The Tennessee Lost Highway's: Highway 31 and 63 the Roads to Sneedville TN

Sometimes a road captures your soul and then sometimes it scares you out of it.  I have ridden some curves in my lifetime, both the Tail of the Dragon, in the mountains of West Virginia, and a lot of places in between.  But the roads in and out of Sneedville are something I will always remember.   After finishing Terri and I agreed much more difficult than Tail of the Dragon.

After leaving Rogersville on US Highway 11W, you take a right on Tennessee Highway 31, the road to Sneedville.  This winding road climbs over Clinch Mountain.  The views from the switchbacks are breathtaking.  On the descent, you are dropping into the Caney River Valley.  You then ride through a small mountain gap.  Once crossing the  Cinch, you arrive in the backwater town of Sneedville.

As if Highway 31 wasn't enough Tennessee Highway 63 will surprise you.  The large trucks are not recommended sign should have been a warning.  The very steep winding ascent was most unusual for a paved state highway.  For the 1st mile, it was mostly 1st gear to negotiate the steep uphill turns. Once getting into Mulberry Gap, you think that it's over with until the descent into the Mulberry Creek Valley.

Getting down to the Valley you would think the road would straighten out a bit, but it doesn't.  Negotiating the winding road while following Mulberry Creek with dozens of blind curves is challenging.  After making a left onto 345, we rejoin US Highway 25E at Tazewell for the trip through the Cumberland Gap and home.

This road should be a motorcycle destination an incredible ride both in scenery and a test of your technical riding ability.  The Tennessee Lost Highways gives you what you need.