sky high on Cherohayla Parkway

 It may take about hour and 15 minutes to arrive at the Cherohayla visitor Center at Tellico Plains from K town, but so worth the drive.   About 3 times a year some bike buds and I head down and get off at Sweet water exit (lost sea) and go thru madisonville & sweet water and then see signs for Cherohayla parkway (on left).  It is a nice visitor center and a sweet lady who is native american usually there to greet us, and they have maps, nice souvenir items etc.    Sometimes

7 miles up on Bald River Falls rd THE falls
good hike up behind it 

 we start there and bke up 5 miles to Bald river road and to see nice waterfall etc It is a great ride on Bald river turn off

Jerry & Carol in front of new TWRA station 

  but I also LOVE to stay on the parkway and drive up about 11 miles further past Indian Boundary campground and park at turkey ? rest stop and start there!    It is a tough climb, and makes biking foothills seem much easier but views make it tolerable.  Carol O was willing to do part of Bald River ride (25 miles) then go up to parkway and we added on about 8  more miles.   The late summer flowers really pretty and views over Tellico lake grand too.

Carol O and I did some extra miles up top on parkway 

we are smiling but "dying" on major climb

Met a cute man named Gene Standwich from Decatur and found out his family had donated a lot of this pretty land (Green Cove lake etc) to Roosevelt back in late 30-40's .

Nice man named Gene who comes up to enjoy old family property
view of Tellico Lake below 

can see rock area below where Parkway climbs

IT really is as pretty as Blue Ridge but less traffic

even our bikes like it there ! 

Long time bike bud Jerry at Hiwasee down below Tellico Drive in 

bike buds Carol and Sharon