Route 9 - Black Mountain to Bat Cave

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From Asheville, NC, head east on Route 70 to Black Mountain. Follow signs for Route 9 South.

This route begins with a steep climb along switchbacks up the mountains to the Eastern Continental Divide. Near the top, take in panoramic views of the Blue Ridge mountains and the Foothills region of NC. Across the Divide, the road descends through lush mountain hardwood forest to the valley below. The road flattens out a bit and passes scenic farms with golden fields and old barns, and coursing mountain streams .before ascending through more forest along twists, turns and switchbacks. The road then passes more farms along some nice sweeping turns before ending at Bat Cave.

This road has everything from steep switchbacks and hairpins to some flat cruising with spectacular scenery. The road surface is excellent except for the occasional bit of shoulder gravel in some of the turns. Definitely keep speed in check through the turns as gravel can appear suddenly.

There's literally one stop along the way; The Straightaway Cafe. Nice atmosphere and a fairly extensive menu for a place in the middle of nowhere. Good place to stop for lunch with a great selection of burgers, sandwiches and salads as well as many other menu items.

This is a fairly short ride that can be incorporated into a stop at Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. It's also easily incorporated into a loop by taking Rt. 74 back towards Asheville and I-40 East to Black Mountain.

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