Originally Posted by
rfield54
My new plan, now riding south to north:
day 1: cherokee to pisgah inn (63 miles, 9800' gain)
day 2: pisgah inn to alpine inn-little switzerland...including mt mitchell (86 miles / 9800' gain)
day 3: alpine inn, little switzerland to doughton hall b&b (90 miles, 8200' gain)
day 4: doughton hall b&b to stonewall b&b (89 miles / 6500' gain)
day 5: stonewall b&b to peaks of otter lodge (74 miles / 6700' gain)
day 6: peaks of otter lodge to rockfish gap (86 miles / 8000' gain)...drive to dc
Pisgah Inn is nice.
But if you pushed on to Asheville (about 20 miles IIRC, and almost all downhill) you get some great options.
Inn on Biltmore at the Biltmore Estate is excellent, and a short ride off the Parkway through Biltmore Forest, and lots of options in Downtown Asheville.
It also shortens the next day which will be hard enough with Mt. Mitchell
And I get the point about leaving the Parkway, but Asheville is one place worth leaving it for, and the climb back through Biltmore Forest is a gentle grade, and only about 400 feet vertical