The Aska Lake Loop: A Perfect Blue Ridge Motorcycle Ride

The Aska Lake Loop

If you’re looking for a quick ride and a great way to kill an hour or so, The Aska Lake Loop is hard to beat. This scenic ride circles Lake Blue Ridge and comes in at about 33 miles, taking just under an hour to complete without stops.

It’s one of those perfect local rides — great scenery, easy curves, and just enough variety to make it fun without being overly technical.

Start at the Conoco

A great rally point for you and your riding buddies is the Conoco station at 4900 Appalachian Highway in Blue Ridge. It sits right at the intersection of Appalachian Highway (US-76) and Bundy Ridge Road, making it an easy place to meet before heading out.

Even better, they carry ethanol-free gas, which many riders prefer.

Fill up, grab a drink, and roll out.

Aska Road and the Toccoa River

From the Conoco, head out on Aska Road, one of the most scenic and relaxing rides in the Blue Ridge area.

Aska offers a nice blend of rolling hills and sweeping curves. It isn’t overly twisty, which makes it great for a relaxed ride, but it still has enough curves to keep things interesting.

Much of the road runs alongside the Toccoa River, and you’ll pass several well-known local stops including:

  • Iron Bridge Café and General Store
  • Toccoa Valley Campground and tubing area

The river views and forested mountain setting make this one of the prettiest sections of the ride.

Newport Road and the Turn Toward the Lake

Stay on Aska Road until you reach Newport Road.

Here you have two choices.

If you want to extend your ride another hour or more, you can turn right and head toward Ellijay. That route makes a fantastic longer ride, which we’ll cover in another guide.

For the Aska Lake Loop, take a left onto Newport Road.

You’ll pass Van Zandt’s Grill & Grocery, a classic little mountain roadside stop, before crossing a small bridge and turning right onto Dial Road.

Dial Road and Morganton Highway

Dial Road adds a little character to the ride with scenic stretches along the river and a few tighter turns before bringing you out to Highway 60 (Morganton Highway).

Take a left onto 60 and begin heading back toward Morganton.

This stretch offers some of the better curves of the loop along with peaceful countryside views, a small historic church and cemetery, and some nice long-range mountain scenery.

Crossing the Blue Ridge Dam

Continue along Highway 60 until it transitions into Old U.S. 76.

From here you’ll cross the Blue Ridge Dam, which offers great views across Lake Blue Ridge and the surrounding mountains. It’s one of the iconic views in the area and a highlight of the ride.

Follow Old 76 past the marina and back toward town, bringing you almost full circle to where you started.

Finish the Ride at Angry Hops

Your tank probably isn’t even half empty yet.

Instead of heading straight home, continue into downtown Blue Ridge. After passing Circle J, take a right onto East Main Street and follow it down to Angry Hops Brewery.

It’s a great place to wrap up the ride with a cold beer, good company, and the usual motorcycle stories that follow any good ride.

Ride Snapshot

Ride Length: ~33 miles
Ride Time: Just under 1 hour
Ride Style: Scenic mountain loop

Roads Featured

  • Aska Road
  • Newport Road
  • Dial Road
  • Highway 60
  • Old US-76

Highlights

  • Toccoa River views
  • Lake Blue Ridge scenery
  • Blue Ridge Dam crossing
  • Relaxed curves and sweepers
  • Brewery stop at the finish

Sunrock Mountain Ride Rating

Scenery: 5 / 5
Curves: 3.5 / 5
Relaxed Cruise Factor: 5 / 5
Group Ride Friendly: 5 / 5
Ride Length: 4 / 5

Overall: One of the best quick rides around Blue Ridge — scenic, relaxed, and perfect when you want a great ride in under an hour.