Johnson City Roundtrip The Southern Dozen Ride 09 Mountain Ribbons
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 12-02-2021
Route Summary
Route 9 of the Southern Dozen; The Mountain Ribbons, a lot of beautiful mountain roads and scenic highways. You ride the Blue Ridge Parkway from Deep Gap to Linville.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
6h 0m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
334.33 km
Countries
Julian Price Memorial Park and Lake
RouteXpert Review
Route 9 of the Southern Dozen; The Mountain Ribbons.The Southern Dozen are twelve rides based in Johnson City that travel all around the region. Each one is an adventure in itself that will take you through winding curves, breath taking natural scenery, historic landmarks, local points of interest, and fun attractions. Whether you feel like exploring caves, seeing wolves, touring historic sites, leaning into heart-pounding curves or just taking in the views, you’ll find a ride that’s exactly what you’re looking for.
On this route you’ll ride the highways of East Tennessee that flow through our crowning glory, the Appalachian Mountains. Prepare to have your breath taken away as you snake across the lakes, rivers, and streams of one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges. Ultimately, the ride leads to one of the greatest rides in the whole world - the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visit the Moses Cone House, the Linn Cove Viaduct, or the various overlooks of Grandfather Mountain.
You start in Johnson City and the first stop is Downtown Elizabethton, here you can stop and shop if you’re interested in Antiquities. At RP5 you have a view of the Covered Bridge on the right.
You continue the ride along the Watauga Lake, take time for a stop to admire the beautiful view. Take Highway 67 through the mountains via Damascus and Mountain City and Highway US 421 into Boone (RP10), where you can stop for lunch in one of the many restaurants.
You continue on US 421 for another 12 Miles and take the exit on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Everyone should experience a drive on The Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway runs from Virginia all the way to Cherokee, North Carolina. Beautiful scenery all the way. Overlooks and amazing vistas the whole way. No big trucks are allowed on the Parkway and the speed limit is 45. You will ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 40 miles till Linville. At RP13 you can visit the Moses H Cone Memorial Park and Manor. Take a minute to stop at RP14 and admire the view of Price Lake.
Just before Linville we will get of the Blue Ridge Parkway to ride up the Grandfather Mountain. Grandfather Mountain has been an icon in North Carolina’s landscape for generations, offering stunning scenery and unmatched ecological diversity. This state park opens the mountain’s to spectacular hiking and backpacking and there is the mile-high swinging bridge (RP15) and other attractions.
In Linville you can visit the famous Linville Falls (RP17), the most popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains because of its accessibility to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a spectacular three-tiered waterfall plunging into Linville Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians.”
A link to full Blue Ridge Parkway tour is included in this review.
The ride continues through the Roan Mountain State Park, another scenic ride (RP19-22) with amazing roads and views, back to Johnson City.
Roan Mountain is famous for its spectacular natural gardens of Catawba rhododendron. The peak bloom time for the sea of purple-magenta is usually mid-June, plus or minus a week depending on weather. Enjoy the blooms in two areas: a scenic hike along the Appalachian Trail from Carver's Gap (RP20) or nearby the Recreation Area with an easy paved trail and picnic area.
I rate this route with 5 stars, because of the beautiful mountain roads with amazing scenery.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Linville Falls
Links
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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