Recap: Maple-Sally 33
Solo cyclist. 33 miles. 4900 feet of climbing (Garmin reported). Parking is available at the corner of Adako & Brown Mountain. Maple-Sally 33 and Maple-Sally 39 routes at the bottom of post.
Brown Mountain Beach Road from Adako Road to NC90.
Brown Mountain Beach road follows Wilson Creek from the Brown Mountain Beach Resort up to the town of Mortimer. It is paved at the start and quickly changes over to gravel. As you slowly climb through the gorge there are a number of spots to clamber down to the creek which has a surprising number of sandy beaches. On the northern end of the gorge the creek widens out and is closer to the road. On hot days the creek is a fun way to cool off.
The road passes a number of camps and cabins and the Wilson Creek Visitor Center is worth the stop at mile 5.5. Just around the bend from the visitor center is the Wilson Creek Trading Post.
As you near Mortimer the ruins of the old rail line and timber company facilities are littered along the creek. Check out the history of Mortimer and Wilson Creek watershed at the link.
North Carolina Highway 90
At Betsey’s Ole Country Store & Cabin Rental you turn right on North Carolina Highway 90 (NC90). Even though this is a state highway this section of the road is unpaved. Betsey’s is a campground, fishing pond and small general store. The store is usually open and say hi to Bruce Gray, the owner. Bruce hosts a number of events through the year with music and food options. NC90 climbs up and over the ridge and then drops down to the turn for Maple Grove Road.
Maple Grove/Sally Road
Maple Grove/Sally Road starts with a straight up climb to the Maple Grove Baptist Church. After the drop off the ridge the climbing and really fun part of the road begins. From mile 13.5 to 28 the road features windy, twisty switchbacks with ups and downs dropping from the ridge tops to the valleys. The last two miles is a fun drop down to Adako Road, the only extended pavement section of the route.
Maple-Sally 39: A second option adds a few more miles with more climbing. This route turns left onto NC90 at Betsey’s and heads past Mortimer Campground and then up through Edgemont to a forest road. The store in Edgemont may be an option for supplies. The forest road is up and down twisty doubletrack which connects to NC90 on the other side of the ridge. The gated forest road is open seasonally for hunting season. I have seen a lot of bear hunters chasing their dogs along both the forest road and Maple Grove/Sally Road.
