North Carolina Motorcycle Roads and Trips
North Carolina's (NC) is endowed with some of the greatest motorcycle rides in all of America. It hosts a beautiful diversity of inspiring scenery. Starting in the west, motorcycle riders will find outstanding Blue Ridge Mountains riding. Moving east will bring riders into a large swath of territory running down east central and central North Carolina known as the Piedmont Plateau. Green rolling hills with numerous rock outcroppings typify this region. Moving further east to the Atlantic Coastal Plain area will bring motorcycle riders to an area characterized as wet, with many rivers, marshes, swampland and primarily used for agriculture. Motorcycle road highlights in North Carolina include the ever famous Deal's Gap (AKA Tail of the Dragon), The Blue Ridge Parkway, and southern access to The Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Note: the motorcycle rides below have been divided into two general regions:
- Eastern North Carolina (anything east of Greensboro)
- Western North Carolina (anything west of Greensboro)
Eastern North Carolina Motorcycle Rides
Western North Carolina Motorcycle Rides
… nothing is better than riding through the woods, along waterfalls ... road will take you to four water falls … drive you vehicle under Bridal Veil … most people like the Dragons Tail or Deal's Gap, I like this road better - less traffic and safer
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having the combination of the Hellbender 28 and the proximity to the Dragon makes this a must-ride east of the Mississippi … few drives in America that can equal the views as you travel this beautiful byway along Fontana Lake in North Carolina
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… mountains, mountains, and more mountains ... just paved in 2005 … great store at top gas, food, and clean restrooms
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… follows the southern edge of Lake Lure in Rutherford County, NC … road is curvy and not for beginners - second gear is too fast for some … law enforcement in the area is notorious for writing speeding and left of center citations
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"Deal's Gap is to motorcycle riding what the Tour De France is to bicycle racing, what the Indy 500 is to auto racing, and what the Super Bowl is to football ... this is it!" … noted to be one of the top ten most sought out motorcycling riding adventures in the US! 318 turns in 11 miles of scenic and twisties … people from all walks of life are drawn to the seducing curves of the Dragon
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… go through Nantahala Gorge with a view of the waterfall from the top of the road … you can actually drive behind the fall … ending at Deal's Gap
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… if you dare to take your eyes off the road you will see some of NC's awesome mountain scenery ... steep drops and lots of tight curves … curves are banked just right … ice cream shop at the intersection 80 and 70 … little Switzerland also has food and lodging
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… a short but sweet 19 mile path through the great Smokey Mountains … road parallels the path of the Cullasaja Gorge and slithers around the mountains … town of Franklin calls itself the “Gem Capital of the World” because of the local ruby, garnet and sapphire mines
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