Route 181 - Joanas Ridge to Morganton | North Carolina Motorcycle Roads and Rides

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > North Carolina

Route 181 - Joanas Ridge to Morganton

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 5 visitors

State: North Carolina
Date Submitted: May 1, 2006
Submitted by: "XBNR"
Motorcycle Road Length: 25 Miles Miles

Written Directions

Get yourself to Morganton, NC and from there its very easy ... just take route 181 north all the way to Joanas Ridge.

Scenery

Mountains, mountains, and more mountains ... GREAT mountain views from the top.

Road Quality

Just paved in 2005, beware of wet road like ice when wet ... like fly paper when dry!!! Watch for cops after 9am on weekends.

Roadside Amenities

Great store at top gas, food, and clean restrooms.

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .

Nickname (optional) "XBNR"

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Reviewed by Guest on April 15, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Todd
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: This is a great road to ride. I believe it is nicknamed the " winding staircase," & it fits the name.
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Reviewed by Guest on August 8, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Pete Minter
motorcycle_year: 1987
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: I live in Morganton, NC and I often take this ride just to get away for a bit when I don't have time to go on a day trip. It is a beautiful 11 mile (each-way) ride which takes you through Pisgah National Forest . Once you get to Jonas Ridge, there are many other places to ride to such as Grandfather Mountain, Linville Gorge, Linville Falls, Beech Mountain etc. The road is two lane but has a third passing lane every so often for cars that are impatient. The road is very winding which I personally like. I would compare it with the Tail of the Dragon except the turns are not as tight. Actually, this would be a awesome competition run for sport bikes if someone had the knowledge and capital to market and promote it. More amenities along the route would have given it a higher rating.
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Reviewed by Guest on September 12, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: wayne drumm
Comment: Nice ride. Coming from Morganton some construction in town couple of miles and everything opens up some 55 mph sweepers and 20 mph tight curves, alot of fun. sept 2009
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Reviewed by Guest on June 28, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Ted Finnell
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Suzuki
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Took 181S from the Blue Ridge Parkway heading home to Charlotte area after a full day of riding. Except for a couple of sections of the parkway, this was the highlight of my trip. Very smooth road with lots of curves and several passing zones. Elevation drop must be 2500 feet in 25 miles. This will be my new entry point to the pkwy now!
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Reviewed by Guest on February 4, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Steve Palmer
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Triumph
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: Jonas Ridge Outfiters at the top is under new Management, geared towards all motorcycle riders. They have a great little resturant and the food was excelent for $4.75. Road was great and the temps for February were mild. This route (181) is my favorite.
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