North Carolina's Route 80 (AKA Devil's Whip) - By Absentminded_Adjunct

A challenging but rewarding ascent into the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, beginning in the small town of Marion NC. The climbing section is a good mix of sweepers and switchbacks with a few brilliant essess thrown in for good measure. The more challenging bits lie beyond the BRP entrance, but most riders do not follow the road the rest of the way out. Not much for roadside stops after you leave Marion until you get to Burnsville or Spruce Pine if you take the Parkway over. The road is becoming much more popular each year so traffic can be heavy at times. Best times to ride are in the early morning before the crowd starts to build. A couple of camp sites are along the straight sections about 1/3 of the way up, so be alert for campers and RVs.