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Hytop Metric Loop

        Starting at the Paint Rock Valley High School in the small town of Princeton, this route travels 67 miles over some of the most beautiful and unusual roads in the area. There's very little traffic and the roads are mostly very smooth, with some moderately rough pavement at the middle of the ride. The route is almost continuously up-and-down, mostly gently rolling but it includes several hills and one long climb.

The ride's main climb (topo) is 2.7 miles long and begins 3.7 miles into the ride. The grade starts out at 8% but eases after the first mile to around 6%, for a 7.2% overall average grade.

After the climb (and a couple of bonus hills) there's a convenience store at the AL-79 intersection to regroup, then the route heads north on top of the Cumberland Plateau for 22 miles, into Tennessee and to the next rest stop (a convenience store that includes a fast-food restaurant), before descending down into the farmland below.

After the descent the route heads west over rougher country roads just south of Winchester, with a few short steep hills. Most of the turns on the course are concentrated in this area, leading to a rest stop in downtown Huntland, Tennessee.

From Huntland the route heads south over one of the most isolated and beautiful roads in the area, rising and dropping alongside the Larkin Fork Creek (which eventually feeds into the Paint Rock River), winding its way back to the high school.

Hytop map
        Directions to start:

The Paint Rock Valley High School is located about 40 minutes from Huntsville in the small town of Princeton. From Huntsville take I-565 east to HWY-72...

Travel East on HWY-72 15.4 miles to AL-65 (two miles past Gurley, just as HWY-72 curves to the right) and turn Left/North

Travel North on AL-65 14.5 miles to Princeton. The high school is located on the left, just past the Princeton Post Office, about 200 feet down AL-3.

MapQuest Directions

Directions from Huntsville
       
Printable cue sheet Route map Area map

Miles Turn  Description Leg
0.0 Right-Left  east on AL-65 3.1
3.1 Right  on AL-146 0.6
3.7 Begin Climb  1030' in 2.7 miles, 7.2% average grade 5.7
9.4 Rest Stop  convenience store at intersection -
9.4 Left  north on AL-79 10.3
19.7 Continue  AL-79 becomes TN-16 at the Tennessee state line 11.5
31.2 Rest Stop  Keith Springs Market/Restaurant on left -
31.2 Continue  north on TN-16 0.8
32.0 Begin Descent  766' in 1.4 miles, 10.4% average grade 2.4
34.4 Left  on Farris Chappel Road 0.9
35.3 Left  on Farris Lane (watch - hidden road sign) 0.9
36.2 Left  on Roggli Road 0.1
36.3 Right  on Shockley Road 0.5
36.8 Left  on Crawford Lane 0.6
37.4 Left  on Buncombe Road (first left)
(climb 140' in 0.5 miles, 5% average grade)
5.5
42.9 Left  on Hickory Grove Road (watch - easy to miss) 1.0
43.9 Right  to stay on Hickory Grove Road 2.9
46.8 Bear Left  on Beans Creek Road
(Rough pavement at intersection)
0.4
47.2 Continue  Beans Creek Road becomes Alabama Street 0.7
47.9 Right-Left-Right  onto Main Street 0.3
48.2 Rest Stop  convenience store on right -
48.2 South  on Main Street 0.5
48.7 Continue  Main Street becomes Elora Road 1.2
49.9 Left  on Owens Lane 1.1
51.0 Right  on TN-97
(climb 200' in one mile, 4% average grade)
3.2
54.2 Continue  TN-97 becomes AL-65 at the Alabama state line
(Sharp left curve at bottom of descent)
10.0
64.2 Right  to stay on AL-65 3.1
67.3 Right-Left  Finish at Paint Rock Valley High School -