The Stunning North Carolina Drive That Is One Of The Best Road Trips You Can Take In America
Load up the car because one of the best road trips in North Carolina, maybe even America, awaits in the mountains of the Tar Heel State – and no, it’s not the Blue Ridge Parkway. Folks love exploring the Parkway and it can get a bit crowded during the height of vacation season. That’s why the Cherohala Skyway is a fantastic alternative. It’s much shorter, just as pretty, and takes about three hours to complete. What more do you need?
Welcome to North Carolina's other scenic mountain drive: the Cherohala Skyway. Technically, we share part of this one with Tennessee but we'll get to that in a moment.
The Cherohala Skyway begins outside of Robbinsville at the intersection of U.S. 129 and NC-143. Stock up on some snacks or, better yet, pack a picnic! There are oodles of places to stop to enjoy the view and have a bite to eat.
In fact, in its 43 miles (yes, it's only 43 miles and takes three hours) it has exactly 318 curves where the recommended speed is only 20 miles per hour. If you love adventurous drives, then this is the road for you!
And the Cherohala (named for the two forests it passes through: Cherokee and Nantahala) doles out some wonderful attractions, too.
From the famously popular Santeetlah Gap near the entrance to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest (Mile 0) to the charming hike up to Huckleberry Knob (Mile 9) to the Falls Branch Trail (Mile 21) and more, there's no shortage of picnic areas, gorges, knobs and balds, and waterfalls, too.
The Cherohala Skyway is both a National Scenic Byway and a National Forest Scenic Byway. It features 43 miles and 318 turns and connects Robbinsville, North Carolina with Tellico Plains, Tennessee. It’s definitely one of the very best road trips in North Carolina – and in America!
Of note: the Cherohala Skyway is a popular route for motorcycle enthusiasts. Be aware of that as you spin around turn after blind turn on the Skyway.
Address: Cherohala Skyway, United States
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Robin Jarvis is a travel writer and editor for OnlyInYourState.com with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. Her love for travel has taken her to many parts of the world. She's lived in the Carolinas for nearly three decades and currently resides in Charleston. When she's not working, she loves to cook with friends and check out new adventures. General questions and FAM tours: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com.
