The Noontootla Loop is a 20-mile gravel road loop with a little bit of pavement as a connector. It climbs about 2,700 feet, and runs through the beautiful Chattahoochee National Forest.
There are several different places to start the loop. You can start from the church down on Doublehead Gap road (the Google Maps location given), or connect to it from the Winding Stair loop & Winding Stair Gap.
So, starting from the church, begin by climbing up towards Springer Mountain on Forest Service Road 42. The road climbs rather steeply, but offers gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. You'll pass the Springer Mountain Trailhead and the Appalachian Trail, and eventually make it to Winding Stair Gap.
From there, make a hard left onto Forest Service Road 58. Now the fun begins! USFS 58 is a fast descent, and near Three Forks and the crossing with the AT and BMT it starts to parallel Noontootla Creek. As you continue to descend, but less quickly now, you'll be treated to gorgeous views of the rushing mountain stream (closer to river-level, at times), that cascades over rocks and small waterfalls. More than one person has dubbed this gravel road one of the most beautiful gravel roads in North Georgia!
At the bottom where you T into Doublehead Gap Road, take a left. The gravel will turn to pavement, and you'll finish with a short uphill paved grunt to the church.
Okay...gonna try and update the loop info...starting from the church parking lot at the intersection of Doublehead Gap Rd and FS Rd 42...Go across DblGap Rd and up FS Rd 42 .....the first 2.10 miles are steep....then the incline becomes more manageable but still a tremendous workout....at 6.5 miles up is the parking lot for the BMT hiking trail...just keep going up FS Rd 42 to about 9.5 miles and take a hard left on FS Rd 58....I didn't see a marker for this rd...but you can see it on your GPS...now it's downhill bliss for about 8 miles....this is the part of this loop that is why you want to ride it...Beautiful views of the Noontootla creek...and it runs parallel to the road all the way down....turn left on Doublehead Gap Rd and grind out the last three miles back to the church.....great 20 mile loop
| ThankFor a FS gravel road this is an amazing ride. Would be better done on a cyclocross bike but my SS worked just fine. Beautiful views and a great workout.
| ThankFor a gravel road ride, this is an excellent loop! Combine it with the Winding Stair loop for a 40-mile gravel fiesta!
| Thank