Trail #6:
The Cherohala Skyway Trail
  

Trail Highlights:  Mountain streams, rivers and lakes in the valleys along with quaint mountain towns are the fare when riders are not enjoying crossing the highest mountain ranges in the Eastern US with some of the most spectacular views in the entire country. This is the longest of Smoky’s trails but it is possibly the most rewarding.

Start The Cherohala Skyway Trail at traffic light #10 in Gatlinburg, taking Hwy. 441 South thru the main entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Stay on 441 past the Park Headquarters and the Sugarlands Visitor Center and proceed up the heavily forested, switched back, riverside assent to the high ridge pass at Newfound Gap (elevation 5,048 ft., 15 miles).
Newfound Gap is the primary crossroads at the top of the national park. The Appalachian Trail passes thru the parking lot at the gap and the road to Clingman’s Dome, at 6,643 ft. the highest point in the park and in Tennessee, is just a few hundred feet from the gap parking lot. (Note – the road to Clingman’s Dome is closed during the winter months).
Cross the state line at the gap into North Carolina and follow Hwy 441 down the mountain. 16.3 miles from Newfound Gap riders will pass the origin of the south end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, then the Cherokee, NC city limit at 17 miles, and will come to a stop at Highway 19 at 19 miles. Where Hwy 441 stops at the traffic light turn right onto Hwy 19 West toward Bryson City.
Staying on Hwy. 19, which runs along the Oconaluftee River, ride on 9.7 miles to Bryson City. About a mile and a half before downtown riders cross the river.  A short distance after the bridge, on the left side of the road and at 1000 Main Street, riders will find the Smoky Mountain Restaurant .  Owners Kelli and Eric Smith welcome bikers with open arms, and their home-cooked meals are sure to please. Stop by and say hello, and tell them Smoky sent ya!
Leaving the Smoky Mountain Restaurant, and riding on in the same direction, downtown Bryson City is just about a mile down the road. Once on the square, riders can turn right at the courthouse onto Everett Street and explore Bryson City’s  downtown. Just across the river and on the left, at 141 Everett St. is Soda Pops, an authentic 1940s soda fountain. Owner Paul Crawley invites all bikers and sports car enthusiasts to stop by and take a look at his impressive collection of Coca Cola memorabilia, and his soda fountain selections. Smoky highly recommends a tall coke float on a hot summer day!
From Soda Pops, continue down Everett St. to any of the next three streets for a left hand turn. Then, at the next block turn left onto Slope Street. Crossing back over the river riders will come to an intersection with a traffic light. At this point Smoky recommends continuing straight ahead and going six tenths of a mile to Hwy. 74 South. One can also take a right at the light and follow Hwy. 19 if they prefer. Either route will lead to the merging of Hwy. 19 into 74 south of Bryson City.
However one chooses to get there, once on Hwys. 19/74, about 18.5 miles from the last traffic light in Bryson City, Hwy. 28 North will split off from the main highway. Stay on Hwys. 19/74 at the split, following the signs toward the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and ride on 14 more miles. This will take riders along the Nantahala River, past the Nantahala Outdoor Center and up the Nantahala Gorge.
At the top of Nantahala Gorge take a right onto Hwy. 129 North and follow it 11 miles into Robbinsville, NC.
Once in Robbinsville, riders can go to the end of Main Street, take a right at the end of the street, a left at the stop sign, then a right onto Snowbird Road. Snowbird Road merges with Hwy. 143 West and Santeetlah Road. Continue on 143 West then take a left at the Cherohala Skyway sign.
Or, alternatively, riders can stay on 129 North 1.6 miles to Massey Branch Road. Turn left onto Massey Branch Road (Hwy. 143 West) which will run into Snowbird Road and follow the Hwy. 143 signs to the Cherohala Skyway sign.
From Robbinsville, the Cherohala Skyway runs 53 miles thru the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests (from which it derives its name) to Tellico Plains, TN.
On the North Carolina side the skyway runs along Hwy. 143 and looks down on the Slickrock and Joyce Kilmer State Forests. On the Tennessee side the Skyway is Hwy. 165 and runs near Indian Boundary Campground, Bald River Falls and beside the Tellico River near Tellico Plains.
Points of interest along the Cherohala Skyway include Shute Cove (3550 ft.), Obadiah Overlook, Santeetlah Overlook (5390 ft.) - highest elevation on the skyway, Big Junction (5240 ft.), Haw Knob Slopes ( 4890 ft.), Stratton Meadows (4320 ft.), Hoopers Bald (5290 ft.), Spirit Ridge, Beach Gap (4490 ft.) , between East and West Rattlesnake Rock (4110 ft.), Bushy Ridge (3750 ft.), Turkey Creek Overlook (2630 ft.) and Indian Boundary Campground and Flats Creek.
Toward the end of the Skyway riders may want to visit Bald River Falls. Follow the signs to the falls about 4 miles before ending the Skyway at  Tellico Plains. It’s about a 4-mile ride off of 165 up River Road to the falls. It’s a beautiful run along the Tellico River, with lots of rewards along the way. Smoky highly recommends taking the time to make the run.
After Bald River Falls and back in Tellico Plains, ­­there are two routes we recommend for getting back to the trail head in Gatlinburg. One is where more services (Wal-Mart, liquor stores, biker supplies, tattoo parlors, sports bars) are available and the other is the scenic route with little to no services.

Maryville/Pigeon Forge Route
The route with the services takes riders thru Maryville, TN. For this route riders leave Tellico Plains on Hwy. 68 West and ride 10 miles to Madisonville, TN. In Madisonville turn right onto Hwy. 411 North and continue some 28.5 miles to Maryville.  Along the way riders pass thru Vonore, after which they cross Tellico Lake. Some 22.5 miles from Madisonville they pass the Hwy. 129 turn off, which is the main route from the west to the Tail Of The Dragon.
A mile or so past 129 and on the left, riders will find the 411 Biker Depot (Hot Spot # ____) and Integrity Tattoo (Hot Spot # ____) in “Big O’s Plaza. Bikers can talk to Mike or Curt Whitehead, or their dad Will, about parts, apparel and motorcycle accessories at the 411 Depot. They even rent motorcycles for riding the Tail Of The Dragon if you’re short one.
Next door,  Miss Autumne and her crew of skilled tattoo artists offer a full line of inking services in a safe, clean and comfortable environment at Integrity Tattoo.
Just up and on the opposite side of the highway, stop in for a cold one at Big Daddy’sScoots & Sports Bar Grill (Hot Spot # _____). Big Daddy and Big Norm have got the first really cold beer off the Dragon, and they offer plenty to keep a rider entertained. Stop in and check ‘em out.
Riding on from Big Daddy’s, continue on to Maryville on the Hwy. 411 Business route until it intersects Hwy. 321 North . That intersection is 28.5 miles from the Madisonville turn on to Hwy. 411. To continue on trail riders need to turn right onto Hwy 321 North. This section of 321 runs six tenths of a mile thru the middle of downtown Maryville before it turns right at a big intersection with double traffic lights.
Riders should continue on to Hwy. 321 North out of Maryville to Townsend.  About  9.7 miles out the Foothills Parkway, which leads to Tail Of The Dragon motorcycle run will be on the right.  Some 7.4 miles past the Foothills Parkway the trail turns left , continuing on Hwy. 321 ( also known as Wears Valley Road), toward Pigeon Forge.
This 14.8 mile leg of the trail takes riders thru Wears Valley and ends at traffic light #3 in Pigeon Forge, where they turn right onto the final leg of the trail. From traffic light #3 in Pigeon Forge the trail follows Hwy. 441 (also called the Parkway in Pigeon Forge), 3 miles to the Great Smoky Mountain Parkway, known to locals as “the spur”, then, 4.5 miles back to Gatlinburg. Once in Gatlinburg stay on Hwy. 441 South about 1.5 miles back to the starting point in front of Smoky’s Pub & Grub, the biker, hiker and family friendly sports pub. Stop by and ask for Smoky! He’s probably back in the game room racking ‘em up on the pool table.

Back Roads/Scenic Route
The Back Roads/Scenic Route takes riders thru Vonore, TN, Pumpkin Center, TN, along the Foothills Parkway to Townsend, TN, then back thru the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the trail head at Smoky’s Pub & Grub in Gatlinburg. There are very few services along this route but the scenery is spectacular and the ride invigorating.
For this route riders leave Tellico Plains on Hwy. 360 North  (at the KOA Campground) and following the signs to Vonore ride 10.2 miles to where 360 N. turns right. Again, following the signs to Vonore, ride on 4.6 miles to a left turn of Hwy. 360. From the left turn it is 7.2 miles to the intersection of Hwy. 411 North.
Turn right onto Hwy 411 N. and ride 2.5 miles, crossing Tellico Lake,  to the right turn onto Hwy. 72 East. Take 72 E approximately 8.9 miles to where it intersects Hwy. 129 South. Turn right onto 129.
Once on 129, ride along Tellico Lake past Chilhowee Dam and Chilhowee Lake some 7 miles up to the entrance to the Foothills Pkwy, on the left.  Turn left onto Foothills Pkwy. Take this incredible run up and along the razorback of Chilhowee Mountain some 17 miles to its descent and eventual end at Hwy. 321 near Walland, TN. Consider stopping about 7.3 miles into the run at Look Rock for some of the most spectacular views of the west side of the Smoky Mountains. For an even more incredible view, there is a short hike up to Look Rock Tower for those who want to stretch their legs.
At the end of the parkway turn right onto Hwy. 321 North and ride on to Townsend. Some 7.3 miles from turning off of the Foothills Pkwy. , turn left at the traffic light, following Hwy. 321 N. (Wears Valley Road). Ride on 5.9 miles, finding Lyon Springs Road and turning right onto it.
Take Lyon Springs Rd. 2.75 miles, up the mountain and into the national park at Wear Cove Gap. The last half mile of this road brings riders to the Little River, where it takes a sharp turn to the left then crosses a very narrow bridge that leads into the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. There are restrooms in the picnic area just before the road intersects the main park road, Hwy. 73 or Little River Road.
Turn left onto Little River Road and ride thru the park 9.6 miles to its end at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. At the visitor center, turn left there onto Hwy. 441 North and follow the signs 1.6 miles back into Gatlinburg. The first traffic light riders come to is traffic light #10 in front of Smoky’s Pub & Grub where Smoky will be waitin’ inside with some hot grub and cold beverages. It’s a great place to end a hard day’s ride.