Smoky Mountains Tour
Intermediate
6 Days, 6 Nights. 650 Miles
$ 3000*
6
days
* Add $500 for single occupancy lodging.
Double lodging available to family/friends booking together.
DESCRIPTION:
This dual sport motorcycle tour delves deep into the hidden trails and remote forest roads of Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Over 6 days we will ride twisting ribbons of asphalt, rocky 2-track trails, remote forest roads, multiple single track sections as well as a 40,000 acre OHV riding area.
You may bring your own bike or rent one of ours.
Comfortable accommodations and freshly prepared meals, all with a hint of regional uniqueness.
​Upcoming Tour Dates:
April 12-18, 2024 - ONE SPOT LEFT!
HIGHLIGHTS:
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Airport/local hotel transfer
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6 days of expert guidance
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6 nights comfortable, clean lodging
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Rental bike option
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Back up bikes close by
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Dinners (6)
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Breakfast (6)
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Support vehicle with extra bike, tools and rider luggage
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Guides versed in local area, bike maintenance and certified in Wilderness First Aid
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AMA Sanctioned and insured ride
ITINERARY:
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Arrival day
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Arrive at Asheville regional airport,
Transfer to Maggie Valley, NC (45 min.)
Lodging: Smoky Falls Lodge
Dinner on site.
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*Arrive before 3pm in order to tour the amazing Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum! The museum is walking distance from our hotel. *2023 museum hours not yet posted.
Day 1
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Maggie Valley, NC - Hot Springs, NC. 97 miles
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Continental breakfast.
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Start off on twisting pavement over Betsy's gap and into the farmers mountain area. A stop at the Trust general store before heading into the muddy two-track roads bordering and eventually entering Pisgah National Forest before arriving at our well-appointed cabins alongside the French Broad river in Hot Springs, NC - A quirky little river town and the only town that is located directly on the Appalachian trail.​
Lunch - Trust General Store
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Dinner - BBQ On site
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Day 2
Hot Springs, NC - Dillsboro, NC. 118 miles
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Breakfast - homemade breakfast biscuits.
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Depart Hot Springs and quickly enter a fun and long rocky trail with several stream crossings. Mix of two-track and forest roads along the Cherokee National forest boundary with a few more water crossings before our arrival at a beautiful Riverside Lodge in the historic railroad town of Dillsboro, NC
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Lunch - Support vehicle will meet us with sandwiches.
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Dinner - On site
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Day 3
Dillsboro, NC - Tellico Plains, TN 135 miles
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Continental breakfast
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Twisty pavement changing to dirt forest road up to the Cowee bald fire tower. Forest roads descend along Huckleberry creek and then back up the Tellico pass where we cross the AT on this fun dirt pass road. Into Nantahala forest through Harshaw Gap. Up to the 3600 foot Wauchessi fire tower and winding back down into Tellico on the beautiful forest roads of Eastern Tennessee.
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Lunch - Burger basket; riverside burger joint.
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Dinner - BBQ on site
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Day 4
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Tellico, TN - Tellico, TN 96 miles
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Hot breakfast on site
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Lots of water crossings to start, then a challenging but beautiful 3.2 mile section of single-track trail. After rejoining the forest road for a few miles, we enter another 3.9 mile maintained single-track section! Some muddy forest roads lead us to Persimmon lake and across the Hiwassee Dam. Into Cherokee National forest and back to Tellico.
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Lunch - Support vehicle will meet us with sandwiches.
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Dinner - BBQ on site
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Day 5
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Tellico, TN - Franklin, NC 120 miles
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Covering some mileage on day 6, we head out of town on the extremely scenic Cherohala Skyway for a scenic, twisting ride to Robbinsville where we enter the Nantahala on quiet forest roads, crossing the AT several times. Mostly scenic twisting pavement and maintained forest roads through the day. Relaxing and quite beautiful.
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Lunch - Happy Hawg BBQ; western NC-style pit BBQ
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Dinner - TBA
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Day 6
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Franklin, NC - Maggie Valley, NC 85 miles
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Twisting pavement out of town along the Tuckaseigee river toward the Wayehutta OHV riding area. We'll spend a few hours exploring the 40,000 acre riding area before reconvening for a trailside lunch of hot dogs, cold drinks and snacks. Once we've had our fill, we continue on to Maggie Valley via the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Tour ends in Maggie Valley.
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Beautiful single-track trail
in the forest
Exhilarating two-track OHV trails
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
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Ground transportation provided by MotoVermont to and from Asheville Regional Airport.
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Transportation and storage of your personal motorcycle (3 pickup locations**)
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Storage of your non-riding gear during your tour.
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6 days professional guidance with lead and sweep guides versed in mechanics and wilderness first-aid
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6 nights lodging (+$500 for single lodging)
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Dinners (6 included)
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Breakfast (6 included)
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Lunch (1 included)
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Support vehicle w/extra bike(s) and rider luggage
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AMA sanctioned event
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NOT INCLUDED:
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Airfare
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Bike fuel
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Gratuities
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Beverages
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Lunch on most days
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Motorcycle rental
TRANSPORTATION OF YOUR PERSONAL BIKE:
Moto transport included in tour price.
MotoVermont will transport your dual-sport motorcycle from the northeast to Maggie Valley.
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**We will have 3 pick-up and drop off locations:
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Burlington, VT
Albany, NY
Mahwah, NJ
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This tour is designed for street legal dual sport bikes under 800cc. Rental bikes are available.
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LEAD TOUR GUIDE:
Spenser Peterson is head trail director for MotoVermont and will be leading this tour. He is certified in Wilderness First Aid, and skilled in trailside mechanics. An expert navigator and rider, Spenser will act as lead guide during this tour, ensuring all riders stay together and navigate obstacles along the route.
TOUR GUIDE:
Eric Milano is the founder of MotoVermont. He is certified in Wilderness First aid and will act as tail guide during our excursion through the Smokies.
SUPPORT VEHICLE:
Support Vehicle An additional guide will drive a 4 wheel drive truck carrying an extra rental bike, tools and riders' luggage from inn to inn, allowing us to keep our bikes lightweight and nimble on the trail.
The support vehicle will parallel our route and meet us in the case of a mechanical issue or tired rider. There will always be a safe and reliable alternative to riding every day, if need be.
DINING:
There will be plenty of local southern favorites on this tour, like homemade biscuit breakfast sandwiches and North Carolina style pulled pork! We'll also be grilling porch-side on many evenings so you can just relax and enjoy a freshly prepared meal at the end of the day.
Grilling up a hearty meal!
Homemade biscuit breakfast sandwich and country fried steak
LODGING:
Each evening, we will find ourselves at a different lodging establishment; a mix of historic inns, remote cabins and cool downtown hotels.
A lakeside Suite in Dillsboro, North Carolina
The quaint downtown of Franklin, North Carolina
RIDER & BIKE REQUIREMENTS (Please also review our Rules & Regs page)
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Motorcycle endorsement holder
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Rider should be in good health and able to endure several hours on bike each day
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Rider should possess intermediate to advanced on and off road riding skills; rear brake usage, body positioning, foot peg weighting.
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Rider must wear full-face helmet, gloves, off-road-specific boots, armored motorcycle-specific jacket and pants.
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Bike should be in good running and street-legal condition; registered, insured and thoroughly checked over.
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Bike should be equipped with fresh dual-sport tires and engine case protection. Feel free to contact MotoVermont for bike-specific tire recommendations.
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Rider and bike should be able to endure challenging off-road terrain, such as loose gravel, narrow unpaved switchbacks, wet rocks and slick mud.
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Rider and bike should be able to endure some highway riding (twisty mountain roads, possibly wet conditions). Much of the mileage is unpaved during this tour, but there are some cases where 2 lane highway riding is necessary. In these cases, we have selected the best possible routes, along winding mountain roads away from traffic.
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This tour is designed for dual sport bikes under 700cc.
