Scenic Highlander Driving Tours through the Western North Carolina Mountains

Cherohala Skyway.....From heights nearing 6,000-feet, are views of the rugged rolling mountaintops of the Unaka Mountains with the Great Smoky Mountains to the northeast and the Tennessee River Valley to the west. What you will find along the route are lots of great mountain overlooks, camping areas and numerous hiking trails leading off from the scenic byway.  The mountain and valley views along the 36-mile stretch are spectacular.    read on.....

Unaka - Unicoi Mountains Scenic Byway.....Some of the largest mountain wilderness lands in the nation lie on the fringes of the eastern Tennessee Valley’s mountain region and along the western boundary of North Carolina’s mountain country. This wilderness of over 1,154,000 acres has been divided into three separate mountain ranges.  The Upper Unaka Mountains, the Lower Unaka Mountains and bridging the two of them together in the middle is the Great Smoky Mountains.   read on.....

Blue Ridge Parkway from Cherokee North Carolina to Asheville North Carolina. The highest point along the Parkway lies just above the southern end of the Haywood County, you can not only drive this extraordinary scenic drive you can also stop and hike the high country to take in unusual sites and natural wonders true to the great Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains Province.

Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway definitely lives up to its namesake. The 79-mile loop tour will take you deep into the heart of the Pisgah National Forest with mountain peaks reaching more that 6,000 feet above sea level. Beginning in Waynesville take US 276 to the town of Woodrow, it’s the next town east of Waynesville. At the intersection of US 276 and State 215, head south on State 215.

The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches 469 miles from the southern end of the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Qualla Boundary of the Cherokee People on the southern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains Park in North Carolina. The majority of the Blue Ridge Parkway travels across the spine of mountain ridges.

North Carolina's Cherohala Skyway transverses the entire width of the Lower Unaka Mountains; also known as the Unicoi Mountains.  The Lower Unaka Mountains are more than half the have the size of the Smoky Mountains with mountain balds (peaks) nearing 6,000 feet high.  A vast mountain wilderness so isolated that it was nearly forgotten.

North Carolina's Newfound Gap Road or US Highway 441 dissects the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the two-lane roadway crosses thru the heart of the park and over its highest mountain gap.  Newfound Gap Road follows rivers, climbs steep slopes and offers incredible views from the rooftop of the eastern United States.

Haywood County Scenic Drives this drive covers both the section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that goes through Haywood County and Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway from Haywood County. The Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway is a 79-mile loop tour will take you deep into the heart of the Pisgah National Forest with mountain peaks reaching more that 6,000 feet above sea level.

The Southern Highroads Trail is a 364-mile National Scenic Byway that travels through 4 states of the southern Blue Ridge Mountain highlands.  The 364-mile byway will take visitors thru the mountainous regions of the Chattahoochee National Forest of North Georgia, the Sumter National Forest in northwestern South Carolina, the Nantahala National Forest in western North Carolina and the Cherokee National Forest in southeastern Tennessee.

Want to know more about the Western North Carolina Mountains

Although very enjoyable, the mountains can be a driving challenge to a flatlander (no offense), to help you with your new venture, take a look at our driving tips.

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