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Paint Rock Valley Loop

        The Paint Rock Valley Loop is 76 miles, starting and ending at the Madison County High School on Highway 72 near Gurley. The loop is mostly flat-to-rolling with no long climbs. It travels on good pavement through two of the most beautiful valleys in the area, Hurricane Creek's farmland and the Paint Rock Valley along a quiet tree-covered winding road.

The route includes an unavoidable two mile section on the shoulder of Highway 72. While not particularly pleasant due to the high speed traffic, the shoulder is wide enough to ride a reasonable distance from passing cars.

There's also an 84-mile version of this ride, traveling counter-clockwise and starting from the Cove Park ballfields.

Paint Rock Valley loop map
        Directions to start:

Travel East on Highway 72 from Huntsville. Go 6.9 miles after passing the Moores Mill Road intersection (just after descending out of Huntsville). Turn Left on Brock Road and the Madison County High School is on your left after 0.2 miles. If you reach Gurley you've gone too far.

Google Maps driving directions to Madison County High School.

Directions to Madison County High School
       
Printable cue sheet Route map

Miles Turn  Description Leg
0.0 Left  from the Madison County High School parking lot onto Brock Road 1.4
1.4 Continue  Brock Road becomes Brownsboro Road 0.3
1.7 Right  on Kelly Hill Road 0.6
2.3 Left  on Gurley Pike 0.5
2.8 Right  on Hurricane Creek Road 5.0
7.8 Left  on County Lake Road 0.1
7.9 Right  on Hurricane Road 1.5
9.4 Right  on Ray Road 2.5
11.9 Left  on Sharps Hollow Road 0.6
12.5 Right  on Hurricane Road 2.3
14.8 Right  on Mountain Fork Road 0.9
15.7 Left  on Old Mountain Fork Road 0.6
16.3 Right  on Davis Road 3.1
19.4 Right  on Old Winchester Road 2.9
22.3 Continue  Old Winchester Road becomes Old TN-121 0.4
22.7 Bear Left  on Old TN-121 0.6
23.3 Right  on TN-121 1.1
24.4 Rest Stop  in Elora -
24.4 Right  on Elora Road 0.2
24.6 Left  on RailRoad Road 0.2
24.8 Right  on Old Huntland Road 2.4
27.2 Continue  Old Huntland Road becomes Elora Road 2.9
30.1 Right  on Owens Lane 1.1
31.2 Right  on TN-97 2.5
33.7 Continue  TN-97 becomes AL-65 at Alabama State Line 11.0
44.7 Right  to continue on AL-65 17.0
50.7 Rest Stop  at convenience store -
61.7 Right  on Highway 72 shoulder 2.1
63.8 Right  on Walker Street 0.6
64.4 Right  on 1st Street 0.1
64.5 Right  on Railroad Street 0.1
64.6 Left  at first street (unknown) 0.2
64.8 Right  on Section Line Road 0.9
65.7 Left  on Hereford Road 2.0
67.7 Bear Right  on Gurley Pike 3.4
69.9 Rest Stop  at the Little Store -
71.1 Left  on Salty Bottom Road 2.8
73.9 Right  on Hayes Drive 0.6
74.5 Right  on Stone Drive 0.3
74.8 Bear Left  to continue on Stone Drive 0.9
75.7 Left  on Brock Road 0.2
75.9 Finish  at Madison County High School -