Pick up food at Robbinsville early in the ride and carry it to the rest stop on top of the mountain, a scenic overlook with no store; the Appalachian Trail passes through here. There are a couple of scenic stops later in the ride, the Fontana Dam near the Fontana Village and Santeetlah Lake.
This is a mountainous loop with a lot of climbing, the road curves often and is rarely flat. It finishes on a quiet country road after following a scenic river for several miles.
Directions to start (from Robbinsville, NC):
Travel NorthWest through Robbinsville on 143/129. One mile outside Robbinsville, turn left to continue on 143. Turn right at the next T-junction to continue on 143 (curvey mountain road) to Santeetlah Gap (the Cherohala Skyway begins here). At Santeetlah Gap turn right and continue 2 miles to the Rattler Ford Group Camp Ground. Turn left into the camp ground.
The Robbinsville Microtel Inn is on the route at 13.7 miles. This map of Graham County, NC shows a nice overview of the area.
Route description:
