US South - Best Cycling
1. Tsali, North Carolina.
Much easier than its reputation would have you believe, Tsali's four different mountain-bike loops
are suitable for novices, but a worthy ride for one and all. Enjoy the views of Fontana Lake, then
pull your kayak off the car and hit the Nantahala River. Once you've exhausted Tsali, there's
plenty more riding in them thar hills. For more information, call the Cheoah Ranger District
at 828-479-6431.
2. Helen, Georgia.
This almost unbearably tacky tourist town hosts some of the Southeast's finest mountain biking
(and the roads aren't bad, either). Try your hand at the eight-mile course in Unicoi State Park
that hosted a couple of World Cup events, or hang on tight for the new Hickory Nut Ridge Ride, a
screaming seven-mile black-diamond descent. Endless miles of forest service road, too. For more
information, call 706-878-3715.
3. Highland Scenic Highway, West Virginia.
The '70s gas crisis limited this route to one 43-mile "road to nowhere," but what a road.
Indeed, it's a skinny-tire aficionado's dream: 2,200 feet of elevation change, endless beautiful
vistas, perfect pavement…and virtually no cars. The highway runs from Route 39/55 out of Richwood
to the junction of Route 219. For more information, call the Cranberry Mountain Visitor Center at
304-653-4826.
4. Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama.
Just south of Birmingham, this 17-mile loop features 700 feet of elevation change and 11
miles of choice singletrack. It's got rocks, tough climbs, and fast semitechnical
descents--something for everybody. Park amenities include cabins and a nice beach.
Roadies will get a kick out of the main road through the park too. For more information,
call 205-620-2524.
5. The Bee Log Ride, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Start, appropriately enough, at the Bicycle Inn, just outside of Bakersville, North Carolina,
pick up a map, and head down the valley created by the Toe and Cane Rivers. After a picturesque
30 miles or so take you into Tennessee, the terrain changes as you take on the seven-mile climb
up Shronce Mountain. Want more? The whole area is loaded with good roads, friendly drivers, and
vertical topography. For more information, call 828-688-9333.
5. Natchez Trace Parkway.
This 443-mile scenic roadway follows the original trail used by the Natchez, Chickasaw, and
Choctaw prior to settlement of the region by the French and Spanish. Since the 1930s, the
original trace has been under the control of the National Park Service and now features
bicyclist-only campgrounds sprinkled along the route from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville,
Tennessee. For more information, call 800-305-7417.
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