COST: $7.00

START TIME: 1:00PM gather, be ready to ride at 1:30PM. We want to start on time!!!!!!!!

DIRECTIONS:

FROM WEST ATLANTA - Take I-75 North to I-575 North, which will become Hwy 515 North. Just past the town

of Blue Ridge, GA, turn left at traffic light onto GA Hwy 60 toward Murphy, NC. Go approximately 3 miles, in the

town of Mineral Bluff turn right onto Spur 60 and continue 15 miles until Hwy 60 dead ends into Hwy 19/74. Turn

right onto US Hwy 19/74 East. You will pass through Murphy and Andrews. Watch your speed!

Outside Andrews, US Hwy 19/74 will narrow to a two-lane highway and proceed into the Nantahala Gorge. The

drive through the Gorge is about 20 miles of winding road alongside the Nantahala River, so please drive safely.

You will pass the Nantahala Outdoor Center at the bottom of the Gorge, then the Nantahala Village as you leave

the Gorge. Just as the highway opens up into 4 lanes, turn left on to 28N. Follow directions below entitled ‘From

Hwy 28N.’

FROM EAST ATLANTA - Take I-85 North to I-985 (towards Gainesville, GA). North of Gainesville, I-985 turns

into Hwy 441 North, which travels to the town of Franklin, NC (follow the signs for 441 bypass, not 441 business).

Stay on 441 to the towns of Dillsboro and Sylva, NC, where 441 intersects with hwy 19/74. Take Hwy 19/74 West

toward Bryson City, NC. Go about 20 miles, past all 3 Bryson City exits. At one point, 28S joins your road, but

keep going and the 4-lane highway splits into two two-lane roads at mile marker 59. Here, turn right at the split on

to 28N. Follow directions below entitled ‘From Hwy 28N.’

FROM HWY 28N:

When you turn on to hwy 28N, you will immediately cross over a bridge where the Nantahala River terminates into

Fontana Lake. Keep going for about 4 miles (ESTIMATE) and you will see the entrance to the Tsali Recreation

Area on the right. Follow the road about 1.5 miles to the parking area. There is a parking fee, I'm not sure how much it is, but bring some singles.

http://main.nc.us/graham/hiking/tsali.html - here is a website with all the info you could possibly need about Tsali.

So - if any of you are interested - there is the Tsali campground to stay at:
The Tsali Campground is a public campground operated by the Nantahala National Forest's Cheoah Ranger District. Open from April thru October, it is located directly next to the trailhead. There are sites in a nice forest by a stream as well as open, sunny sites in a meadow. This campground has 41 shady, graveled, level sites, and there's hot showers and flush toilets. Drinking water is also provided. Smaller RV's will fit in some sites and are welcome but there are no electrical/water hookups. Sites are $15 per night. Payment is done on the honor system at a self-pay station, so you'll want to have your pass ready for when the friendly ranger comes around the next morning to check that you paid. Best of all, you can pick up your bike and ride straight out of your campsite onto the trails!

Or you could talk amongst yourselves and rent a cabin like we did from these people: http://www.watershedcabins.com/

Please post on www.wheelhopper.com if you are interested - that way everyone knows who wants to go, & if you would want to camp or rent a cabin. You can email me at primer @wheelhopper.com or Jackass at ritebike @hotmail.com for additional info.

I've already got a cabin (and it is full), you all are on your own to rent one if that is what you want to do..........

So far I think that Scratch n Sniff & Puff n Stuff have a cabin, Martha Screw-it and Dunkin Honuts have a cabin, and Black Box was talking about renting cabin.  

Primer