roadside waterfalls and a mandatory stop every single time I ride through.
A few miles farther sits Baby Falls, another favorite. During the heat of summer, I like to cool off in the swimming holes nearby. Even if you don’ t plan on getting wet, the cool mist and sound of rushing water make it difficult to leave.
Eventually the pavement ends. North River Road turns to gravel, and suddenly the ride takes on a different personality. For roughly 20 miles, the road winds through the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests toward North Carolina. The gravel is generally well maintained and suitable for larger adventure motorcycles and even cautious street-oriented ADV bikes in
Left: The blue hour view from Turkey Creek Overlook reminds us how The Blue Ridge got its name. Right: The clouds broke long enough for us to get a dry visit to Maple Springs Observation Deck.
dry conditions. Small streams cross beneath weathered bridges. Primitive campsites appear beside crystal-clear creeks. Rhododendron tunnels close in around the road, making it feel wonderfully remote despite being only an hour from town.
Crossing into North Carolina, Forest Road 81 greets me with a sign warning that the road isn’ t suitable for passenger cars.
It’ s probably right. A low-slung sedan would have a rough day here, but an adventure bike feels perfectly at home. The road twists steadily through Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, one of the last remaining old-growth hardwood forests east of the Mississippi. Some of the towering tulip poplars have stood here for more than 400 years, long before motorcycles – or even America – existed.
One worthwhile detour climbs the rough pavement toward Maple Springs Observation Deck, easily one of my favorite overlooks anywhere in the
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