A Velo Girl Rides Route
The Elk Mountain Scenic Loop is a classic route in Asheville, North Carolina. We highly recommend it — one of the best ways to sample the variety and beauty of the region in just 28 miles.
Along this beautiful route, you will see views of the city, the famous Omni Grove Park Inn, and ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
This challenging route offers approximately 3,200′ of elevation gain over 28 miles — with a couple of fun descents included.
Distance – 28 miles
Elevation Gain – 3,200′
Difficulty – Moderate
Start – Folk Art Center Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville.
Please park in the lower lot, leaving the spaces closest to the Folk Art Center for their customers. Water and restrooms are available inside the Folk Art Center.
Refueling
Because this route passes within several blocks of the downtown core of Asheville, there are numerous options for food and drink.
Two of our favorites are within 1/4 mile of the route:
Great coffee and sandwiches can be found near the route at City Bakery 88 Charlotte Street. At Mile 15.8, continue south on Charlotte Street for approximately .25 miles. City Bakery is located at the intersection of Charlotte and Chestnut.
More expensive options are available at the Omni Grove Park Inn 290 Macon Avenue, including a luxurious meal but sandwiches and deli options are available too. At Mile 16.6 the route passes the front gate of the resort; turn downhill and follow the driveway about 300 yards to the front door. Staff are friendly and accommodating of cyclists, particularly if you plan to spend money.
Explore an Interactive Map of this Route
You can explore the route on the map below — simply hover your cursor over the red line marking the route, and explore the map.
If you’d like to explore the route in the full version of RideWithGPS, click on the words “View full route” on the map below (you can find the words just below the RideWithGPS logo). Or simply click Here.
Navigating the Route Yourself
Once in RideWithGPS, you can download a detailed cue sheet with turn-by-turn directions, prepared by Velo Girl Rides, and including the specific advice for food options, restrooms, views, and potential dangers along the route.
To navigate the route on your GPS bike computer, you will need to download the .tcx file we prepared, but that requires that you have an account with RideWithGPS and login first.
To navigate the route on your smartphone, you will need an account with RideWithGPS. Simply copy this route into My Routes, and it will be available on your smartphone when you ride. We recommend this method, as RideWithGPS will provide audio as well as visual directions for navigation.