Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Motorcycle Rides in Western North Carolina

Western North Carolina is a motorcyclist's dream. More often than not, Western North Carolina will be found in the rankings of Top 10 Places to Ride a Motorcycle in the USA in blogs, articles, and polls of favorite places to ride.

This area of our state is a motorcycle mecca known for a nice range of easy to challenging curves, incredible mountainous and pastoral scenery, as well as an abundance of motorcycle ride routes and loops from which to choose. You can find a list of favorite North Carolina ride routes here with links to detailed ride maps to help you plan your motorcycle adventure.

A popular ride route is the 469-mile-long Blue Ridge Parkway which meanders through the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers stunning views of the Appalachian landscape without the distraction of stoplights, billboards, and commercial vehicles. Riders can access the Parkway in several places from the city of Asheville.

The Cold Mountain Loop (yes, the Cold Mountain of movie fame) and the Lake James Loop are two Blue Ridge favorites. If you're considering a motorcycle trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you might find this how-to guide helpful as it provides additional helpful hints for motorcyclists.

One of the premier destination rides in the east that rivals the Blue Ridge Parkway is The Dragon at Deal's Gap which boasts 318 curves in 11 miles. The Dragon and Cherohala Skyway are often combined to give riders a challenging and scenic loop ride.

The route known as the Tail of the Dragon has a fascinating history. It begins on the North Carolina side on US 129 at Fugitive Bridge with a view of the Cheoah Dam. (This is where Harrison Ford jumped in the movie The Fugitive, just FYI.) It ends 14 miles across the mountain at the Tabcat Creek Bridge in Tennessee. 

Riders may want to add The Crossroads of Time to their itinerary; it's a popular hangout for cyclists on this route.

With all of these places to ride, now you just need a place to stay! Asheville Connections has a variety of vacation rentals in ideal locations for bikers. 

Properties such as Harvest Moon Estate are tucked away from the crowds yet only 35 minutes from downtown Asheville. Just hop on your Harley-Davidson and you'll only be minutes from fabulous rides up Doggett Mountain to the quaint towns of Trust and Luck. Here you'll also be conveniently located to Hwy 63 and routes leading to the Tail of the Dragon and continuing on to Tennessee.

After a long day's ride, relax on a rocking chair on the front porch and take in the views, enjoy billiards in the game room, or soak in the jacuzzi tub. Check out Harvest Moon Estate's map location for destination details.

Motorcycling is one of the many reasons to visit Western North Carolina. Have you ever been on a motorcycle ride through this area? Tell us where you went, what you did, and what you saw. If not, we hope to see you on the open road soon!

Get your motor running, head out on the highway; looking for adventure, and whatever comes our way...

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