Overall Route Rating
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4.25 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.25
4 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

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By bogey473 (11 McR Points) on Nov 21, 2011

Rider Reviews

Mark B.
262 McR Points
August 5, 2020
This route is a good example of how you can piece…
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Akumu
3916 McR Points
November 24, 2019
As you can see in the videos I've posted, this…
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Written Directions

From Brevard, NC take HWY 64 to Highlands, NC. This is a good opener as it starts easy and finishes with decent twisties. Traffic can be an issue, but we found slower drivers took advantage of the pull off's. Out of Highlands take HWY 64/28 to Walnut Creek Road which will take you to Erastus. From Erastus continue on Pine Creek Road until it intersects HWY 107 and go North toward Tuckasegee. In Tuckasegee turn east on HWY 281. At Tanesee Lake turn onto Tanasee / Wolf Mountain Rd and take this to the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). The BRP will take you nearly to Bryson City. When the BRP ends take HWY 441 / 19 to Bryson City.

Scenery

North of Highlands several waterfalls are along HWY 64/28. Dry Falls has a large parking area and is just a few miles out of town. Near Erastus, Lake Glenville offers a large parking area / ramp which is a good place for a break and a snack. The parking area is gravel. The PRP offers many scenic vistas. Choose which ones suit you.

Drive Enjoyment

Roads vary from 5 stars on BRP & Hwy 64 to 4 stars on the state routes. The state routes don't always mark the suggested corner speed, so it adds a element of surprise. Debris in the road was noted in less than 1/2 dozen places along the route.

Tourism Opportunities

In Highlands there are many restaurant options. Grab a snack at the grocery for the road and you will want to top off your tank as the next legs don't offer much convenience, but a lot of adrenaline. Mountain Fresh Grocery was our choice on this particular day. Great burger. We finished the day in Bryson City where there are several dining options. Our choice was Pasqualino's Italian - wonderful. Both cities are tourist dependent and have a lot of interesting sites, dining and shopping.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

We made this a weekend trip. This was a planned day and the second day was free ride for the group. We had a mix of sport / sport tour / cruisers & even a Vespa. Take frequent stops and let everyone ride their own ride. The Vespa was never more than 5 minutes behind. There are numerous route deviations that you can work in. A GPS is recommended. The whole area is extremely motorcycle friendly.
 

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Mark B.
August 5, 2020
262 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring
This route is a good example of how you can piece together several small roads and end up with a couple days of great riding in North Carolina. It includes the highest section of the Blue Ridge Parkway (Richland-Balsam Overlook), worth stopping for the photo op. There are numerous other combinations that will take you from the same start to finish. Most of them will include some BRP, which I always recommend.
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Akumu
November 24, 2019
3916 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring
As you can see in the videos I've posted, this route (Charleys Creek & Explorer Roads, anyway) know a good time. It's yet another example of 'Fine, don't ride it. I'll have it all to myself.' because as it's so low rated on the site, and I've RARELY seen traffic on it, it's a real hidden gem. There's nothing boring about any of this route, and yearly, I look forward to hitting all of these roads up. Twisties, sweepers, ups and downs, it's got it all. Short of the locals going to and fro you can be fairly sure of having no traffic, either.
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William Aubrey
August 14, 2021
78 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring
(Cross-post from "The Copperhead Loop") Pretty much once you get into this area of North Carolina every single road is excellent for riding. Just let the map load and you'll see someone has recommended all the roads. The route I took on September 19, 2020 included NC 276, 215, 281, 107, Pine Creek Rd and 23. This overlaps with a few different recommended routes: "The Copperhead Loop", "Lake Toxaway Loop" and "Brevard to Bryson City". The specific section that I love on this route is "Pine Creek Rd" mainly for the "Pine Creek Recreation Area". If you've spent your morning riding all these excellent roads, then this is a great place to stop and enjoy a packed lunch. There are public restrooms (not excellent, but adequate).
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