Quiet, scenic backways offer reasons to ride

The Open Road

The Open Road

Grace Beahm/The Post and Courier

Motorcycle rallies such as those in Myrtle Beach and Daytona Beach, Fla., this month are loud, raucous events with maddening crowds.

And nothing gets the blood pumping like winding it up to 160 mph at the Road Atlanta race course in Georgia.

But for average street-riding bikers, quiet, open roads with beautiful scenery are one of the most alluring reasons to ride.

Lucky for us, the Lowcountry still has some of the best rural rides around, especially during the cool fall and spring months. Unfortunately, growth is crowding those roads with more and more "cages."

That's biker-speak for anything on four wheels. It tells you something about the exhilarating freedom that bikers crave.

To find it, all you have to do is get out of Charleston on any road except Interstate 26 and avoid the beaches (except Edisto!). Some of the best rides through Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties start on Maybank Highway, S.C. Highway 61 and S.C. Highway 41.

Those three highways always have been great for cruising, but now you have to take them much farther from the city before the crowds thin out. Huge developments now under study for most of these areas will only add more traffic, so enjoy these rides while you can.

You can get to Maybank Highway from U.S. Highway 17 south of Charleston on Main Road or from Folly Road just across the Wappoo Creek.

Both put you on Johns Island, which is too crowded for riding comfort these days.

Just past Main Road on Maybank, you cross Church Creek onto wonderful Wadmalaw Island, which reaches out to the Edisto River and Bohicket Creek. Veer to the right on Bears Bluff Road and follow it to the end at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife fish hatchery on the North Edisto River. It's a beautiful place, but be careful on the gravel road into the hatchery.

On the way back, take Maybank out to Rockville, home of the historic regatta and some classic Sea Island homes. Also, stop at Cherry Point Landing, where you can rest and relax under the oaks.

If you're starting east of the Cooper River, head for Highway 41. Once you pass the subdivisions and cross the Wando River into Berkeley County, things open up in several directions through the Francis Marion National Forest. If you stay on 41 to Huger, you can take S.C. Highway 133 (Steed Creek Road) to Awendaw, or turn left on Highway 402 through Cordesville to Moncks Corner. There you can loop around Lake Moultrie on highways 6, 45 and 52.

Highway 61 — or Ashley River Road — is a mess until you pass Shadowmoss, but then it's probably the best single starting point for rides to most parts of the tri-county.

Huge oaks drape the gently twisting way past historic plantations, but keep going until you get to Cooks Crossroads at S.C. Highway 165, a junction for routes in Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties.

The Dorchester/Berkeley route is a long inland ride with the least amount traffic of most rides noted here. Stay on 61 until you get to Givhans and take a right on S.C. Highway 27 (Givhans Road). This will lead you through Ridgeville, across U.S. Highway 78 and Interstate 26 into Berkeley County.

This part of Highway 27 is a relaxing ride north to busy U.S. Highway 176. Turn right onto 176 very briefly, then left onto S.C. Highway 311 toward Lake Moultrie and Highway 6.

If you opt for the Charleston County ride at Cooks Crossroads, you'll take Highway 165 through the woods until you reach the Charleston County line at Delemars Crossroads. For a shorter ride, turn left onto County Line Road back to Highway 17 near Red Top. For a longer jaunt, stay on 165 across Highway 17 through Ravenel to Hollywood, where it joins Toogoodoo Road.

A few miles later, 165 turns left toward Meggett, but stay on Toogoodoo for a twisting ride to S.C. Highway 174, where you take a left toward Edisto Island and Edisto Beach. The park on the ocean is a great place to take a breather.

These are just a few of the many rides that can get you away from the traffic and the crowds. Even if you've got a computer to find these routes and locations, take a good map with you and do a little exploring. You'll be surprised what you find.

Reach Richard Green Jr. at rgreen@postandcourier.com or 937-5544.