Johnson City Roundtrip The Southern Dozen Ride 09 Mountain Ribbons
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 12-02-2021
Route Summary 
Share this route 
Animation
Verdict
Duration
6h 0m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
334.33 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The Southern Dozen are twelve rides based in Johnson City that travel all around the region. Each one is an adventure in itself that will take you through winding curves, breath taking natural scenery, historic landmarks, local points of interest, and fun attractions. Whether you feel like exploring caves, seeing wolves, touring historic sites, leaning into heart-pounding curves or just taking in the views, you’ll find a ride that’s exactly what you’re looking for.
On this route you’ll ride the highways of East Tennessee that flow through our crowning glory, the Appalachian Mountains. Prepare to have your breath taken away as you snake across the lakes, rivers, and streams of one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges. Ultimately, the ride leads to one of the greatest rides in the whole world - the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visit the Moses Cone House, the Linn Cove Viaduct, or the various overlooks of Grandfather Mountain.
You start in Johnson City and the first stop is Downtown Elizabethton, here you can stop and shop if you’re interested in Antiquities. At RP5 you have a view of the Covered Bridge on the right.
You continue the ride along the Watauga Lake, take time for a stop to admire the beautiful view. Take Highway 67 through the mountains via Damascus and Mountain City and Highway US 421 into Boone (RP10), where you can stop for lunch in one of the many restaurants.
You continue on US 421 for another 12 Miles and take the exit on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Everyone should experience a drive on The Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway runs from Virginia all the way to Cherokee, North Carolina. Beautiful scenery all the way. Overlooks and amazing vistas the whole way. No big trucks are allowed on the Parkway and the speed limit is 45. You will ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 40 miles till Linville. At RP13 you can visit the Moses H Cone Memorial Park and Manor. Take a minute to stop at RP14 and admire the view of Price Lake.
Just before Linville we will get of the Blue Ridge Parkway to ride up the Grandfather Mountain. Grandfather Mountain has been an icon in North Carolina’s landscape for generations, offering stunning scenery and unmatched ecological diversity. This state park opens the mountain’s to spectacular hiking and backpacking and there is the mile-high swinging bridge (RP15) and other attractions.
In Linville you can visit the famous Linville Falls (RP17), the most popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains because of its accessibility to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a spectacular three-tiered waterfall plunging into Linville Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians.”
A link to full Blue Ridge Parkway tour is included in this review.
The ride continues through the Roan Mountain State Park, another scenic ride (RP19-22) with amazing roads and views, back to Johnson City.
Roan Mountain is famous for its spectacular natural gardens of Catawba rhododendron. The peak bloom time for the sea of purple-magenta is usually mid-June, plus or minus a week depending on weather. Enjoy the blooms in two areas: a scenic hike along the Appalachian Trail from Carver's Gap (RP20) or nearby the Recreation Area with an easy paved trail and picnic area.
I rate this route with 5 stars, because of the beautiful mountain roads with amazing scenery.
Links 
Usage Want to download this route?
You can download the route for free without MyRoute-app account. To do so, open the route and click 'save as'. Want to edit this route?
No problem, start by opening the route. Follow the tutorial and create your personal MyRoute-app account. After registration, your trial starts automatically. 
Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Nearby routes 
Tennessee
About this region
Tennessee, officially the State of Tennessee, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th largest by area and the 16th most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest. Tennessee is geographically, culturally, and legally divided into three Grand Divisions of East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Nashville is the state's capital and largest city, and anchors its largest metropolitan area. Tennessee's population as of the 2020 United States census is approximately 6.9 million.Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its name is derived from "Tanasi", a Cherokee town in the eastern part of the state that existed before the first European American settlement. Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later the Southwest Territory, before its admission to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. It earned the nickname "The Volunteer State" early in its history due to a strong tradition of military service. A slave state until the American Civil War, Tennessee was politically divided, with its western and middle parts supporting the Confederacy and the eastern region harboring pro-Union sentiment. As a result, Tennessee was the last state to secede and the first readmitted to the Union after the war.During the 20th century, Tennessee transitioned from a predominantly agrarian society to a more diversified economy. This was aided in part by massive federal investment in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the city of Oak Ridge, which was established during World War II to house the Manhattan Project's uranium enrichment facilities for the construction of the world's first atomic bombs. These were dropped on Imperial Japan at the end of the war. After the war, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory became a key center of scientific research. In 2016, the element tennessine was named for the state, largely in recognition of the roles played by Oak Ridge, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Tennessee in its discovery. Tennessee has also played a major role in the development of many forms of popular music, including country, blues, rock and roll, soul, and gospel.
Tennessee has diverse terrain and landforms, and from east to west, contains a mix of cultural features characteristic of Appalachia, the Upland South, and the Deep South. The Blue Ridge Mountains along the eastern border reach some of the highest elevations in eastern North America, and the Cumberland Plateau contains many scenic valleys and waterfalls. The central part of the state is marked by cavernous bedrock and irregular rolling hills, and level, fertile plains define West Tennessee. The state is twice bisected by the Tennessee River, and the Mississippi River forms its western border. Its economy is dominated by the health care, music, finance, automotive, chemical, electronics, and tourism sectors, and cattle, soybeans, corn, poultry, and cotton are its primary agricultural products. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited national park, is in eastern Tennessee.
Read more on Wikipedia
Tennessee has diverse terrain and landforms, and from east to west, contains a mix of cultural features characteristic of Appalachia, the Upland South, and the Deep South. The Blue Ridge Mountains along the eastern border reach some of the highest elevations in eastern North America, and the Cumberland Plateau contains many scenic valleys and waterfalls. The central part of the state is marked by cavernous bedrock and irregular rolling hills, and level, fertile plains define West Tennessee. The state is twice bisected by the Tennessee River, and the Mississippi River forms its western border. Its economy is dominated by the health care, music, finance, automotive, chemical, electronics, and tourism sectors, and cattle, soybeans, corn, poultry, and cotton are its primary agricultural products. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited national park, is in eastern Tennessee.
View region
Statistics 
38Amount of RX reviews (Tennessee)
24337Amount of visitors (Tennessee)
1139Amount of downloads (Tennessee)
Route Collections in this region The Original Southern Dozen Motorcycle Rides in Tennessee Virginia and North Carolina
The Southern Dozen; hit the throttle and hold on tight!
There’s no better place to leave the daily grind in the dust than roaring around the curves of the Southern Dozen! Surrounded by some of the most breathtaking natural beauty in the country, you’ll find the freedom of exhilaration as you wind through the foothills and mountains of Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina.
Whether you’re looking for heart-pumping curves, breathtaking scenery, historic landmarks, local gems, or nearby attractions, the Southern Dozen has rides worthy of even the most seasoned road warrior. Explore the Original Southern Dozen and see all that Johnson City and the surrounding region have to offer.
Johnson City is a regional gem where big-city amenities meet small-town Southern charm. Here you’ll have access to everything you could want or need and more! Perfect for the casual rider and those who “live to ride,” Johnson City hosts numerous bike rallies each year. So plan your trip and book one of the many biker-friendly accommodations.
There’s no better place to leave the daily grind in the dust than roaring around the curves of the Southern Dozen! Surrounded by some of the most breathtaking natural beauty in the country, you’ll find the freedom of exhilaration as you wind through the foothills and mountains of Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina.
Whether you’re looking for heart-pumping curves, breathtaking scenery, historic landmarks, local gems, or nearby attractions, the Southern Dozen has rides worthy of even the most seasoned road warrior. Explore the Original Southern Dozen and see all that Johnson City and the surrounding region have to offer.
Johnson City is a regional gem where big-city amenities meet small-town Southern charm. Here you’ll have access to everything you could want or need and more! Perfect for the casual rider and those who “live to ride,” Johnson City hosts numerous bike rallies each year. So plan your trip and book one of the many biker-friendly accommodations.
View Route Collection
The 10 most downloaded routes in the USA from RouteXpert Hans van de Ven
Hello and welcome to this collection of the Top 10 MyRoute app downloaded routes in USA.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be driven.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelogue of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your mail.
The 10 routes are:
1. D13 Estes Park Denver
2. D03 Chadron Custer
3. D01 Pigeon Forge round trip through the Smokey Mountains
4. D08 Kalispell Sandpoint
5. D10 Colville Wenatchee
6. D09 Sandpoint Colville
7. D04 Custer Wall
8. D11 Wenatchee Seattle
9. D08 Cody Yellowstone NP
10.R13 San Francisco Monterey
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be driven.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelogue of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your mail.
The 10 routes are:
1. D13 Estes Park Denver
2. D03 Chadron Custer
3. D01 Pigeon Forge round trip through the Smokey Mountains
4. D08 Kalispell Sandpoint
5. D10 Colville Wenatchee
6. D09 Sandpoint Colville
7. D04 Custer Wall
8. D11 Wenatchee Seattle
9. D08 Cody Yellowstone NP
10.R13 San Francisco Monterey
View Route Collection