Forget the car, and ride into town on your motorcycle. Don’t own a bike? Gryphon Bikes in nearby Maggie Valley rents Harley-Davidson motorcycles by the day. Gryphon Bikes also offers group customized tours, so get your buddies together and take a ride.
Our friends at Wheels Through Time Museum have helped us put together some favorite rides of motorcycle enthusiasts. Make sure to stop by the museum that features a collection of over 250 rare antique American Motorcycles and Automobiles.
Scenic fall motorcycle drives from the Asheville Visitor Center
Hot Springs Tour
From the Visitor Center parking lot, turn right onto Montford Avenue. Take another right at the light to merge onto I-240 W. Take exit 4A onto Highway 19/23 N. After approximately 8-10 miles you will see a sign for Hot Springs. After the underpass, exit right onto Highway 25/70 going north toward Marshall. Follow the scenic mountain road for about 30 miles to Hot Springs. Hot Springs is the home of Western North Carolina's only natural hot water springs/baths. The town is surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest, so there will be plenty of opportunity to enjoy the area’s outdoor offerings.
Nantahala Gorge - Deals Gap - Tail of the Dragon
Turn right out of the Visitor Center parking lot. Take the first right at the light to merge onto I-240 W. Stay on 1-240 W and merge onto I-40 W toward Canton/ Knoxville. From I-40 W merge onto US 74 W exit 27 toward Clyde/ Waynesville/ Maggie Valley. Merge onto Great Smoky Mountains Expy / US-19 S / US-23 S / US-74 W. Take the US-19 ramp toward Maggie / Cherokee / Junaluska Assembly.
Stay on US 19S through the Cherokee Indian Reservation and Bryson City. While in Bryson City, check out the "road to nowhere," a curvy, scenic road started by the Government, then abandoned at the top of the mountain. Walk through the tunnel that ends at a hiking trail on a beautiful little plateau, and enjoy the peaceful beauty of the area.
Once you're back on Hwy 19S, you will join up with 23S/74W. When the road begins to narrow and the right lane must turn right, turn right onto Hwy 28. (For Nantahala Gorge don’t turn on Hwy 28, go straight. Turn around to return to Hwy 28 for Deals Gap.) Wind past Fontana Dam and turn right onto Hwy 129 and enter Deal's Gap, also known as the Tail of the Dragon, a favorite of most bikers for its 318 curves along its 11 mile length, and ride to Hwy 411.
Head toward Maryville, TN, on Hwy 411, keep going through Gatlinburg, and turn onto Hwy 441 which will take you through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where you will reach elevations in excess of 6000'. When you exit the Park, turn left onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and follow it back towards Asheville.
Cataloochee Valley Tour
Turn right out of the Visitor Center parking lot. Take the first right at the light to merge onto I-240 W. Stay on I-240 W toward Canton/ Knoxville. From I-40 W, take exit 20 and travel 0.2 miles on route 276. Turn right onto Cove Creek Road and follow the signs into the Cataloochee Valley.
The first 1.5 miles of Cove Creek Road are paved; the next 6 miles are hard packed dirt. (Not recommended for motorcycles after heavy rains.) After this drive, you will see a wide, paved road, dead ending to the right, but offering access to the left. Take the left turn for a beautiful scenic drive displaying unimproved homesteads, a school, church, and barn. There is lots of hiking trails and waterfalls (must hike to see them). Take a picnic and relax. To come back, simply reverse your route to the museum.
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