All That and a Covered Bridge

This ride offers a bit of everything as it travels through part of the Appalachian Mountain Range and the center of a 2,600 acre nature preserve. The route will lead you along the twists and turns of Route 311 over Catawba Mountain and through the quaint town of New Castle before making the climb over Potts Mountain to Paint Bank, where you could stop at The Swinging Bridge Restaurant and the Paint Bank General Store. You’ll also travel past a local buffalo farm, cross state lines and ride through part of West Virginia, and make your way to Mountain Lake Lodge, which you’ll recognize from the movie “Dirty Dancing.” The scenic drive follows Clover Hollow Road and Mountain Lake Road to a pair of covered bridge sites that are only open to foot traffic.