Source: Rider Magazine
This quiet, cozy, well-stocked cabin was our home away from home while visiting North Georgia. Lodging options are plentiful in the area. (Photos by the author.)
My family and I live in Jacksonville, Florida, where midsummer heat and humidity can press down on you like a weight. Looking for a respite, we headed for the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia, some of the southernmost mountains in the 2,000-mile Appalachian chain. Where there are mountains there are usually good motorcycling roads, and North Georgia has some real gems.
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With my wife, kids, and parents piled in the family hauler and my motorcycle on the trailer, the six-hour drive had all the makings of National Lampoon’s Vacation. We avoided any hijinks, but we were relieved to arrive at our favorite cabin in Cleveland, Georgia.
With my family preoccupied with their own wanderings, I was eager to head out for a ride.
I’m an MSF instructor with more than 20 years of riding experience, but as a flatlander I had to recalibrate my brain to the tight curves, camber changes, rises, and dips that are common in North Georgia.
Discarded hiking boots adorn an oak tree at Walasi‑Yi Interpretive Center, a popular place to rest and restock on the Appalachian Trail at Neels Gap. The southern trailhead for the AT is 29 miles away on Springer Mountain.
From Cleveland, I rode north on U.S. Route 129 to U.S. Route 19/129, which forms the eastern side of a famous loop known as the Georgia Triangle that connects U.S. 19, State Route 60, and State Route 180. Heading north on U.S. 19/129, I stopped at the Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center, where the Appalachian Trail cuts through Neels Gap. The small stone building was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and both it and the AT were completed in 1937. Walasi-Yi supports AT hikers with a hostel, bathroom and shower facilities, a mail drop, a store, and shuttle services.
Cloudy skies obscured the views from Brasstown Bald, but on a clear day you can see four states. Georgia’s tallest mountain is accessible via a steep, windy road off State Route 180.
After enjoying the sweeping, roller-coaster curves of U.S. 19/129, I turned east on SR-180 and headed toward Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s highest peak at 4,784 feet. From Jacks Gap, getting to Brasstown Bald requires riding up a narrow, winding one-way up, one-way down road with guard rails, low speed limits, and unrestricted views of the surrounding mountains. Once near the top, it costs $8 to park, and you can take a shuttle or hike the last 0.6 mile to the observation tower, where you can see four states on a clear day.
A nice view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from an overlook on Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway (State Route 348), a fun road through the national forest near the Georgia Triangle.
Backtracking on SR-180, I turned south on State Route 348, also known as the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway, which meanders through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest for 23 miles. It ends at State Route 75A, and continuing east another few miles takes you to the charming but tourist-heavy town of Helen, which is modeled after a Swiss alpine village.
I was there to ride, so I rode south on SR-75A, reconnected with U.S. 129, and then turned left (south) on U.S. 19. At the roundabout at Stonepile Gap, I continued north on SR-60, another wonderfully winding mountain road that forms the western leg of the Georgia Triangle.
See all of Rider‘s U.S. South motorcycle rides here.
After passing the Two Wheels of Suches motorcycle resort on my left, I turned right (east) on SR-180 (Wolf Pen Gap Road), the northern leg of the Georgia Triangle, which is the tightest and most technical of the three.
The Appalachian Trail crosses State Route 60 at Woody Gap, 3,160 feet above sea level.
After passing Lake Trahlyta and Vogel State Park on the right, I turned north again and took U.S. 19/129 all the way to Blairsville. Rather than contend with traffic on U.S. Route 76, I took a more leisurely route west on the Blue Ridge Highway and then Old U.S. 76. At Morganton, I reconnected with SR-60 and enjoyed more curves on my return to Suches.
After riding nearly 150 miles, I had earned a cold drink, a snack, and some relaxation time in one of the rocking chairs at Two Wheels of Suches. This well-known and well-maintained motorcycle resort and campground is a great place to meet fellow riders, see cool bikes, and have a meal, pitch a tent, or rent a room in the lodge.
For a Florida resident like me, riding in North Georgia is a real treat. Winding roads, mountain scenery, and cooler temperatures are a welcome break from flat, straight roads and sweltering heat.
The Georgia Triangle and other nearby roads scratched my itch for curvy roads and mountain scenery, and the temperatures were much cooler than back home. The cabin’s grill and a lazy hammock near the burbling creek were calling my name, so I saddled up again and rode back to Cleveland.
Once my family had gathered around the table set with sizzling burgers, everyone asked about my adventures, and I enjoyed sharing my story. As I said to my 7-year-old, the best part of a trip, no matter how near or far, is coming home.
See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.
North Georgia Triangle Motorcycle Ride Resources
Georgia Tourism
Blue Ridge Mountains
Brasstown Bald/Chattahoochee-Oconee NF
Two Wheels of Suches
Brian Carpenter lives in Jacksonville, Florida. He’s a life-long motorcyclist who rides year-round, and he participates in the motorcycling community on various levels and is passionate about learning, coaching, and being an advocate for the lifestyle.
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