountains?  Any recommendations you would care to make to other travelers?  What are your favorite motorcycling roads?  Leave a comment below and be sure to subscribe to Roadcraft USA for updates when new features hit the blog.