I’d been hearing about the TN Dirt Devil route for a while, but I’d never gotten around to actually ordering a map and seeing what it’s all about…until now. The Dirt Devil is a carefully plotted system of public roads in western Middle Tennessee (near Leiper’s Fork and the Natchez Trace Pkwy). The official printed map of the route is available from tndirtdevil.com, and costs $22.50 at the time of this post. I studied the printed map, and then created my own GPX track to follow on this ride. I didn’t even try to cover all of the roads that are part of the Dirt Devil, but still felt like I had a full day’s ride.
I started and finished at the picturesque Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge over Highway 96. I pulled over at the parking area by the bridge to snap some photos, and got a chance to talk with a fellow dual sport rider who was camping/traveling his way from Minnesota back to his home in Florida. I stopped for a gas station lunch of a BBQ sandwich and and a can of Coca-Cola, enjoyed at a slightly wobbly picnic table near the gas pumps. There were a couple water crossings that I was a bit leary of, given the temperatures around here have been dropping lately, and I really didn’t want to embarass and endanger myself by dumping the KLR and myself in a cold creek. Luckily, the crossings went smoothly, and the only parts that got wet were my boots and pant legs.
If you find yourself in this area, I’d highly recommend giving at least parts of this route a day’s worth of exploring. It’s a beautiful area year-round, but especially in the fall with the changing leaves. I hope to get back out here soon to explore even more of the route.
If you’re looking for some tunes to accompany the ride, The Possum a.k.a. George Jones seems very appropriate. A portion of Highway 96 was dubbed the George Jones Memorial Highway when he passed away in 2013.
