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Road to Nowhere

               The Road to Nowhere explores some rarely ridden out-and-back roads around New Hope. The ride is 76 miles on mostly flat to rolling terrain but the route lends itself to shortcutting easily with the five dead-end roads.

The route also includes an optional climb up Merrill Mountain - 1.1 miles with an 8.8% average grade. There are some nice views of the Tennessee river and Guntersville dam off Merrill Mountain if you continue straight for a couple of miles after the summit, this option would add seven miles to the total.

A similar ride that climbs up to Grant is the 67-mile Dam Grant Options ride, it includes three optional up-and-back climbs.

Directions to start:

The Cove Park ballfields near Hampton Cove:

If travelling over Monte Sano on Highway 431 (East on Governors Drive), travel 4-5 miles and turn Left at Old 431/Sutton Road. (If you pass the KFC on your right you've gone too far.)

If travelling over Cecil Ashburn Dr (Four Mile Post extention), continue straight on Sutton Road for 0.7 miles and cross Highway 431 (Publix/Hampton Cove area).

Travel East 1.6 miles and turn right onto Old 431. The ballfields are on the right.

Route description:

Map icon Route map

Area map

Printable cue sheet

              
Miles Turn  Description Leg
0.0 Right  out of Cove Park parking lot onto Old Highway 431 3.1
3.1 Left-Right  across Highway 431 to continue on Old Highway 431 3.7
6.8 Right  on Hill Road 1.3
8.1 Right  on Hobbs Island Road 1.1
9.2 Left  on Clouds Cove Road 1.7
10.9 Left  on Meeks Road 1.4
12.3 Left  on Clouds Cove Road 2.2
14.5 Continue  on Willie Lemley Road 1.0
15.5 Left  on C C Ivey Road 0.5
16.0 Right  on Clouds Cove Road 4.6
20.6 Right  on Hobbs Island Road 1.2
21.8 Right  on Oak Grove Road 4.1
25.9 Right  on Scott Branch Road 3.3
29.2 Turnaround  at end 3.3
32.5 Continue  Straight onto Oak Grove Road 1.7
34.2 Right  on Johnson Ave 0.7
34.9 Right  on Main Drive/New Hope Highway
Rest Stop off route in New Hope		 3.5
38.4 Left  on HWY-431 0.2
38.6 Right  on Merrill Mountain Road 0.7
39.3 Right  on Johnson Hollow Road 3.8
43.1 Turnaround  when pavement gets rough
(new house on left)		 3.8
46.9 Right  on Merrill Mountain Road
(Optional climb to end of road adds 7 miles)		 0.1
47.0 Left  on Walker Road 1.7
48.7 Right  on Guntersville Dam Road 2.9
51.6 Turnaround  at the Dam overlook 2.9
54.5 Left  on Walker Road 1.7
56.2 Right  on Merrill Mountain Road 0.8
57.0 Left  on HWY-431 0.2
57.2 Right  on New Hope Highway 1.1
58.3 Right  on Shirt Tail Bend 2.0
60.3 Turnaround  at Shin Point Road (end pavement?) 2.0
62.3 Right  on New Hope Highway 2.8
65.1 Slight Left in New Hope  onto Main Drive 0.2
65.3 Right  on Old Gurley Pike 2.4
67.5 Left  on Low Gap Road 4.7
72.2 Left  on Cherry Tree Road 3.3
75.5 Right  on Old HWY-431 1.2
76.7 Finish  on Cove Park Ballfields -