Mississippi to Asheville NC. The LONG way.

[wngrog]

I'm not overlanding and I'm not camping and I'm not opining so I guess this needs a thread in case anyone wants a great route to Asheville from Mississippi.

I got a good start this morning from Tupelo. My work meeting went great and I hit the road on a sugar high from donuts and Monsters.

I took the scenic route via Huntsville and was through Chattanooga before all the tourists got jammed up.

East through Ocoee and north to the tiny town of Reliance to get to Tellico Plains.

This section was not off road but it was remote and beautiful. Reliance has one of the coolest stores ever.

 

[wngrog]

I can't get pics to upload. Tomorrow. Night night

 

[under_psi]

Great! I know you have some good pix. If I only had the time... Thanks for writing all this up

 

[SHUSH]

Nooga to ocoee. B E A utiful area.

 

[wngrog]

This was great.

It sure doesn't like my uploads today either.

Well, I'm already up and out of the National Park. Taking the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Asheville.

 

[HoneyBear]

I've gone that way before in vehicles more suited to on pavement fun (1995 318i and 1995 M3, while following buddies out in BMW 2002s). You can catch US129 that way which is an absolute blast (probably not in a 4runner), it should be scenic-ish, but I've never driven slowly enough on it to get a good look. You should have driven right past the southern end of it.

 

[dnp]

View attachment 1297782 View attachment 1297783 This was great.

It sure doesn't like my uploads today either.

Well, I'm already up and out of the National Park. Taking the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Asheville.

Very cool store. Webb Brothers Rafting service sitting on the Hiwassee River. You would have liked the bridge that was originally there.....

 

[wngrog]

Yeah I saw the pictures. Great old bridge.

It was nice to be able to drive up from Tellico Plains to Green Cove without nearly getting killed by off-roaders towing too long trailers too fast. They also got rid of all the impromptu camping along the Tellico River. I know it was a big loss to off readers but it sure is nice up there

 

[dnp]

Yeah I saw the pictures. Great old bridge.

It was nice to be able to drive up from Tellico Plains to Green Cove without nearly getting killed by off-roaders towing too long trailers too fast. They also got rid of all the impromptu camping along the Tellico River. I know it was a big loss to off readers but it sure is nice up there
View attachment 1297884

Were you able to drive from Green Cove over to Murphy?

 

[Bodean]

I bet that store saw a big time loss of revenue for the first few years. We spent a lot of money at that place over the years.

 

[wngrog]

So there I will pick up the story. Yes. That's open. A lot of the Murphy end is paved. Were I to be just burning holes in the mountains I would have started there. That said, I had never been this other route so it was all good and the drive up from Tellico Plaines is superb.

This is a nice bridge across from the Ranger station. I explored the FS road above it a bit then went and talked to the old lady at the station. I asked her about it and she was clueless. It looks to me like you could spend some serious time on this particular road FS384 then FS26 and thrive all over the Bald River area.

The ranger station was a CCC barracks and HQ in the 30's. Awesome.

God. These pictures are taking forever to load still.

 

[wngrog]

I'll finish this when I can do it more justice but I'll say it is a 100% legit route over 2 days if you want some of the best roads in TN and WNC going to Expo.

 

[Bodean]

You go by Bald River Falls?

 

[wngrog]

Yep. Beautiful as ever.

 

[Bodean]

Such a beautiful area! Miss going up there to wheel. My inlaws have a cabin in Murphy about 4 miles from Crawfords Camp. I need to get back up there I guess...

 

[dnp]

Such a beautiful area! Miss going up there to wheel. My inlaws have a cabin in Murphy about 4 miles from Crawfords Camp. We need to get back up there I guess...

Fixed

 

[BMThiker]

Marshall is leading a trip at the end of August. We're meeting near Tallulah Falls on the GA/SC stateline and then headed up to Cullowhee and Black Balsam.

 

[wngrog]

Ranger office at Tellico

Taking a stretch in the river.

Bald River Falls

As I said before, I went to Green Cove to reminisce. My route would take me up North River Road so I had to backtrack 3 miles to turn north and hit the dirt for the first time

 

[wngrog]

This road is fantastic. It runs along the river with huge trees and rocks. There is a cabin along the river you can rent. Super cool old cabin. I also marked the best campsites.....North River 6-9 were all good. Roadside but riverside. I saw no other vehicles or humans after leaving Green Cove

 

[wngrog]

I saw one motorcycle on North River Road and no people even in the campgrounds from where the gravel starts to passing under the Cherohala Skyway