Full Description
Tour This Dream Road on Bicycle, Between North Carolina and Virginia.
Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway are arguably the most quintessential scenic roads east of the Mississippi. Bicycling the Blue Ridge is the definitive guide to this ribbon of highway. It's just what you need to plan the perfect trip, whether you are out for the day, a weekend, or a month. You'll find detailed, mile-by-mile descriptions that provide information on lodging, restaurants, stores, and bike shops. Professionally designed maps and elevation profiles are also included, so you always know where you are, where you're going, and what to expect along the way.
The 575-mile strip of continuous road flows between Front Royal, Virginia, and Cherokee, North Carolina. It traverses Shenandoah National Park and connects to Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains. In Bicycling the Blue Ridge, authors Elizabeth Skinner and Charlie Skinner cover the entire route. Whether your interest is recreational touring or racing, this is an indispensable tool for bicycling this incredible highway.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Part 1: An Introduction to Bicycling the Blue Ridge
The Ultimate Bicycling Road
Weather in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Camping versus Lodging
Gearing Up: Special Equipment and Clothing
Part 2: Point-by-Point Descriptions
An Explanation of Our Point-by-Point Descriptions
The Skyline Drive
Front Royal to Thornton Gap
Thornton Gap to Swift Run Gap
Swift Run Gap to Rockfish Gap
The Blue Ridge Parkway
Rockfish Gap to James River Visitor Center
James River Visitor Center to Roanoke Mountain
Roanoke Mountain to Mabry Mill
Mabry Mill to Cumberland Knob
Cumberland Knob to Northwest Trading Post
Northwest Trading Post to Linville Falls
Linville Falls to Craggy Gardens
Craggy Gardens to Mount Pisgah
Mount Pisgah to Cherokee
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Part 3: Appendices
Appendix A: Bicycle Shops
Appendix B: For More Information
Appendix C: Major Elevation Gains
Index
