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)
… run across several back country camp grounds, Boy Scout camps, and some very quiet lakes. Lots of farm country, mixed in with long stretches of close in pine forest on either side. There are several places along the way to take a family to relax like White Lake
… Rural farmlands on the trip to the North Carolina coast. Small towns show some real character of Eastern NC ... mostly back roads with lots of twists but easy to follow
… you are on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My son and I rode along with the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the Intercoastal Waterway on the other! Lots of sand dunes, and people along the route flying kites because of the wind
… nice refreshing little scenic jaunt through the countryside ... several 1 lane bridges along the route ... several nice little restaurants as well as a tavern that caters to bikers
… experience rural country houses and farms … occasionally crossing streams or small lakes … a loop with a nice mix of country roads, towns and a two lane highway
… see and smell the lush green pine forests … road occasionally tops a small mountaintop and reveals distant views and nearby ridges … by far one of the best motorcycle roads in the State - whoever designed it must have been a motorcycle rider!
… completely covered by the trees throughout the whole route ... 21 miles of twisty mountain road, with some rock formations reaching almost into the road surface. You are riding in themountains in and around the Blue Ridge area. When the trees open up you get glimpses of a beautiful valley spread out below you in all it's glory
… The hills let you see miles ahead of beautiful mountains roads. Pilot Mountain is along the way and really deserves to be stopped at every chance you get. It's over 3,500 feet to the top, and the pictures you can get up that high are not to be missed
… scenery along this route is some of the prettiest I have ever seen ... road carved out of the mountain ... so close to the edge of the road if you have a passenger they could probably reach out and touch the rock ... water at the bottom of the valley you are traveling through for most of the trip
… see a beautiful lake on south end and great views of Mt Mitchell ... more curves and elevation changes than the Dragon’s tail with a lot less traffic also!
… 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
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
… 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
"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
… 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
… 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
Scenery:
Road Quality:
Amenities:
Key
Read this to understand our rating system.
All our motorcycle roads and trips are rated on three key categories:
Scenery
Road Quality
Roadside Amenities
Read the description below for each of the categories to understand what qualities give a road a strong or weak rating in each of the categories.
Category
A 5 star rating indicates ...
A 1 star rating indicates ...
Far above average scenery for that state. (Ex. mountain views, lakes, rivers, hills, or forests.)
Below average scenery for that state. (Ex. an area that simply is lacking in overall natural beauty.)
Outstanding driving conditions. Plenty of twists, turns & hills; well maintained roads with smooth pavement.
Straight roads over flat land or rough road conditions with
some potholes or driving
hazards such as gravel
Plenty of things to do when it's time to pull over. (Ex. museums, restaurants, pull-outs, historical sites, entertainment etc.)
Little to nothing to do when it's time to pull over. (Ex. lack of museums, restaurants, pull-outs, historical sites, entertainment etc.)
