North Carolina's Route 80

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

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 12 visitors

State: North Carolina
Date Submitted: March 1, 2009
Submitted by: State: North Carolina Scott
Motorcycle Road Length: 26 Miles

Written Directions

Start this motorcycle ride in a town called Pleasant Gardens, NC which is about 30 mi east of Asheville off US Highway 70. Head north out of Pleasant Gardens on NC 80 and just stay on NC 80 as it crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway and continue north all the way up to US Highway 19 in the town of Micaville, NC.

Scenery

Climbs 2500' in elevation. Crosses Blue Ridge Parkway east of Mt Mitchell. Beautiful lake on south end and great views of Mt Mitchell at Mt Mitchell golf course.

Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09: "A switchback just before the Blue Ridge Parkway."

Road Quality

Good road condition. More curves and elevation changes than the Dragon's tail with a lot less traffic also. Several switchbacks. Not for the novice rider.

Roadside Amenities

Not much here but a great ride. Get on Blue Ridge up to Mt Mitchell. Stop at golf course for something to drink. Fill up before you go.

Additional Info

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

Nickname (optional) State: North Carolina Scott

Add a Photo Add a Video


Reviewed by Guest on December 2, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Matt
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: Being from the micaville area I've ridden almost every inch of route 80. This is definitely a must ride if you love tight twistys with little to no police activity. It gets a little tight for high speed once you hit Buck Creek, but still a lot of fun. Not the best road for novice riders, especially going down.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on October 20, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Nabubba
motorcycle_year: 1988
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: This is a fantastic ride. Much better then the Tail of the Dragon in my book and more challenging. Just when you get to open the bike up a bit you have to brake and set up for another tight twisty. Hwy 80 is also near some other great roads in the area. Take a trip there you will not be disappointed.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on September 13, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Jimmy
motorcycle_year: 2009
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: Super fun road, better than the dragon when you consider cops to curves ratio. A must do, if you miss this one you have missed one of the best. Down is best, don't have to catch so many gears!
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on August 14, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: J. Whiteside
motorcycle_year: 2005
motorcycle_make: Suzuki
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: This is by far one of the best twisty roads I have ridin on. NC 80, Buck Creek or what ever you want to call it is a great ride with very little traffic and coppers :D. From highway 70 up to the Blueridge Parkway, its about 16 miles of fun! Oh, and did I say dangerous! I ride the road regularly. about 4 years ago I ran of the road and down the mountain side 150 feet. Lucky to still be alive! I was just on NC80 last week. I was leading the pack with some other riders and maybe I was pushing it too hard..... but one of the riders had an accident. It was his 1st time on the road. Had I known, I would have set a slower pace. He was alright though. It did bring back memories of my accident because we had to turn around and go back n find him. If I hadnt been riding with a friend..... My body may still be on the mountain side.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on August 1, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Susie
motorcycle_year: 2009
motorcycle_make: BMW
Comment: Unbelievable road,Rt. 80 on the west side of Blue Ridge needs to be done up and down, I like to call it �The Devil�s Staircase� We met the man that plotted the route and he ask us if it is better than �The Dragon� YES it is. BTW great town and gas on the other side.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on July 4, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Scott Wilson
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: I grew up on Highway 80 and know this road like the back of my hand. My parents still live about a mile from the Parkway in the Busick community. I still love riding 80 from the parkway down to Pleasant Gardens (we call it Buck Creek Rd). I would love to see more people riding 80, pass the word.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on September 2, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: GW21
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: We found this awsum road by accident...I had ridin' the Dragon twice the day before...80 is better ...with no traffic or law...
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on August 4, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Greg
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Triumph
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: i use 80 as part of a longer ride and i believe for the thrill vs. cops ratio it offers a better value than the dragon. It could actually be another dragon if more people knew about it. A great ride from 226 to 70 to 80 to BRP to 226A to 226 to 223 to BRP to Blowing Rock...back on 221 to 18. A great ride. Try it. but it does take about 4 hrs.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on July 21, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Joe Butch White
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: Found this one by accident when Blueridge was closed at Mt. Mitchell. Took the rider backrest off on the second run to get down lower on the bike, drug the boards a couple times. I like it much better that the dragon. Old guys like me don't care for head-ons from 70 mph from other bikes.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on June 20, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Bob
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Kawasaki
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Pretty good road but it does not have more curves than the Dragon's Tail. It has several good switchbacks, and some elevation change. Worth a ride if you are in the area.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on June 17, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Carson King
Comment: This is a great ride. I usually go up 80 to the BRP, go north/east to Little Switzerland, eat, then come back on 226. Both roads are great riding. Got caught in a monster rainstorm coming down from Little Switzerland once. Made for a very interesting ride that day. Sure was exciting though.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on June 1, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Dan
Comment: also check out the ride between hwy 80 and Little Switzerland on Hwy 226.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No