Smokey Mountains 1000 Fun

I spent 3 days in the mountains recently exploring along the Smokey Mountain 1000 route. I found the roads to be in good condition. I saw very few people out in the woods. I even took a turn on the Dragon (set fast time for a Jeep ) and it was deserted too. I'll tell the rest of the story with photos. You should have been there!

Sometimes you see something parked by the road that makes you stop.


The truck caught my eye, but the Jeep has my heart.


I started on Hightower Hill on the west side of Charlie's Creek Rd. The road is in great shape. Too good if you ask me.


The road was wet but not slippery.


Low bridge, everybody down.


There were a couple of spots where the road was showing wear and tear.




I spent the night at the Two Wheel Inn in Robbinsville, NC. The room was very nice.


The next morning I had a great breakfast at the Southern Sister's Cafe in Robbinsville, NC


More to come.

Day 2 found me starting out on FS-81 at the NC end of the Cherohala Skyway.


Santeetlah Creek


I was assigned a secondary mission of scouting for fishing/camping spots. Success!


Stewart Cabin is one of the prettiest spots in the area.


It rained.


As I got higher, the rain quit, and the fog (clouds?) came.


I made a right turn to go under the Skyway and down the mountain on North River Rd.


With River Drive closed because of bridge construction at Bald River Falls, North River Rd is the main way into the fishing/hunting/camping village of Green Cove. The road is in great condition.


North River Rd.


Green Cove


Wildflowers on Bald River Rd.




Bald River Rd.


I had lunch in Tellico Plains, TN at the Tellicafe. I was so hungry I didn't get a photo until it was almost gone.


more to come!

LOVE THIS! Always looking for new roads to ride when I'm up there.

After lunch in Tellico Plains, I needed to get back to Robbinsville. I decided to take the paved roads and make a run over US 129, the Dragon. I almost had the Dragon to myself. I met one group of Mustangs early in my run. I caught another Jeep at the end of my run. In between I set fast time for a Jeep on the Dragon.

The Dragon photographers were on the job.


The pavement on the Dragon is new.


This is one of the longest straightaways.


I took more movies than photos. I laughed when I watched the movies. In the car, I thought I was really blasting along. In the movies, it looks like a Sunday drive. While I admit the "fastest time on the Dragon" line is a joke, I was trying a little bit. Movies do not show how steep and severe off-road tracks are. Movies also do not show how fast I was going. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

I had my satellite radio on. He I am rocking along with the Stones.


Here I am close to the end, and I catch another Jeep.


Do not try this at home - professional driver, closed course.

I got my Dragon goodies at the TailoftheDragon.com store at US129 and US28.



More to come!

Looks like a cool trip. Do you have way points for Gaia?

Grateful1 said:

Looks like a cool trip. Do you have way points for Gaia?

Click to expand...

The roads shown so far, except for the Dragon, are on the Smokey Mountains 500. The route is shared on ADVrider and on Facebook.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/smokey-mountain-500.926507/
Smokey Mountains 500 | Facebook


Some of the roads on my last day are on the Smokey Mountains 1000. This route is shared in a similar means.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/smokey-mountains-1000.1233049/
Smokey Mountains 1000 | Facebook

Tuesday night I was back in Robbinsville at the Two Wheel Inn. I was longing for a meal like I get at home, so I went to McDonald's. It turned out to be a Not So Happy Meal.


The next few photos look like some of the earlier ones. They are different. These come from Tatham Gap Rd, one of my fav roads in the area. I learned about this road (a long time ago)

from Ron Johnson, the owner of the TailoftheDragon.com website. Ron used to call this road the "Dirt Road Dragon."


The long view.


Tatham Gap Rd has some ledge roads similar to what I've seen out west. The trees and ground cover make drivers feel more secure, but it is a long way down.


Tatham Gap also has a history.


When I am in Andrews, NC, I always go to the Burger Basket. I made the pilgrimage on this trip too, but it was 930A and the Basket was closed.


From Andrews, I drove North on 19/74 to the Blue Ridge Parkway, then towards Cherokee on the Parkway. I stopped at the Waterrock Knob Overlook to use the mile high poopers.


I didn't really stop JUST for the poopers. The views at Waterrock Knob at great.


be right back

andy29847 said:

The roads shown so far, except for the Dragon, are on the Smokey Mountains 500. The route is shared on ADVrider and on Facebook.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/smokey-mountain-500.926507/
Smokey Mountains 500 | Facebook


Some of the roads on my last day are on the Smokey Mountains 1000. This route is shared in a similar means.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/smokey-mountains-1000.1233049/
Smokey Mountains 1000 | Facebook

Click to expand...

Thank you. I am new to the Gaia world.

Great PICS...

Yessir! Beautiful pics & I’m so blessed to live in NC!

I was headed for the Cherokee Indian Reservation. I was working on an idea for a change in the route of the SM1000. I wanted to add some new dirt to get the route up to Heintooga Round bottom Rd. I got off the Parkway at 19, went towards Cherokee, and took the first right. The road was paved for 1/2 mile and then turned into dirt. it was way kool.

I hope you like Green.


Some light peeks through.


There was even a creek crossing.


I made a couple of movies.


Through a tunnel under the Parkway.


This movie shows the next turn after the tunnel.


I saw wild flowers.




Mile High Campground has some of the best campsites in the Smokys.


After proving in the route change, I went to Bryson City for some lunch.


Elvis has left the building.


I didn't eat all of it!


more to come.

Looks like a great trip Andy. The food looked too especially breakfast.

andy29847 said:

I was headed for the Cherokee Indian Reservation. I was working on an idea for a change in the route of the SM1000. I wanted to add some new dirt to get the route up to Heintooga Round bottom Rd. I got off the Parkway at 19, went towards Cherokee, and took the first right. The road was paved for 1/2 mile and then turned into dirt. it was way kool.

I hope you like Green.

Some light peeks through.

There was even a creek crossing.

I made a couple of movies.


Through a tunnel under the Parkway.

This movie shows the next turn after the tunnel.


I saw wild flowers.

Mile High Campground has some of the best campsites in the Smokys.

After proving in the route change, I went to Bryson City for some lunch.

Elvis has left the building.

I didn't eat all of it!

more to come.

Click to expand...

I live in Bryson City, hope you enjoyed your visit and lunch while here.

TopWright said:

I live in Bryson City, hope you enjoyed your visit and lunch while here.

Click to expand...

I've been visiting Bryson City since the 80's. I like it there, especially at the BBQ Wagon.

After lunch, it was time to start for home. I added one more dirt road. I went up and over Leatherman's Gap to get to Franklin.

Much of the Whitter side had been graded, but the road crew was not on duty.


I'm trying to think of songs with "Green" in them.


I couldn't think of a Green song, so I sang Jacob's Ladder (while climbing ).


One odd thing about Leatherman's Gap is that the creek crossings are at the top of the mountain. I've taken dozens of photos and movies of jeeps and motorcycles crossing here, normally with a big splash. The ladies like the water crossings.





This is the END, the very END my friend,♪♫

Love that you posted this as I have been looking up the SM1000 for the last few days and actually just drove through some of it via paved roads and was in a rush so no sidetracking. Planning on hitting some of it up in the next few months.