Visit Blount County’s Picturesque Cycling Scene
The rolling hills of Blount County, TN, provide an ideal setting for the rolling wheels of the area’s numerous cycling enthusiasts. Several quiet country roads cut through the region, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park supplying a beautiful backdrop.
“To get out on your bike and feel the fresh mountain air around you, it’s the best way to see our scenery,” says Sally Joines, president of the Foothill Striders, a nonprofit organization that promotes outdoor recreation in the area. “There are some great backroads that aren’t very heavily traveled with cars, so they are perfect for our cyclists to get on and just absorb the nature around them.”
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Routes to Explore in East Tennessee
Perhaps the easiest way for a cyclist to experience the area’s natural beauty is to head to Cades Cove, located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, any Wednesday from May through September. Motor vehicles are not permitted on the 11-mile loop road on those days, opening it up for cyclists to enjoy a leisurely ride while keeping an eye out for deer, turkeys, bald eagles and maybe even the occasional bear.
Numerous other cycling options abound throughout Blount County, ranging from the family-friendly Maryville-Alcoa Greenway (18 miles of flat paved trails) to the often strenuous Foothills Parkway (a 30-plus mile stretch of road that contains approximately 4,000 feet of climbing).
“The Foothills Parkway is incredibly beautiful,” says Corey Clayton, owner of the Vee Hollow Bike Shop in Townsend. “It provides a lot of elevation changes, so it’s fairly challenging. But the views of the Smoky Mountains are unbelievable.”
Clayton and his uncle, Kevin Clayton, recently provided another biking opportunity in Blount County by opening the Vee Hollow mountain bike facility, a 14-mile trail network that is free to use. There are four levels of difficulty within the network, making it enjoyable for both newcomers to the sport and experienced riders.
“It was built as a place where anybody can come ride, and you can learn and gain experience,”
Corey Clayton says. “So, people who are new to the sport can ride there and keep progressing. It can be as challenging as you want it to be.”
A Cycling Community
While the scenery might be the star in Blount County, the supporting cast of gear shops, group rides and biking events helps elevate cycling in the area. For example, in addition to being a full-service bike shop, Cycology Bicycles in Maryville has a taproom with a rotating selection of four local beers.
“We are the closest bike shop to the Smoky Mountains, and we are right in the center of some of the best road riding around,” says Cycology floor manager Charles Meacham. “People make us the center of their ride. They can leave their vehicle in our parking lot, talk to our staff about local routes, and then when they’re finished come back and have a beer.”
Cycology is one of several entities in Blount County that offers group events, including the popular Women’s Ride Series. Maryville Bike & Trail has weekly rides for both beginners and experienced cyclists, and the Foothill Striders organizes regular bike rides as well.
“We provide ways for people to come together and enjoy an active lifestyle in a friendly, non-competitive environment,” Joines says. “We just want people to get outside and start moving.”
Joines also serves as the director of the Tour de Blount, a cycling event held nearly every year since 1991. Participants can choose from three different routes, with proceeds going to a college scholarship program. Likewise, the annual Dancing Bear Bicycle Bash each September offers a trio of rides ranging from 28 to 55 miles.
“An active community is a healthier community, and that carries over to almost everything else in life,” Joines says. “When you can get outside and enjoy what we have in Blount County and also build relationships with others, that just leads to a better place to live.”
Find a Motorcyclist’s Paradise in the Smokies
Scott Maddux is a firm believer in knees-in-the-breeze therapy. That is the relaxing feeling motorcyclists can get as they cut through the open air and take in the surrounding vistas.
“It’s almost a meditative type of experience,” Maddux says. “You’re exposed to the elements and your senses are heightened, much more than when traveling in an automobile. You get into a flow with the motorcycle as you’re leaning through the curves and winding through the mountains. I find it to be incredibly therapeutic.”
Maddux says Blount County is the “absolutely perfect” place to enjoy this type of experience, which is why he established Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson in Maryville 20 years ago.
“We have a great network of two-lane roads that cuts through the mountains and along rivers, and a lot of them run through national forests and parks and preserves,” Maddux says. “So, we have some rural areas with well-maintained roads, beautiful scenery and not a lot of auto traffic.”
One such road is called the Tail of the Dragon, a legendary section of U.S. Highway 129 that contains 318 curves within an 11-mile stretch. The route starts just south of Maryville and runs to Deal’s Gap on the North Carolina border.
“On almost any day, you’ll see hundreds of motorcyclists along with sports car enthusiasts riding that road,” Maddux says.
It’s a Lifestyle
Since Blount County is such an attraction for motorcyclists, Maddux says he wanted Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson to be more than just a dealership. That is why he opened The Shed Smokehouse & Juke Joint next door, providing a gathering place for riders to enjoy food and music.
“I got my first motorcycle when I was 7 years old, a little Honda Z50 Mini Trail, and a guitar when I was 11,” says the 57-year-old Maddux. “Those have always been two passions of mine. So, when I opened this dealership, I wanted to blend those two passions. That’s how The Shed came about.”
The Shed holds concerts usually once or twice each week. Past acts have included such artists as Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton. This music and motorcycle combination peaks during Smoky Mountain Bike Week, which provides organized motorcycle rides during the day followed by concerts and camaraderie in the evening.
“I really view motorcycling as a lifestyle, much more than just a product,” Maddux says. “We are very focused on catering not just to the motorcycle itself, but also to the community that we live in. We want to be a destination for motorcyclists.”
– Cary Estes contributed to this article.
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