I’ve found another place which welcomes the motorcycle vacation traveler looking for a place to either spend the night or base out of to enjoy the hundreds of miles of great motorcycle rides just over the hill. It’s just a few miles off the Blue ridge Parkway from the Soco Gap exit.
Aerial view of the cabins on the roaring creek at Creek Wood Village Resort
Creek Wood Village Resort is located in the heart of Maggie Valley, directly behind the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds on three and one half FLAT acres with easy access for motorcycles and trailers. It’s convenient to most everything in town including the restaurants, shops, waterholes and Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum.
They have one, two and three bedroom cabins, all with full kitchens, fireplaces, color cable T.V. and the most beautiful views of the mountains.
Historic and comfortable cabins are waiting for you.
No hectic life style here. Just kick back and set on your porch, enjoy the mountains, reflect your day in the quiet pond or listen to the water rushing through the nearby creek, and take in the views after a great day of riding some of the best touring rides around.
Totally motorcycle friendly, they also have two fishing ponds and 650 foot of rushing creek.
Add yet another rock slide to the long list of road closures in the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. This one in particular will affect many motorcycle vacation plans to visit one of the most popular and well known rides in the region, the infamous Tail of the Dragon on US 129 at Deals Gap. Located along the western border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the 13 mile stretch of US 129 with it’s 311 curves draws hundreds of thousands of motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts each year who come to experience the challenging stretch of road.
It’s been an exceptional year for rock slides in the Smokies, the most notable being the massive slide along the eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park which has closed Interstate 40 for months. With both the east and west routes around the park closed, the only route allowing north-south travel from Tennessee to North Carolina is US 411 which cuts through the heart of the park and it too has been the scene of slides. US 441 is presently open, though cleanup continues on the northern spur road.
The Tail of the Dragon is still accessible from the North Carolina side. From Tennessee, the best route is through Tellico Plains and onto the Cherohala Skyway. Expect increased traffic loads on TN 68 approaching Tellico Plains due to yet another rock slide on US 64-74 in the Ocoee River Gorge which has shifted traffic onto it. As far as I can tell, it is still possible to reach Pumpkin Center from Vonure on the north end of the Dragon via the popular Dragon – Cherohala loop ride. Still, even more traffic will now be using these roads and you may want to reconsider visiting the area until things improve.
I’ve been reporting on the status of all the rock slides and road closures in my newsletter which you’ll find archived here – http://budurl.com/3smm. As there are so many, so widely scattered, it may be the easiest place to find all the information without bouncing around to various DOT sites (they are rarely as up to date). With so much going on, I’ll probably post an extra edition or two to keep you apprised of the situation and help with your motorcycle vacation plans. There is a lot going on you need to be aware of including the progress on the clean up to the Blue Ridge Parkway after severe winter storm damage, the closed section there, and all the roads which have been closed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for paving.
If you have early year travel plans to Robbinsville, Townsend, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or Franklin, I suggest you consider them carefully. Better alternative destinations for motorcycle touring would include Maggie Valley and Asheville. I’m am working with local lodgers to find you the best deals and affordable as well as luxury motorcycle friendly accommodations. I’ll be stepping up those efforts. Please email me for help. The changes in traffic patterns have severely impacted their business and there are some deals to be had. Watch the blog as I review them.
Finally, for America Rides Maps patrons, I want you to be aware these rock slides have impacted 3 of the 4 loop rides on the most popular map “Maggie Valley to Deals Gap and the Cherohala Skyway”. I strongly urge you to look at the “Waterfall Package” for the best alternative. These two maps will lead you into some of my favorite areas unaffected by the changing traffic patterns and open up a wealth of fantastic rides which are too often overlooked. These roads are the first place I head when looking for great riding, the first place I take tour groups, and hold everything you’ve come to expect from a motorcycle vacation in the Smokies.
A lot of motels and lodgers CLAIM they are motorcycle friendly, even hang out a cute little sign. Few will show you hospitality like this and at a price that will have you inviting your buddies along! A Holiday Motel in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, only 5 miles from the best section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, stands out. Check out this video from last summer;
They are located in the heart of town, walking distance to restaurants and bars, have a restaurant on site for breakfast, offer covered parking for your bike right in front of your room and rocking chairs to sit and enjoy the view of the sunset reflecting off your chrome.
Add to that a bike wash area, grills and picnic tables, a fire pit, a pool, a horse shoe pit, clean rooms at surprisingly low prices, and personal attention and hospitality that goes beyond what you expect, nestled in the friendly mountains which line every horizon.
Don’t come alone! They’ll set up a tent for groups and cater your party, even bring out the big projection screen to watch your favorite movies.
I know Gabi and Rob personally and you’ve got my promise they’ll show you a great time and help you have one of the best motorcycle vacations ever. I wouldn’t be recommending them otherwise.
Rob & Gabi Edwards A Holiday Motel – Your Preferred Lodging
828-926-1186
877-686-4386 www.holidaymotel.net
Photo - Admiring the view from the Looking Glass Rock overlook
Easy question. It’s in North Carolina. I can almost see it from my window. I moved here to be close to it and enjoy it on my motorcycle. I know every twist and bump. The best section of the Blue Ridge Parkway with the best ride runs south from Asheville to Soco Gap near motorcycle friendly Maggie Valley.
Photo - As falls comes so do the bikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Why is it the best? It’s the highest and most scenic section. There are more great pull-outs here than any other stretch. Most of it is above 5000 feet. It has everything motorcycle riders come for. Waterfalls, impressive rock formations, winding tunnels, pristine wilderness, vast stretches of rolling mountains on every horizon, and one of the best places to eat on the parkway, the Pisgah Inn. When I used to run motorcycle tours through this section I‘d always figure about 4 hours to hit the highlights and sometimes it was a tight schedule. If you see only one section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, this should be it.
Early in the spring traffic is light and skies are clear on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Make this one of your prime destinations on your motorcycle vacation, but don’t limit yourself to the parkway while you’re here. You could spend weeks riding the fabulous roads which snake through the Smoky Mountains you see from those overlooks. They are packed with more waterfalls, scenery that will fill your camera, and some of the most challenging motorcycle roads you’ll ever ride.
Spectacular Devil's Courthouse snow covered in winter
Impressive any time of year, I never take this section of the Blue Ridge Parkway for granted and visit almost every week. It never disappoints. It one of the most scenic motorcycle rides anywhere.
Photo: We had it all – Daisy the Pig, Hank the Bear, Moonshiners, Biker Girls …
I suppose it’s my fault for posting that TV Pilot video from a couple years ago that showed the best we could do during the rains of the 2007 Fall Rally in the Valley in Maggie Valley, NC. It must have reminded someone to open the faucets again. At times, I should have had a boat, not a booth.
Still, the crowds came out. Not as many as we would have liked, and I can’t blame those who bailed on the event, though at times a little help bailing from those who didn’t would have been appreciated. The rain started days before the event and grew progressively worse. By the time Friday rolled around, we were already pretty saturated. There were breaks in the weather, and when they came we were busy and tried to put on a good show.
I think we represented Maggie Valley well. A last minute effort from the lodgers and merchants of AllRoadsLeadToMaggie.com, we pooled our resources to purchase a vendor spot at the event. We passed out a good bit of literature from the Haywood County TDA and visitor guides from the Maggie Valley Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, raffled off a 3 day, 2 night, food / lodging / guided tour package, sold a good bit of Popcorn Sutton Moonshiner memorabilia, guided a lot of visitors to some great local rides, and I sold a lot of maps.
Daisy the pig (shown in the photo) was a big hit, as was 7 year old Ellie in her black leather chaps and pink Harley-Davidson gear. While she tore up the dance floor in the evening, she was too shy to get on stage, though the crowd urged her repeatedly. Hank the Bear got a much needed bath. I got a tremendous amount of support and volunteer help from Joanne at
the Mountaineer Restaurant, Gabie and Rob at the A Holiday Motel insured I was fed, Phil and Tammy from the Clarketon Motel made sure I didn’t waste any time making trips to the beer tent, and numerous other All Roads Lead To Maggie.com people who came out and volunteered their support and assistance. I even made freinds with the fine ladies at Biker Bettys Apparel and Accessories next door who were so impressed with my maps they’ve offered to take them on the road with them.
Thanks to all who braved the weather to travel to the mountains and spend much of their weekend riding in the rain. I hope I’ve helped make your trip worthwhile and opened your eyes to the vast number of undiscovered roads that lace the surrounding mountains. When you come back, be sure to visit allroadsleadtomaggie.com to get the best vacation packages and room deals for your next visit. The best of our riding season is just starting.
Wayne@americaridesmaps.com
Creek Wood Village Resort is located in the heart of Maggie Valley, directly behind the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds on three and one half FLAT acres with easy access for motorcycles and trailers. It’s convenient to most everything in town including the restaurants, shops, waterholes and Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum.
