Where are the "roads" in western NC?
 

First off, I'm still a bit of a newbie to the area. But I've struggled to find any good stretches of entertaining roads in North Carolina. It's as if the state deliberately makes roads as straight as a ruler, and widens/flattens every major mountain road to make it as un-entertaining and un-scenic as possible.

In a desperate bid to fall back in love with my X3, I drove out to Boone, NC today, imagining to find at least a few deserted, curvy roads around that part of the mountains. Ended up being the biggest epic failure of a 6 hr. road trip ever. Watauga County isn't a deserted driver's playground, rather it was made of beaten up, wide roads clogged with holiday-makers and App State students moving in. I thought the US routes would be narrow and winding but it was just the opposite. :banghead:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/Foto0124.jpg

Makes me miss the roads in rural Virginia in the western half of the state where I was in Charlottesville.

I hear there's fun stuff in southwestern NC around Avery and Yancey counties, and there was perhaps one or two fun roads near Asheville. That's too far for a day trip; is there anything closer to the Piedmont? Anyone in NC willing to help out here?:stickpoke

Seriously, my next car will be a disposable econo-box if I can't find a place to enjoy driving anymore and justify a "driver's car".

M, I guess you have me on Ignore...I've been banging the table about the batch of fine azz 2 lane blacktops, we have here in Western NC. Cannot help you in the eastern part of the state; it is like a different world over there, and a long way away from where I drive/ride.

Boone area? Shoulda put this up a few days ago; I would have done some digging and come up with suggestions. Yes, the good stuff is too 'far' for a day trip. Keeps the politicians from Raleigh, and all of the snooty eastern 'burb people out of our way. ;)

GL, mD

I take that you have not heard of Blue Ridge parkway? ;)

Yeah, I know there are fine roads near your part (the far western stretches) but it takes 4 hours (one-way) to get over to Asheville and that is.......quite a lot of fuel and time for a day trip. Boone was about as far as I was willing to go by myself in a 12 hours timespan.

Yes, I know about the Blue Ridge and actually drove two short stretches of it yesterday (near Blowing Rock & also the US 421 interchange) but I must have completely missed any hairpin sections because it was fairly straight, and quite crowded. Plus, there is the occasional Park Ranger enforcing the 45mph limit.

Green River Cover Road http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Green+...src=6&t=h&z=13

Lake Lure http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Lake+L...src=0&t=h&z=13

Beech Mountain http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Beech+...src=6&t=h&z=14

And Tail of the Dragon at Deals gap. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=tail+o...15000&t=h&z=13

You should drive out, spend the night and explore. Stay away from the BRP, unless you are in an RV!

M, to add to my previous post, a good look at GOOG maps would have shown you some kick azz roads in the 'Boone' area...well, actually a bit north of/and west of Boone:
county 1306 north of Boone, 194 from Vilas to Valle Crucis to Banner Elk, etc.

Watauga County - Google Maps

I disagree with ViperFreak; I ride my close by section of the BRPkway weekly, on one of my scoots or, the Vette: it's the 'highest' portion, the most curves, very empty, and one can run as hard as one dares, with only an occasional Parkway cop.

Also, my guess is you came west from 'BurbVille area, and had you run up I-77 to Mt Airy area, than cut NW from Bottom to Sparta, then SW down through the Jeffersons, it is all the road(s) one can handle.

Beyond that area, there are dozens of kick azz 2 lanes in the far western counties, which I realize is too far a day drive...but, there was/is some good stuff even before/northeast of Boone.

Deal's Gap/The Dragon is hugely overrated imo, and no fun on a weekend, other than watching and bs'ing with fellow sled riders.

Veronica & I drove a dozen roads in the West that made Deal's Gap look like what it is: too many off camber, tight turns in too short of a stretch, but that's just my 50Cts.

GOOG maps is your friend; NAV is not.
GL, mD

PS: next time you are headed 'west' in NC, drop a post or PM or email or dime, and I can give you info until you are tired of hearing it. ;>)

Check out my old 'driveway' in Madison county! (I built the octagon house)

Granny Shepherd Rd, Mars Hill, Madison, North Carolina 28754 - Google Maps

Cool, VF...you built it, or you live there, or?

GOOG'ng our joint shows a bare house pad, surrounded by trees, on our lil' road, at ~5,000 ft, above Waynesville :rolleyes: ...really up to date GOOG maps, as the house was completed, and we moved in, 10 years ago next month. WTF?!

I built it when I was a teenager, lost interest so it sat empty for years, then sold it about 4 years ago. WOnderful location, 20 minutes to Asheville, it is near I-26 but it is behind the next row of mountains so you can't hear it, and only a couple miles from Wolf Ridge Ski resort.

Google, like the others, updates certain areas more often than others...I looked for a Hampton Inn near Crossville Tn last week and I know it's been there for two years, but not on Google Streetview.

I gotta say the BRP in the area closest to me sucks. Asheville south. I heard it's really great in and near Virginia.

VF,
Very cool story...I hear you on GOOG, but they get their maps from 'someone', and I am just surprised they haven't updated a shot of our mtn, in over a decade.

'Streetview'?! Hell, we barely have a low rez long shot view of our mtn. There are ~30 homes up here, so it isn't exactly down in the holler, next to the pot farms.

BRPkway...next time you are bored, get way south of A'ville on the BRP, as in the "High Point", at MM 430, and down to Cherokee. I agree it is not Sebring, (the road course), but on a weekday, it is empty and has enough long but tight sweepers to enthuse anyone short of rally pros. Water Rock Knob, at MM 450, is a great stop, too...
Page 4 of the BRP Map pdf...

The BRP, in VA: imo, it is just OK, as in narrow, often tar & chip surface , too many darting deer even in daylight, few views & much lower elevation, a 35 mph speed limit in many parts, and on and on.
GL, mD

http://www.virtualblueridge.com/maps...arkway-map.pdf

The BRP in Virginia is not spectacular to drive but it is substantially less crowded. This probably has something to do with the population densities of NC versus VA (I expected App state and Boone to be a deserted college town like Harrisonburg VA or Clemson SC). However, the roads leading up to and intersecting the BRP in Virginia are very fun for at least a few kilometres.

VA 684 Reeds Gap Rd. in Augusta County
US 60 in Rockbridge County
US 501 in both Rockbridge (VA-130) and Bedford County

VA 43 in Botetourt County, the very last hairpin is incredibly steep- many scrapes on the road. (It's not the curve in this picture though)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...way/BRP022.jpg

There were a few fun spots near Boone; I tried US 221 but the curves were in a semi-residential area with too much traffic. NC-194 had a few good curves but once again, too much traffic, and the road was not smooth.

I will admit that WV has some of the best mountain roads because they engineer "truck" lanes and larger banked areas on the mountain passes, allowing one to get around slower traffic and/or do higher speeds (read: sliding burnout). The gradients are also clearly marked, similar to NC. In Virginia, there are no overtaking lanes, turnouts or widened hairpins, and no gradient information.

WOW, never knew! I just always drove from Asheville to MM430, but no further. I thought it was blah, so I would head towards hwy 276 (mega fun and often empty)

Most of the roads dump onto I-40 if you keep going... Usually coincided with nausea from the curves on them, or the nerves after finding the one road that still isn't paved...

VF, Yes...I have run 276 many times: it's the 'other way', as in over the mtns, to get from W'ville to Brevard. Fun road, if a tad tight/blind cornered in spots. 215 is ok too, though its condition is failing lately. Next time you are on 276, and you come up on the BRP, turn and go south; that's where the BRP gets fun.

And, Meiac knows most/all of the good Western NC roads too. Especially well for someone 'trapped' in South C. ;)
GL, mD

Not so much this year mD... My family bought a house in Cashiers so I was usually in traffic or a Honda Pilot for those trips. I'll hit them when I get back. Boone doesn't count. They make the roads straight so that people won't run off when they're stoned.

Hey, D...congrats on the joint in Cashiers! Did your 'Rents move, or is that just a seasonal/investment place? Cashiers is nice area, if a bit remote.

Is that an AppStateU dig?! :D

:rofl: There are many App State grads in my programme........