Above, the Ninja sits by the Mill Ridge Road east of Hot Springs, a spot that is familiar to thousands of hikers that pass this way along the Appalachian Trail. As you leave Hot Springs, climbing high above the French Broad River over the smooth sweeping turns of Hwy. 25, heading towards Marshall and points east, you'll notice a small concrete bridge crossing over the highway at the top of the gap. That's the crossing for the Appalachian Trail. Exit here and head up the small dirt road on the other side of the bridge and you'll come out at the Mill Ridge wildlife area. It's laced with hiking and mtn. biking trails, in addition to the AT that passes along the top of the ridge. The views to the south, towards Bluff Mountain, are spectacular at any time of the year, but especially during the colorful and all too brief days of autumn.

On this page, I want to add some pix from some optional rides in the Hot Springs and points north region. The border country between North Carolina and Tennessee hold some of my favorite rides, and of them all, I think that I like those north of Hot Springs the best.

It's well worth taking the time to ride up the hill to Mill Ridge if you're cool with taking your ride on dirt roads. I first passed through here years ago while hiking the AT. One of the reasons that I decided to start riding again was because I thought that it would be a great way to scout out some new territory for hiking and backpacking. After a lifetime of roaming the trails, I find that there is still an abundance of backcountry to explore. One thing that I've discovered is that many of the places that I visited decades ago are actually much nicer now than they were then - people have become much more conscientious about litter. In the past, many of the little mountain roads that lace the border country between Tennessee and North Carolina were little more than dumping grounds for the locals - old beds, rusty cars, mounds of household refuse were tossed with little thought over the mountainsides. You rarely see that now, and it makes for lot more pleasant exploration.

One of several birdhouses that are strung out along Mill Ridge. The area is now managed as wildlife habitat, with the focus being on providing forage for a wide variety of wild critters.

Looking south from the top of Mill Ridge towards Asheville.

The view from the AT bridge across Hwy. 25, east of Hot Springs, NC. That's Bluff Mtn. on the horizon. The AT wanders across that high point on it's way north from the Great Smoky Mountains.

Moving northeast, way northeast, to the Big Laurel Road that dips and weaves across the border mountains between I-26 and Hwy. 212. northeast of Hot Springs. Hwy. 212 winds across the border country to Erwin, Tennessee - another great, little-known route with smooth pavement, sweeping curves, and terrific scenery. I passed this small mountain farm not long after turning off of Alt. 23 onto the Big Laurel Road. Each time I ride through there, this horse runs out to meet me and then races me to the other end of the pasture. If I turn and go back again, he'll wait and then tear off along the fence beside me. It obviously loves to run and is one of the many high points of this particular ride. To access the Big Laurel Road from the eastern end, take Alt. 23 north from Hwy. 19E, climbing up and along the high ridges along the way. I don't remember the exact mileage, but at one point, Alt. 23 moves right up against I-26 - watch for a very high, maybe 200 feet, concrete bridge on your right that crosses over Big Laurel Creek. Turn off of Alt. 23 and ride beneath the bridge. You're in for a treat - this ride is spectacular! By the way, there is a large German Shepherd that you might encounter perhaps a mile after turning onto Big Laurel, usually right in the middle of a very tight curve. It's not particularly aggressive, but it has a tendency to dart right in front of your bike. Watch out!

Foster Creek Church - this is located off of the Big Laurel Road on Foster Creek Road. It's only paved for a short distance - maybe a couple of miles, but I like to hit all of the side roads when I'm exploring a new ride. This is a pretty little valley that runs up to the Tennessee line and the AT. Something that I've noticed while checking out so many side roads is that an awful lot of them usually have a pit bull standing at the end - I'm getting really good at doing fast 360s and burnouts.

Big Laurel Road, a few miles west of Alt. 23. Good ride, good weather, terrific scenery, and very little traffic.

Another look at the Big Laurel Road a few miles west of Alt. 23.

Before you reach the turnoff from Alt. 23 to Big Laurel Road, you pass a little side lane - I think that it's named Chandler Road, probably named after the owner of this beautiful old mountain farm. This reminds me a lot of my uncle's farm in the western hills of Virginia where I spent most of my summers as a child. Great place for a kid to wander and get into trouble...

Another look at the steep road that climbs to the head of the valley above the old farm.

One last look at the old farm - scenes like this are disappearing fast from the hills of Western North Carolina.

Big Laurel Road takes a hard right turn when it meets the Walnut Creek Road - it's easy to miss the turn if you're crankin' it out. However, if you do, you'll still have a great ride, climbing up and over the high ridge that this photo was shot from, then dropping down into the Walnut Creek drainage. The road eventually meets up with Hwy. 25 in Marshall. This photo looks back over the mountains and valley that I rode through from Alt. 23, miles away to the east.

The river town of Marshall, NC - home of good blue grass and the terminus of a popular bike (as in bicycle) ride for riders from the Asheville region.

The Marshall courthouse.