Which Areas are Covered?

What's different about America Rides Maps?

Why we take a different approach to mapping

How did America Rides Map Start?

Which Areas are Covered?

America Rides Maps cover the Blue Ridge Mountains ranging from Waynesboro, Virginia, south to the foothills of north Georgia. Each map covers a section of the Blue Ridge mountains in comprehensive detail. The back side of the map has descriptions and info about the roads. Every great mountain road is highlighted. There are handy pocket maps and full sized premium maps.

• Pocket Maps #1-6 cover the Blue Ridge Parkway region. 
  
• Pocket Maps #6-8 cover the region surrounding Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 
  
• Pocket Map #9 takes in north Georgia.
• NEW Pocket Maps #10-11 describe the wealth of rides along the Virginia / West Virginia, the first of our maps covering the Allegheny Mountains.
• Pocket Maps OR1-OR3 - catalogue the best unpaved roads within and surrounding Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• NEW Pocket Map OR4 - provides an extensive and thorough presentation of the best unpaved rides in Northeast Georgia and across the surrounding borders.
• Premium Map "100 Great Motorcycle Rides in the Smoky Mountains" covers the region surrounding Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Premium Map "100 Great Motorcycle Rides in the Southern Blue Ridge" details the areas south of Great Smoky Mountains National Park extending into northeast Georgia and South Carolina

What's different about America Rides Maps?

Simply stated - I wanted better maps of the areas we ride most, the Blue Ridge Mountains, than what I was finding available 

AND -

I wanted maps that worked better in actual use on my motorcycle - standard maps had their drawbacks and failings.

These are the criteria I sought:

• Maps should be easy to read and follow
  
• Maps need to be tough and durable
  
• Maps should be easy to fold and quick to use.
  
• Map on one side only - (Seems I would always start with the wrong side of the 2 sided map).
  
• Maps should be handy, fit in an outside pocket - if stowed away you have to stop and unpack to read them.
  
• Maps should show ALL the good roads, not a selected route.
• Maps should be a size you can control and read in a strong breeze.
  

There are other good maps out there. They will point you to a great ride here, a superb ride there. They'll sometimes have you crossing several states to get to the next ride. I quickly recognized they overlooked some of the best rides between those well known classics. They had you racing right by lots of them. You're wasting precious riding time commuting and missing so much!

The Blue Ridge Mountains are unique. People have been settled here in the Appalachians for hundreds of years. The region is full of history, much of it still evident. Hundreds of small towns and cities are connected by an ancient web of countless roads that weave through the hills and valleys. You'll find stunning beauty around almost every curve. There's no need to travel long distances to reach the next great ride. There are hundreds of outstanding back roads throughout the region. We seek out and find the best of them and show you all the options - when one good road ends there's almost always another right there. You just need to know which way to point your wheels to keep the good ride going.

While we show the well known classic routes you'll see on other maps, we don't lock you in to a specific route. Some days a 200 mile loop ride is more than you want to handle. The weather can change. You hear about a cool little town or museum to visit, a great place to eat, a nice campground or roadside waterfall. We show you every great road to ride so you can build your own routes AND have the option to change your plans on the fly. Take your time, you can change plans as needed because you have so many good options. Relax, explore, discover, have fun at your own pace.

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How did America Rides Map Start?

 

America Rides Maps is the brainchild of Wayne Busch who now lives in Waynesville, NC - the heart of the best riding in the nation. A lifelong rider, he has traveled all across the country and parts of Europe. Though it wasn't planned, the maps grew out of a need.

Several years after moving to the southern Blue Ridge, I was drafted by a few motels, motorcycle rental and guide services to lead rides in the mountains as I knew of so many good roads. As part of these rides I crafted simple route maps for the riders. These maps became popular with visitors and before long providing them was taking up a good deal of time. Demand grew and I decided to perfect them and see if they would sell, a side business. Leading group tours was a lot of work while exploring for new roads and developing maps was fun. I focused on the maps.

Over a couple of years I learned the basics of cartography and experimented with the best size, materials, printing, and layouts for use by motorcycle travelers. Spending a lot of time riding with the maps gave me a great platform for testing what did and did not work. They got better and better.

Around 2008, the maps were becoming very popular and I decided to make the part-time hobby a full time business. America Rides maps has grown rapidly since. We now sell tens of thousands each year and remain committed to constant improvement and updating. Our unique approach and level of detail is unmatched.