Along US-25

Dist: & Est Time:	110 Miles 2.2 Hours
State Map & Segments:

Brunswick, GA to Statesboro, GA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dist: & Est Time:	80 Miles 1.8 Hours
State Map & Segments:

Statesboro, GA to South Carolina Border

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dist: & Est Time:	149 Miles 3.1 Hours
State Map & Segments:

Augusta, GA to Saluda, NC Area

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dist: & Est Time:	72 Miles 1.5 Hours
State Map & Segments:

Saluda, NC to Tennessee Welcome Station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dist: & Est Time:	84(E) / 120(W) Miles 2.0(E) / 2.7(W) Hours
State Map & Segments:

Tennessee Welcome Station to Kentucky Border

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dist: & Est Time:	56(E) / 43(W) Miles 1.4(E) / .8(W) Hours
State Map & Segments:

Tennessee Border to London, KY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dist: & Est Time:	75 Miles 1.5 Hours
State Map & Segments:

London, KY to Lexington, KY

London is a fairly large city, and roads seem dominated by traffic from I-75. There are many opportunities for food, fuel, and lodging at the north west edge of town, where Hal Rodgers Parkway terminates and turns into Dyche memorial highway as it crosses over I-75. There is a visitors bureau office located on the northwest corner of that interchange. Good place to stop, get maps, rest a bit and find some local knowledge if you need it.

US-25 Continues north from London as Laurel Road and crosses over I-75 twice in the next two miles, but does not offer on ramps at either crossing. After the first crossing the highway is again a scenic rural road in pretty fair shape.

For those wandering riders that don't mind gravel and dirt, there are some especially nice side trips to take in this area. One of them is Wildcat Mountain Road, which leads to the east side of US-25 to Wildcat Mountain Battlefield. There is a small campground there and two ways to reach it... do yourself a favor and don't attempt to approach from the northern end.

There are a couple of nice signs that announce the campground and battlefield and point down an inviting dirt road from a large turn in Route 25. It entices riders gently toward an interesting creek. Just about the time the dirt turns to sand you will see a sign nailed to a tree, "Tourists unfamiliar with this road should NOT attempt to cross the creek when water is present!" What?

At this point, riders of heavy touring bikes are screwed. The road (now really just a path) isn't wide enough to turn around without getting mired in deep sand. A hundred yards later you are IN THE CREEK BED, which has a bottom littered with large boulders. It's not possible to find a place to put out your kickstand and survey the situation. Your ONLY option is to put the balls of your feet on the pegs and try to deftly make an oddly shaped U-Turn, keeping your front wheel rolling over the top of the large rocks, rather than slipping between them. An error here can lead to a broken front wheel, broken legs, and your ride tipped over and unrecoverable without lots of help.

You've got your warning.... please, don't ask me how I know some of these details. Let's just say there is a significant difference between 'Sport-Touring' and 'Adventure Touring" and if you have to ask what they are this really isn't a road for you to attempt.

The only towns of size between London and Lexington are Mt Vernon, Berea, and Richmond. In the Mt Vernon area is Renfro Valley and a possible overnight destination for country music fans. There is a large campground that has an arena that hosts big time concerts throughout the summer. Motorcycles are welcome in the tent area, and the rate is reasonable. Fuel in this area is expensive, often a quarter more per gallon than the price in London.

Route 25 continues north as Wilderness Rd and I-75 is never more than a few hundred yards away. It takes a couple of odd little jogs in Berea as it crosses Main St. If you are not paying attention to the route signs you could end up on North Main Street, out by the high school or on Harrison Road, cruising blithely past the municipal utilities building. If you see either, turn around and try again.

The scenic, slightly twisty, nature of the route is gone now, and soon it meets with US-421 for most of the way to Lexington.

Dist: & Est Time:	85 Miles 2.0 Hours
State Map & Segments:

Lexington, KY to Covington, KY

Beyond Lexington US-25 is really just a surface road alternative to I-75. It doesn't have a lot of traffic and is sometimes a bit hilly, which gives it some character before it reaches the outskirts of Florence. In the area of the regional airport it co-locates with US-127 and US-42.

The last few miles are busy, four lane, and a typical in-town route past malls, and small shopping centers. It briefly turns to divided highway as it approaches I-275 and then again over I-71. The route gives its last gasp as West Pike Street, a two lane street through a residential area. It intersects with I-75 one last time and ends in downtown Covington. BE AWARE, there are many one way streets in this area and you could easily make an expensive wrong turn and meet the gentleman in this final photo.

London is a fairly large city, and roads seem dominated by traffic from I-75. There are many opportunities for food, fuel, and lodging at the north west edge of town, where Hal Rodgers Parkway terminates and turns into Dyche memorial highway as it crosses over I-75. There is a visitors bureau office located on the northwest corner of that interchange. Good place to stop, get maps, rest a bit and find some local knowledge if you need it.

Have a good trip, and remember to ride safely.