This trail is close to Gatlinburg and Maggie Valley. This difficult loop on the Cherokee Indian Reservation sticks to the high elevations for its entire length. Get ready for long descents, even longer lung-busting climbs, and plenty of spectacular views. Highlights: Panoramic mountain views, stream crossing, long steep uphill, high altitude

 Activity Type:Mountain Biking

Nearby City:Maggie Valley

Length:14.5 total miles

Elevation Gain:1,920 feetTrail 

Type:LoopSkill Level:Most Difficult

Duration:4.5 hours - intermediate level

Season:Year-round, best spring and fall

Trailhead Elevation:5,220 feet

Top Elevation:3,480 feet

TweetGreat idea! Visibility is so important and these lights look cool too. These would look sweet riding down the streets of Gatlinburg.

I never thought the idea of a folding bike was cool. They always look so small and toy like. After watching this video, I am starting to change my mind. I would love to take one of these on a spin around a trail in the Smoky Mountains to see how they hold up.

TweetI love this Fat Tire bike!

Tennessee has passed a law to protect cyclists on the road. Here is how you can spread the word around the Smoky Mountains.  click the link to visit the official site. http://www.tennessee3feet.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

http://www.tennessee3feet.org/index.php?option=com_bookmarks&Itemid=1&task=view&id=9

For Cities worried about the costs of adding more bike lanes, the case can be made that they can't afford not to do it. A wonderful article is located here.

 

This road is closed seasonally and makes a great ride on a bicycle with no traffic to worry over. The Balsam Mountain area is an excellent high elevation escape offering spectacular mountain views and loads of summer wildflowers. To reach the Balsam Mountain area you must leave Great Smoky Mountains National Park briefly and drive the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway begins midway between Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Cherokee, NC. Exit the parkway near milepost 458 at the turnoff to Balsam Mountain Campground. You will follow the mile-high Heintooga Ridge Road for eight miles to Balsam Mountain Campground (elevation 5,310').Heintooga Picnic Area and Overlook are one mile beyond the campground. Restrooms are also available here.From the picnic area, you can either return the way you came of take the one-way Balsam Mountain Road back to Cherokee. The first 18 miles are unpaved but suitable for passenger vehicles (buses, trailers, and motorhomes are prohibited). It takes about an hour to return to Cherokee on this scenic road.

 The best video I could find is here. Quiet trail that connects to Cades Cove Loop. Worth riding only  if you have an extra car to shuttle you back.  This out-and-back called Rich Mountain Road curves more times than a black snake climbing a tree. The first half of this ride over lightly graveled surface climbs Cades Cove Mountain. If you reach this trailhead in the summer, plan to share the road with cars and other vehicles. However, if you arrange to be trailside at dawn on a Wednesday or Saturday from early May to late September, you can ride without the intrusion of combustion engines clattering by. You are likely to catch sight of a big buck crossing the road ahead, velvet shedding from a freshly grown rack of horns. Or you may come by just in time to see the tail end of a hawk's dive onto a truly mourning dove. This route is open to vehicles during the peak-use months; at those times, bikes must travel one way only and use a shuttle for the return trip. Scenery: Cades Cove, Cades Cove Mountain, Rich Mountain, and Hesse Creek

Nice Trail video I found on youtube. This Trail is 6.5 miles long with some obstacles. Moderate degree of difficulty.