DUAL SPORT

FASTEST

1,001TWISTIES

GPS COORDINATES FOR THESE RIDES CAN BE FOUND IN THE BMW MOA FORUM IN THIS THREAD

There's a saying that no one in Tennessee has two legs the same length because there's not a flat spot in the state. Because of this, riders around these parts wear out the sides of their tires faster than the middle. Life is good.

            It truly is hard to find a straight road in Tennessee, especially the eastern half, home to our 2009 International Rally. The good news is that this fine situation extends to the surrounding states of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, the Carolinas and Georgia. If you can swing it, a two-week stay down here will leave you with a very big smile on your face.

            There is the Dragon, of course, known around here on the weekends as "Squid Central." However, on weekdays, the situation is superb, especially early in the day. So as you plan your ride to or from the rally, a visit to the Tail of the Dragon is highly recommended. Also, if you want to make it a day ride while you're at the rally, these routes can be connected together in loops. They're long loops, so get started early.  

(CLICK the maps to enlarge and print for your tankbags!)

The fastest ways to/from the Dragon

Take I-81/I-40 south to Knoxville. At this time, I-40 is closed through Knoxville, so getting to 129 is dicey and it's the least scenic route. A better way is to leave I-40 at exit 407/TN66 and go through Sevierville, intersect with 441 and take US321 South/West (Wears Valley Road) just north of Pigeon Forge. As you ride along the northern border of Great Smokey Mountains National Park, you may want to dip in to visit Cades Cove, a beautiful piece of history and a better way to enter the park than through the kitschy traffic hell that is Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. US321 takes you through Townsend, but before you get there, look for the Foothills Parkway exit on the left. This crosses US321 and continues to US129. Turn left and you'll reach the Crossroads of Time after 318 curves in 11 miles. Remember, no bashed-up Beemer parts for the "Tree of Shame" are needed.

            The fastest/nicest return route starts at the south end of the Dragon at the Crossroads of Time. Take NC 28 east, US74 east to I-40, east to I-26/I-240 around Asheville, and north on I-26 to return to the rally. Be prepared for a very nice section of Interstate. At Sam's Pass, do stop and take in the view.

            If I wanted to make it a day ride from the Rally, I'd take this second route in both directions. Total distance of the two routes combined is 315 miles, not counting how many times you ride back and forth on the Dragon.

1,001 twisties to/from the Dragon

This one is for those who may be unaware that the Dragon isn't even the best road in the place. You may want to go to bmwmoa.org/rally and download the GPS route for this ride, as there are a few local road turns, some without road signs. Also, it's probably easier to avoid getting lost if you ride this from the Dragon to the Rally, so simply reverse these directions. Last, get going early; this is a 205-mile long ride one-way, with nearly all being tight twisties.

            I-26 south from the rally to exit 12, US19W/TN352. Follow 352 west into NC and continue on NC212. Left/south on NC208, and right/north on US25 to Hot Springs. The Smokey Mountain Diner offers classic country dining, especially heart-attack-on-a-plate breakfasts. Follow NC209 south out of town and enjoy much more of the good stuff. Just south of Spring Creek, in Trust, a quick side trip is to run up and back NC63 over the mountain. It features more of what you came here for. This is an amazing road.

            Continuing on 209 takes you across I-40 to US23/74 South/West through Waynesville. Take exit 85 and go south through Sylva on NC107.

            Here is the tricky part. Speedwell Road (N35 17.535 W83 10.714) is a local road that goes west/right from 107 south of Western Carolina University. Tilley Creek Road bears right (N35 16.942 W83 11.320) and so does NC1326/Pressley Creek Road (N35 15.330 W83 13.434).

            Welcome to NC1001, a challenging little piece of heaven that, in my opinion, is quite a bit more technical than the Dragon with some severely sinewy bits on both sides of the mountaintop. Good riding skills and sharp awareness are required on this road.

            1,001 turns later, the road (now called Ellijay Road (changing road names is common here) ends at US64/NC28. Take that right and follow NC28 through Franklin all the way to the Crossroads of Time. Understatement is a southern tradition, so please simply know that I think you will like this ride.

The dual-sport way to the Dragon

Now, we couldn't leave this option out, now could we? There are so many options; it was hard picking just one. So I didn't.

The National Park way.

This is how I personally discovered the Dragon back in the late 70s, before the road became the legend. I was on my first "long" tour, 500 miles away from home in the Florida flatlands. You will definitely want to visit the rally Web site to look at the map and download the GPS route for this one. This ride is best for going from the Rally to the Dragon if you want to ride a special 1-way dirt road through the park.

            From the rally, follow NC75 southwest across I-26 to US11E and turn right. In Greenville, take the exit for TN107 south to US25 and turn right. Go just a short distance to Del Rio, and look carefully for the left turn to follow TN107. You will cross the French Broad river, and TN107 will fork left. Follow your nose, and the road turns to gravel, goes up the mountain, crossing the Appalachian Trail at Max Patch. This is a nice place to stop, eat lunch and walk around, and there is some good primitive camping just a short hike in.

            Crossing into North Carolina, the road is now named Max Patch Road. Look for Harmon Den Road (N35 46.647 W82 57.161) and turn right. (There is a much more challenging, advanced-riders only alternative to this, but I won't publish it. Contact me via the masthead of this magazine if you think you'd like to try it.) Down the mountain, cross underneath I-40, and Harmon Den continues through the woods, skirting the northern boundary of Smokey Mountain National Park. You'll see several left-turns along the way that lead deep into the park, but are not open all the way through. They're great rides back into some nice quiet nature, though.

            Crossing back into Tennessee, Harmon Den joins Mt. Sterling road/TN32 and eventually ends at US321. Go west. Just before Gatlinburg, look for the Bypass, which helps you avoid the creep and beep of tourist hell. As you enter the park, look for the Cades Cove road on the right.

            This is a great ride along a river with excellent swimming holes, and leads to the Cades Cove Loop Road, which has many nice places to stop and walk around. Just past the visitors center that's midway along the Loop Road, take Forge Creek Road to the right and then look for Parson's Branch Road on the right a short distance further.

            Parson's Branch is a one-way primitive road that exits the park and ends right on the Dragon. Turn left and head to the Crossroads, or right to head to the dam.

The Nantahala Forest way

Here's another route that's easier to follow if you download the GPS route or look at the map on-line. It combines the first part of the National Park ride just described and part of the most twisty way rides described above that. It also would be easier not to get lost if you took this ride from the Dragon to the rally.

            Following the directions above, just past Max Patch, instead of the right-turn onto Harmon Den, continue south on Max Patch Road, which goes down to the valley and turns paved, eventually connecting with NC209. That little gas station there on the corner, the one with the vintage John Deere tractor. It's well worth the stop if you'd like to meet the locals.

            Continuing on 209 takes you across I-40 to US23/74, where you ride southwest through Waynesville. Take Exit 85 and go south through Sylva on NC107. Now follow the directions from the second option in the Twistiest Ways above.

            North of Franklin, NC on NC28, look for Tellico Road/NC-1370 (N35 17.256 W83 28.599) on the left. Bear left on NC-1369 (N35 16.938 W83 29.316) which becomes Otter Creek road. Don't miss the right fork (N35 16.474 W83 31.979) after which the road turns to gravel and the switchbacks start as you go up the mountain and across the Appalachian Trail.

            Down the hill, Otter Creek ends on Wayah Bald road. This is an amazing road in both directions. If you're interested in a little diversion, turn left and ride up to enjoy the excellent view atop Wayah Bald. For the Dragon, turn right, turn left on US74 and turn right US129. Go through Robbinsville to the Dragon. For even more diversions, you may also want to try out the Cherohala Skyway to your left from Robbinsville.

There are so many roads, and so little time. Be sure to spend more than just four days here; the roads are worth some extra time!