mwib

I've recently moved to the Asheville area and have started thinking of the possibility of one day doing a through-ride of the BRP over the course of a week. I've done quite a lot of both camping and cycling, but never really combined them much before. I'm thinking my setup would look more or less like this -- road bike, frame bag, oversized saddle bag. I'd bring the absolute essentials that I'd need for almost any ride (spare tubes, pump, and the like) and a hammock/tarp setup I have that weighs <1lb, and not a whole lot else -- a t-shirt and some shorts to change into, some toiletries, ...

My initial points of uncertainty primarily fall into two areas:

- Camping/stealth camping. I know this topic has come up frequently when Googling, but I have found many answers. What are the risks of stealth camping? How 'safe' is it / how likely is it I might get caught / what are the consequences if caught? In the areas around here, I get the impression it should be pretty easy to find a spot that's hidden away quite easily, but I have no experience with other areas along the parkway.

- Food. I'm not worried about water, there seem to be enough spots to refill bottles and I'd probably bring purification tablets so I could refill from a stream if needed, but food seems to be the most tricky bit of this ultralight approach. I know there are some restaurants and shops along the parkway, but not many. Obviously, I'm still in the 'daydream' stage of this and I'm sure the answer is: if I plan it out well enough, I'll be able to make it work some way or another.

Has anyone done the BRP with this minimalist approach? Does this seem like a terrible idea?

pdlamb

Camping: have you considered staying in campgrounds? Seems pretty obvious, and they're generally spaced about 80 miles apart -- probably a good spacing if you're going ultralight and taking a week to ride. The rangers have been pretty strict about discouraging camping outside designated areas, so you could try crossing the Parkway boundaries and camping in National Forest lands, or private lands if you're feeling brave.


Water: plan it carefully. The Parkway is well loved, so I'd be careful about surface water.


Food: you'll generally have to get off the Parkway to get some, and it's a good idea to plan to carry two days in most areas (for example, Asheville up to Blowing Rock or Boone).


Have you read the book "Bicycling the Blue Ridge?"

Cougrrcj

I've driven the BRP at least a half-dozen times. Not a lot of places to get food on the BRP, a few Park Service-run lodges, and the towns that are close might entail a couple thousand feet of climbing to bet back to the Parkway.

As for stealth camping, just about anywhere should do since much of the Appalachian Trail pretty much parallels the Parkway. Lots of wildlife, especially the kinds that scrounge the garbage cans at the rest stops/overlooks, so those might actually be places to avoid as 'overnights'!

There are many guides to traveling the AT or BRP. Many with information regarding facilities nearby.

Bike Life

I bought a book on how to tour the Parkway probably 20+ years ago but never got around to doing it. Maybe someday

mwib

Hah -- I'll consider this. I think I got turned off from the campgrounds, seeing that the spots can be rather difficult to obtain and also trying to doing it as cheaply as possible, but it may well be worth the extra $$$.

I haven't really gotten to the point of planning out water, but good point.

That's pretty much what I expected to hear, confirming that is my single biggest area that I'll need to focus on planning out.

No, but I will certainly check it out.

Thank you for your input.

bwgride

A friend and I rode 170 miles on the parkway from Sparta NC to Asheville last month.

Water - there are very few streams along the parkway given that much of it is along or near mountain crests. Plan to obtain water from visitor centers, parks, campgrounds, private spots (e.g. churches) etc. Found I drank lots of water during tough climbs; we also had warm temps during our ride. If you ride in the summer, I suggest bring a minimum of four liters if you have a tendency to drinks lots. Also electrolyte replacements are very helpful (e.g., we used Nuun tablets).

Camping - we stayed in campgrounds (Doughton, Price, and Crabtree Falls). Someone mentioned the Appalachian trail -- it is not frequently near the parkway, but the Mountains to Sea trail does follow the parkway - with many crossings - for a long distance. I guess it would be possible to get on that trail for a few hundred yards to camp in the national forest. We opted for campgrounds to have certain water sources. Stealth camping would be difficult in many sections of the parkway - just no good options with steep drops or walls of rock. There are some forest service roads that lead to nice camping spots (e.g., Shining Rock wilderness).

Food - we carried most of our food, but did find restaurants or shops with some food items on the parkway or less than 1/3 mile from the parkway. I would not plan to leave the parkway often to obtain food or camp due to the steep, long climbs required on the return trips. Some spots, such as at Blow Rock, are easy detours, but others are very tough climbs.

Parkway can be a tough ride.

mwib

Cool, thanks -- some good information.

Realistically, the soonest I'd be able to do this ride is near the end of the next summer or thereabouts, so that gives me plenty of time to come up with a plan for when the opportunity to actually follow through with it presents itself.

pdlamb

FWIW, the AT is pretty much "on" the Parkway, within a quarter mile or so, from roughly Peaks of Otter to the northern terminus (where it goes through a toll booth and turns into Skyline Drive/Shenandoah NP).

BigAura

I've included the BRP as part of a couple of my tours and enjoyed my time on the parkway very much.

Having done a quite a bit of wild-camping I was always able to find spots. I look for forest roads, preferably in a National Forest, and explore. Camping right on parkway camping is not-legally-allowed except in campgrounds.

Food resupply is going to be a problem if you're going minimalist. Personally I enjoy cooking & eating real food and carried a few days worth. On both my tours I went with four panniers so resupply wasn't as frequent.

Blueberry pancakes on my BRP tour:


Wild Camping on my BRP tour:


Water was never an issue because I carry a filter.

The BRP is well graded and never very steep but the on/off access roads can be.

DropBarFan

Campgrounds seem simplest esp if one is tired after a hard day & one can refill water bottles easily. UL should be great for BRP since one feels every ounce. If one isn't fussy about food I guess one could plan food stops w/o taking too many steep long detours, OTOH a UL stove & light food could add flexibility & convenience w/minimal weight.

Squeezebox

Just so you know stealth camping is very frowned upon on the Appalachian Trail. And the shelters tend to be farther away from the Parkway.

BigAura

No bicycles on the trail either. Personally I'd avoid even hiking on the Appalachian trail UNLESS you're doing the Appalachian Trail.