KY 499 to 52 - Richmond to Beattyville - By Guest

If you want to take this ride "up a notch" then take Rt. 213 at Pitts, Ky. It is know as "Furnace rd." or "Furnace Junction Rd." While it may not be the "Tail of the Dragon" it is the next best thing to it. Stay on 213 until you get to Furnace, Ky. It is easy to get caught up and blow right past the turn for the continuation of 213. You'll see the remnants of an old Iron "Furnace" on the right and there should be a 213 sign to the left. (If you do miss it, so what, you'll end up in Red River Gorge which is always good) After turning left at Furnace (staying on 213) where you'll continue on and eventually, you'll want to look off to your left (when you're not too busy) and you'll begin to see glimpse of the Red River valley. The views can be enjoyed best in the fall when some of the foliage has thinned out. The scenery is great in the fall when the leaves are turning. Much of the route undulates back and forth along the top of a ridge going from saddle to saddle. What I like about this road is not just the twisties. The road turns and weaves up hill, down hill and about every combination you can want. You don't have to ride it like a squid to enjoy it. Stay on this until Stanton, Ky where there is gas etc.... You might end up wanting to turn around and run it up the hill again or take a right on KY 15/11 and head over to the Nada loop in the Red River Gorge. I ride this route as many times a year as possible even though it is a 3 hour ride for me to just get there. There is usually not much traffic and the surface is generally good. It is a country road, so keep your eyes open. I've done it on full touring bikes (GoldWing & Cavalcade), BMW R100R, BMW K75, Honda Thumper, CB550F, VF750 Interceptor and most recently my Aprilia Caponord. It passes the test as it has been fun on anything I've ridden