This is a 50 mile bike ride with 5,500 ft of climbing that goes all the way around Doughton Park. The route has most of the climbing in the first half of the route. There is actually a little bit of gravel as you ride through Stone Mountain State park, then up to a 17% grade as you climb the mountain up Oklahoma Road.
Where to Park
There is a good sized gravel lot at the bottom of Doughton Park. Lots of good hiking from this lot as well. There are not any facilities here, but there is always room in this lot.
Description
From the parking lot you are going to ride east on a great little country road to the back entrance to Stone Mountain State Park. The first part of the road inside the park is gravel, but only for a mile or so. The park road has several short steep hills to warm you up. There are facilities here, if you need them. After you leave the park, you’ll take your first left up a road called Oklahoma. It is straight up the mountain on this road with climbs of up to 17%. Then its north on Hwy 21 for four fast miles to get to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hwy 21 is the busiest road, but has a very good shoulder to ride on. You’ll go south on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Doughton park. There are facilities in Doughton Park, and this is the highest elevation of the ride. You’ll continue past Doughton park until you get to Hwy 18. After an two short climbs, there is a great downhill stretch back down the mountain. Keep a lookout for your left turn on Longbottom Road, as you’ll be moving pretty fast when it comes up. A few miles east on Longbottom Road takes you back to the parking lot.
Here is a link to my statistics in Strava for this ride