Rolling through quaint mountain towns (and mountain bike hotspots) like Ellijay, Dahlonega, Suches, and Helen, the new 350-mile Chattahoochee BDR–X gives you an excellent taste of the Chattahoochee National Forest, rugged service roads, and curvy mountain drives.
Promoted as a moto route, it looks every bit as good for Overlanding and off-road vehicles, with lodging and camping stops spread throughout, making it an easy multi day trip. And because it’s a loop, with a few paved sections here and there, it’s easy to do it section by section as time allows.
It criss-crosses the Appalachian Trail, has numerous creek crossings, and plenty of unmaintained dirt roads with rocks, roots, and ruts. If you’re not on an adventure moto, a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended.
Because it’s in the south, the Chattahoochee BDR-X can be ridden most of the year. But, Ride BDR says it’s best between March and December, weather permitting.
Personally, I would lean toward driving it in the fall when it’s cooler, and there is less chance of rain. Georgia mud can quickly gum things up, and the area is notorious for afternoon thunderstorms in the summer. If you’ve ever tried to fly in or out of ATL on a summer afternoon, the delays you’ve experienced are proof of that!
Chattahoochee BDR–X videos
If you’ve got two minutes, check out the teaser trailer above. The documentary below shows a more complete look at the route, the camping options, and other cool features.
RideBDR.com has a wealth of resources about the new route, including weatherproof printed maps and more. What’s really cool is they also have a free downloadable GPX file for the route, but buying merch and maps supports their efforts in finding and mapping these incredible routes throughout the U.S.
They recommend driving it counterclockwise to encounter the least amount of head on traffic, and especially if you’re on a moto, always ride right.
More info RideBDR.com.
Be the first to comment