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Our Destinations

Featuring the best and most scenic cycling in the Southeast!

Bike the South Map
Heart of Tennessee
Sequatchie Valley
Cumberland Plateau
Tennessee Overhill
Georgia Highlands
Chattanooga Region
Atlanta Region
Atlanta to Savannah
Heart of Georgia
Natchez Trace
Silver Comet
Rome to Athens

Bike the South will offer some of the best and most scenic cycling in the Southeast, and our pilot season features some of our favorite routes in and near our home base in Tennessee and nearby Georgia. We will also offer partner tours from some of the leading bike tour companies in the Southeast.

You can look forward to:

  • Scenic, curated routes away from traffic whenever possible

  • Tours designed for the slow traveler who wants to savor the South, not just ride through it

  • Some of the Southeast's most outstanding natural treasures, sights and experiences that will impress and surprise you whether you're a visitor or long-time resident

Atlanta to Savannah

The region between Athens and Savannah, Georgia, is known for its scenic countryside, beautiful small towns, and hidden gems. The tour begins in Athens, home to the Georgia Bulldogs, an internationally acclaimed music scene, and six breweries ripe for exploring. The off-the-beaten path corridor, which roughly follows the proposed Georgia Hi-Lo Trail path, ends in coastal Savannah, consistently named one of the “world’s friendliest cities” by Condé Nast Traveler and known for its charm and grace.

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Atlanta Area

World-class restaurants, festive nightlife, professional sports teams and an abundance of attractions and events help make Atlanta the center for entertainment in the South. Visitors can experience a diverse and thriving cultural scene at the city's many theatres, museums, galleries and concert halls and explore the city's diverse culinary scene.


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Chattanooga Area

Twice named America’s “Best Outdoor Town” by Outside magazine, Chattanooga has bicycle routes for every ability and interest: greenways, urban streets, neighborhoods and into the countryside. One reason that the League of American Bicyclists has designated Chattanooga a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community. Chattanooga is also rich in history, of interest to locals and visitors alike. While we’d love to show you around, here are some route suggestions in case you’d like to do it on your own.

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Cumberland Plateau

The Upper Cumberland Plateau is a return to raw nature and to life as it was in decades--if not centuries--past. The region is known for its vast farms and meadows, its streams and gorges, its dense forests, and its many waterfalls, including Fall Creek Falls, at 256 feet the highest in the Eastern United States. The climb to a hilltop often rewards visitors with breathtaking panoramic views. The area is dotted with charming towns and rural villages, even the smallest of which offers cuisine to match the best of Nashville, Knoxville or Chattanooga, all just short drives away.  


Tours:

Tours Coming Soon
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Georgia Highlands/
Chattanooga Valley

Chattanooga Valley runs along the base of Lookout Mountain and offers almost constant views of the soaring ridge. Highlights of the area include Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, the oldest and largest of America’s Civil War parks; Chickamauga, with its Southern small town appeal and rich history; and “The Cove,” where Lookout Mountain meets Pigeon Mountain to form a beautiful cove filled with farms and forests and with a small country store at its end.

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Heart of Georgia

Coming soon

Tours:

Tours Coming Soon
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Sequatchie Valley

Sequatchie Valley is barely a half-hour from Chattanooga, but the trip there takes you 100 years into the past with its farmland, signature red barns, 19th-century churches, content cows and curious horses. You’ll enjoy spectacular views of the valley as the Sequatchie River winds between Walden’s Ridge and the Cumberland Plateau. Our tours keep mostly to the northern, more remote and most scenic end of the valley, where an hour or more can pass without seeing a car.

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Tennessee Overhill (Hiwassee/Ocoee/Tellico region)

The Tennessee Overhill region is a treasure trove of winding backroads, lush woodlands, farms, vineyards, sprawling farms, waterfalls, historic towns and, of course, the Ocoee, Hiwassee and Tellico rivers and the streams that feed them. All against the backdrop of the Cherokee National Forest and the Appalachians. The region is rich with cycling routes of varying lengths and levels of difficulty.

Tours:

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Natchez Trace

Coming soon.

Tours:

Tours Coming Soon
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Coming soon

Bike the South offers three primary types of tours: guided, supported and self-guided. You can also select scheduled tours open to the public, book your own private tour with friends or family, or ask us to develop a custom tour for you.

Guided

Guided tours are great if you like traveling and riding with a group and want to meet new people. They give you peace of mind and often the most thorough tour and exploration experience.

A guide rides with you, points out sights, takes care of any breakdowns (bicycle or human), and ensures a tour experience that you’ll remember fondly for years to come. You’ll also be accompanied by a vehicle (in most cases a van) and driver, who will carry snacks and water and will often set up picnics.

Tours typically range from 4-12 people (at lower range if van transfers are involved). You can also have your own private departure. With private tours, you have your own group and can often customize your tour based on your preferences and interests.

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Self-Guided

Self-guided tours are perfect for independent travelers who are comfortable riding alone or with friends. They’re also great for travelers who have concerns about COVID and prefer to stay within their own travel “bubble.” You’ll still have detailed route information as well as an emergency hotline number in case you get lost or have questions. On overnight tours, you will also have lodging and luggage transfers.

Other Bike the South clients may be starting with you, but you are free to ride on your own.  Some tours may have multiple start times on any given day in order to avoid overlapping parties. You can also have your own private departure. With private tours, you have your own group and can often customize your tour based on your preferences and interests.

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Supported

Supported tours are like self-guided tours but with a “safety net.” A nice mix of independence and peace of mind. Supported tours include a ride-along escort and/or accompanying or on-call support vehicle. Check tour listings for support types on scheduled tours. On private tours, you choose!

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Private and Custom Tours

If you wish to ride with your own party or have us design a something special for you, a private or custom tour may be for you.

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Private Tours

Your group. Your pace. Your tour. Most 2021 programs will include options for private tours, where you ride with family or friends along with options for a private guide, ride escort and/or support van with driver.

Nearly every private tour can be adapted to be shorter/easier or longer/harder. Your guide or a company representative will contact you in advance to discuss route options based on your interests, preferences and riding experience. It’s your ride!

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Custom Tours

Your group. Your pace. Your tour. Most 2021 programs will include options for private tours, where you ride with family or friends along with options for a private guide, ride escort and/or support van with driver.

Nearly every private tour can be adapted to be shorter/easier or longer/harder. Your guide or a company representative will contact you in advance to discuss route options based on your interests, preferences and riding experience. It’s your ride!

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Top Considerations

To help you decide on your dream tour, start by asking yourself these questions. Then look at the tour descriptions to guide your choice.

1. How much riding have I done (and where)?

Do you like riding up hills or mountains, or are you more of a flatlander—or somewhere in between? Check each tour’s level of difficulty and its terrain. Choosing the right terrain—flat, rolling, hilly, or mountainous—can also make or break your tour (or you). And if you’re a flatlander, don’t rule out hillier tours. Instead, consider ones with electric assist bikes available.

2. How comfortable am I with traffic?

Would you prefer a route that primarily follows paved bike paths or quiet back roads? Are you comfortable with light to moderate road traffic? Will going “off-road” even on wide, packed-dirt trails make you nervous (or smile with glee)?

3. What's a comfortable riding distance for me?

Remember you are on vacation and there will be a lot to see along the way—so allow time for stopping, taking pictures and rewarding yourself with ice cream. In the case of multi-day tours, remember that you’ll be riding for several days, usually back to back. So don’t use your weekly Sunday ride as a guide. We almost never hear feedback that daily distances were too short! Again, electric-assist bikes are perfect ways to make longer distances seem much shorter!

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Questions? Drop us a line.

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