There is a small area along the side of the 28 just south of the Deals Gap Resort....it is on the lake side just as the road starts to flatten out and go along the edge of the water - and I have seen folks camping in that area.  It has a short access road about 100 feet long, and I have ridden down it on the bike - but it is a bit to rugged for taking my Pontiac Vibe and my trailer down it.  I had considered parking/sleeping there one night when I arrived very late - but I stayed in the parking lot at Deals Gap instead.

I believe this area is available on a "first come" basis....you can't reserve it.

     Moderators, if you see something is wrong or is being missed in the shuffle, reach in and fix it -- that's what you got them long fingers for.


THESE EVENTS ARE IN PLANNING AND DISCUSSION -- THE CONCRETE HAS NOT SET COMPLETELY YET ....     I am still plugging in names as people show interest, this gives us a tool for seeing who is going were plus the folks who are going can start the refinement process on dates and activities.

So far we got the following in the rough order of doing them.   Adding something is easy, talk it up some, put a date to it and we will see if folks are interested by if they sign up for it.


Santeetlah Lake Exploratory Trip   Last two weeks of April   Oldfeller and MM wanted to go relocate some classic blackline trips and check out some new camping places


Youzguyz Twisted Sisters trip          Mid to Late April      NEED FIRM DATES      Youzguyz,  Springman,  Lancer


Lancer Oklahoma trip    May 22-27   Lancer,  Kenny G,  MM,  Springman,  Verslagen


Indian Paintbrush Campground in Ty Denver  June  NEED FIRM DATES   Verslagen,  Springman,  old.indian,  Lancer


Kickstand Lodge   June 13-18    Dave,  Oldfeller,  MM,  Stewmills,  RaleighGuy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZGNOB5m5Ro&t=166s
http://kickstandlodge.com/rates.html
From here it is a short hop up to the Dragon, and to all the really neat surrounding roads we love to ride.    For East Coast beginners, this is one of the closest (and the BEST) Southeastern trip possible.   Some have argued the area is the BEST BIKING IN AMERICA and I might have to agree with them.  


Undefined East Coast July slot           July 15-16    

This is an empty time slot looking for a neat event to center upon.   Several have been proposed, but not much in the way of takers.   Will be reviewed again in March in hopes of a really neat idea cropping up.


MM's farm     Sept 8, 9 & 10    MM,  Oldfeller,  Dave,  Lancer




And here is a tool to use in locating some no cost camping when travelling to get to the rides:

https://freecampsites.net

No, I carry an air bed and an inflator I can run off the bike.    Moving to the end of April gets us into more decent 44^o night time temps, not warm mind you but doable.

We need for other folks to talk some so we can make appropriate plans.

Otherwise, all we need (you and I) is an agreed upon day and exact meeting place and target time.   I am 8 hours from home by fastest path, 10 if I go by scenic routes.

I'm kinda interested in the whole lake complex -- for a federal facility they seem to have their heads on straight as far as having 3 managed campgrounds, five (5) Ranger Stations and still having all those dozens of free "open to the first taker" camping places that we have been spotting on already.

I am curious as to if it is "by the person" or "by the tent space" at the three full service campgrounds?   We could make us some cost advantage using a big tent if it is by the tent space.   I also want to know if there is a shower at one of the payme campgrounds in the complex.   Yes, see below.

So, are we proposing April 23, 24, 26 ???   Or some other combo of days that can include somebody else ???    Dave would prefer something starting on Weds if he were going to go.

I found another free site with a toilet facility.   It is actually on the Cherohola Skyway side of Santeetlah Lake.  https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recreation/horseriding-camping/recarea/...




I also see mention of 2 cabins that you can put up to six people into each at a cost of $35 per cabin a night.  That is dirt cheap compared to where we have been staying.

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/cheoah-point-cabin-2/r/campgroundDetails.d...     YES, there is an open to all campers shower facility 150 feet from Cabin #1 and Cabin #2.   You can book this place on line, makes it easy to do.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recreation/horseriding-camping/recarea/...     Here is another map that shows the town with a satellite shot.

Costs     FREE PRIMITIVE campsites, Campground based tent sites $15 per night first come first serve; $20 per night for RV sites; $35 per night for cabins that hold six (plus a tent on the gravel fire pad if you need overflow).

Next, there is a tiny little town actually out in the lake that is named Santeetlah, apparently it was a town in the area before the lake was filled in and wound up with water on three sides out on a peninsula.   It is still a tiny incorporated town made up mostly of rich people's lake homes that is showing up on the map above.

Yes, we can spend some time poking around and find a range from free to cheap and we may actually maybe find someplace worth calling "home base" for a group run.

(Dave is going to want to go now, as he is deeply suspicious of "free to nearly free", but he won't turn down a decent place with a shower and a roof over his head -- just no barking dogs, please)


I bet these two cabin places gets booked up a year in advance on the summer weekends.   Weekdays, not so likely.    





Cabin #2 - there is room for an additional small tent if you want but it can not be set up on the grass (only within the gravel pad). So it does make the eating area a bit cramped. Nice view of the lake but a longer walk to your car and the bathroom.    I also see a fire pit and firewood .....

I like the way you think OldFeller !  

I guess I can wait till the last of April.      But ... I'm not promising not to slip over there for a Day-Ride under the " guise" of visiting my brother (Kent) who lives just a few miles south of Robbinsville.    

OK, both bikes are officially "finished" tagged, etc. etc.

Here is the Savage with both tanks fulled completely up and both tanks set to "ON" such that they flow equalized to a joint level.   This was an "at risk test" to see what would happen if I "did the stupid" to it.

I can rest easy, there was not leakage or spillage found while "doing the stupid" as will eventually happen even to the best of us.  

What is neat is the main tank shut off tap or the rear tank shut off tap, either one, stops all fuel movement between the tanks.

So even if I only have half a brain that day, I will likely still be good to go.

This is where I will carry my sleeping bag and my air bed and pillow, all wrapped up together in a cushioned roll up.

Note the tops of the hard bags and the top of the sissy seat are co-equal, so with everything loaded up I get a fairly nice air drag package.   The wind deflection bows out from the  windshield and comes back together brushing the sides of the sleeping bag and the saddle bags as it flows back into itself.

This mocks up my standard long distance tent camping load out.