Cycling Blue Ridge Parkway

[magnetman]

I am looking to cycle from Front Royal, VA to end of Blue Ridge Parkway and was wondering if anyone has done it by dropping a car (car#1) in VA and then renting a vehicle (Car#2) to leave in North Carolina, thereby cycling back north to car#1 in Va?
thanks

 

[Sevenrider]

I am looking to cycle from Front Royal, VA to end of Blue Ridge Parkway and was wondering if anyone has done it by dropping a car (car#1) in VA and then renting a vehicle (Car#2) to leave in North Carolina, thereby cycling back north to car#1 in Va?
thanks

I cycled the Parkway In 04 from Waynsboro Va. to Cherokee NC.
My wife saged me and we stayed in motels and hotels along the way.
The PW is 475 mi long with around 50000 ft of climbing.
Skyline Dr. starts in Front Royal and ends in Waynsboro VA and is 105 mi long.It also has lots of climbing.I've done SLD at a different time.
I didn't do SLD because of time constraints.
Theres a book by Charles Skinner you may want to read."Cycling the BRP" you may have already seen it.
On some other trips I have done I've used Enterprise rental cars.They genneraly are more available in less populated areas.They have a $50. drop off fee as a rule however you would need to dropoff in another state and I'm not sure if they allow that?
If there is anything you would like to know about the ride feel free to ask.
I can tell you it is a worth while ride.I would love to do it again some day.Mark

 

[magnetman]

Thanks for the 'Enterprise' Rental car option. I do have the book.
50,000 feet, Wow!
I am also thinking of doing the motel option, to reduce weight. Did you pre-arrange reservations or just play it day by day?
thanks again.

 

[Sevenrider]

Thanks for the 'Enterprise' Rental car option. I do have the book.
50,000 feet, Wow!
I am also thinking of doing the motel option, to reduce weight. Did you pre-arrange reservations or just play it day by day?
thanks again.

Pre arranged.I can look at my journal and give you the names of places and the distance I rode daily if you are interested. Mark

 

[magnetman]

If you have the time. I was thinking of just riding till i felt like it and then heading down to look for lodging, but perhaps pre-arranged has its merits.
thanks again

 

[Sevenrider]

If you have the time. I was thinking of just riding till i felt like it and then heading down to look for lodging, but perhaps pre-arranged has its merits.
thanks again

If you need lodging during your tour you will want pre arranged in most places ther is not alot of options

 

[leebm]

I was thinking of just riding till i felt like it and then heading down to look for lodging, but perhaps pre-arranged has its merits.

I rode Skyline Drive and the BRP to the NC/VA border in 1998 on a self-supported trip.

The Skinners' book highlights how resources can be scarce along the BRP. Lodging is often quite a descent from the BRP, so "heading down" will mean that the first couple hours of the following day are spent climbing back to the BRP. If you take a look a the "challenge" centuries in the area, the most difficult parts are the climb to the parkway, not the ride along the parkway. If you're going to stay in hotels, block out for time for your trip due to the extra mileage and I'd do some "pre-arranging" because in some places the hotels are 20 miles from the BRP.

As for getting to SD or the BRP, I flew into D.C. and rode out on the canal trail (? W&OD ) to Front Royal. If you want to start at the southern end, the closest airport is Asheville, which leaves you a considerable distance from the end of the BRP.