BRP from Roanoke, VA to the Southern end at Cherokee, NC

[Guest]

Thanks Brian, appreciate the input. We'll see how it goes. My "hope" is that on a weekday in early/mid May, the tourists aren't out in full force. I'll play that by ear. I'll Def check out the roads around Franklin, Highlands, Cashiers. I was looking at that SE route down to Suches, Ga. I remember some of those roads. Too bad Two Wheels Only isn't there any more. If I recall, Suches has nothing left but a gas station?

 

[Chuck78]

The western end of River Rd & it's junction with the Cherohala Skyway, Google Maps places a scenic marker pin on, calling it the beginning of the"Tellico River Gorge," by the way...
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Suyp5efBwRDLGcWT9
(& a tip for our scenery / motorcycle interests, always toggle on the terrain layer in Google Maps to see the elevation contours).

At minimum, take that to Bald River Falls, or preferably a ways beyond that to keep sucking up the gorgeous scenery.... Slightly before Bald River Falls, you would've passed another paved road that sharply tees into River Road and goes uphill, Turkey Creek Rd. This is the paved route back up to the Skyway. At some point, make a u-turn in your southeasterly travels on River Road, and pass Bald River Falls again headed west this time, and then take Turkey Creek Road up to return you to the Skyway if you desire.
You could continue until you pass a highly developed "summer home" type "campground" area and a ranger station and a few national forest campgrounds, and hang a left on a road called Sycamore Trail which appears to be gravel, but this takes you up towards the North Carolina side of the Cherohala Skyway. It actually merges with N. River Road which is what I was trying to recall the name of earlier, and then comes back to a service building on the skyway and definitely appears gravel at that point via satellite imagery. N River Rd tees off of a gravel loop which starts and ends on River Road that I camped off of my last time down there. You could take that also if you didn't mind gravel.

At any rate, making your return trip on the Cherohala, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND veering off at the beginning right where the Skyway begins climbing away from the river up to the ridgelines, and taking River Road to Bald River Falls and points beyond, and then u-turning back up past the falls again and taking Turkey Creek Road back up to the Skyway. It is quite a refreshing scenic pleasure....

 

[Jedz123]

I've done it a couple times, my preferred way of travel to the Smokey's. I budget 1.5 days to do it. You can do it in one day but breaking it up into 2 days makes it more enjoyable and you can check out some of the side roads like Mount Mitchell or little Switzerland loop IE.

Best

 

[Guest]

Thanks Chuck. That River Rd, Bald River Falls looks awesome. Sounds like a great place to stop and eat lunch!!

 

[Guest]

Didn't realize Nardy moved down that way? Good for him.