Drive through it and at the roundabout, you can continue straight onto the tree-line Academy Rd or take a right to Erwin Rd toward Chapel Hill. Your ears may start popping as you ascend into Pisgah National Forest. Located just south of Wilmington in Carolina Beach, Freeman Park allows driving and even camping on the beach. McRitchie is one of a few kid-friendly wineries you’ll encounter, which is a great pairing for family road trips in North Carolina. display: none; Officials have closed some sections of Pisgah National Forest (including Forest Heritage Scenic Byway and Blue Ridge Parkway stops) to keep visitors out of danger. That’s what quite a few places featured here also grace our bucket list. North Carolina is one of the most popular destinations in the Southeast to view the foliage. Love North Carolina? Scenic drives in the Pacific Coast, California. Scenic NC. Found insideiStock From there, we will move inland to make two exceptionally scenic drives in Virginia, passing at last into North Carolina and examining one of the South's most pleasantly diverse states. We will cut east through tobacco fields to ... That avenue, A1A is usually the closest street to the Atlantic Ocean along the entire 329 mile east coast of Florida, from Key West up to the Georgia border (Amelia Island).Driving north on A1A the ocean is on your right, except when blocked by buildings or when the road ventures inland. You’ll climb thousands of feet in your car through the South Toe River Valley on the way up, too. The intensity of fall colors on the Parkway varies and is dependent on weather conditions. At roughly 60-miles, this loop drive has many possible stops along the way. Scenic America has assembled the only comprehensive, nationwide scenic byways database, and we are pleased to share it with the public. If you’ve never been to the highest point in North Carolina, plan a leisurely drive to Mount Mitchell. Are there other similar things to do in North Carolina when you have a free afternoon? Whether you travel North Carolina for its historic treasures or natural beauty, this handy guide will help you find the Old North State’s most spectacular sites and secret treasures. Found inside – Page 339Part of the fun of exploring the Asheville area and Western North Carolina region is striking out on your own. You'll find many rural roads and byways with a quiet beauty. To help you get started, here are some of the best scenic drives ... Fortunately, there are endless routes that will showcase some of the Tar Heel State’s most beautiful natural wonders. Enter your e-mail address for things to do, restaurants to try and much more! There are numerous overlooks, including the Newfound Gap at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. With Seagrove being home to one of the largest concentration of potters in the nation (thanks to the soil, history and rich natural materials), Pottery Road is more than a drive but also an education and firsthand exploration of America's Pottery Capital. The road remains unpaved in many spots and don’t worry. Ranking high amongst the USA’s most scenic roads, Highway One runs almost the length of California’s coastline– from its starting point south of Los Angeles to Mendocino County in the north– but you’ll find its most scenic stretch in the Monterey region. Highway 76 changes its personality as it curves through Lake Hartwell Country. The Tail of the Dragon is perhaps the most famous motorcyclist destination in the Eastern United States. The drive will take you to such beautiful waterfalls as Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls, and Cullasaja Falls. The Best Scenic Drives in North Carolina. The seed was planted for a scenic road through the Blue Ridge Mountains when North Carolina geologist Joseph Hyde Pratt proposed a mountain toll roll stretching from Marion, VA, to Tallulah, GA. World War I halted work on the road, but the idea of a … read more Two of Western North Carolina's most outstanding scenic driving tours, are located within the southern region of Haywood County. With so much to explore in North Carolina, it’s best to get in your car and take the scenic route! Found inside – Page 384Cultural and Historical Information Parent, L. Scenic Driving in North Carolina. Helena, Mont.: Falcon Press, 1998. Parent has excellent taste in scenic drives. He has independently selected drives through many of the natural areas ... You’ll spend time running parallel to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and your time on the Nantahala Byway means passing through Bryson City, too. Waterfall Byway. The Best Scenic Drives in Virginia. The North Carolina mountains were the best place to start for fall colors, but keep reading for information on scenic drives for fall color close to Charlotte. The North Carolina Scenic Byways consists of roads in the state of North Carolina that travel through areas of scenic, historic, and cultural significance. Of course, this list just begins to scratch the surface of North Carolina’s incredible hidden gems. Blue Ridge Parkway & Scenic Drives Roads that are attractions. On this byway, you’ll cross Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina’s largest natural lake. The seed was planted for a scenic road through the Blue Ridge Mountains when North Carolina geologist Joseph Hyde Pratt proposed a mountain toll roll stretching from Marion, VA, to Tallulah, GA. World War I halted work on the road, but the idea of a … read more Asheville Scenic Drives. Blue Ridge Parkway. One of the most scenics roads in America (and part of the National Park Service), the Blue Ridge Parkway offers unmatched, spectacular mountain scenery. Drive north or south on the Parkway from Asheville and quickly ascend in elevation. Gorgeous throughout, the Outer Banks Scenic Byway truly showcases the best of the North Carolina coastline from start to finish. The bays give this Eastern North Carolina byway its name and include Jones Lake, Singletary Lake, and White Lake inside the park and Lake Waccamaw just outside it. } Conquer the Blue Ridge Parkway or weave your way through one of many tree-lined trails. Along the way, you’ll pass the entrance to Grandfather Mountain State Park and the entrance to the nonprofit-owned portion that contains the Mile-High Swinging Bridge. This short and curvy stretch of highway uses the side of Grandfather Mountain to connect the two mountain towns. Red Rock Country in Arizona. If you’re looking for some of the best roadside attractions in North Carolina, you’ll definitely want to head to Blowing Rock in the town of Blowing Rock. The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles of gorgeous mountain scenery starting in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and ending in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, North Carolina. Things to Do in North Carolina, United States: See Tripadvisor's 2,856,211 traveler reviews and photos of North Carolina tourist attractions. Get ready for … (Just be sure to wait until a designated pull-off before stopping!). "agent": "woocommerce-5.6.0-2.6.4" Nestled in the low foot hills of North Carolina, it’s got plenty of interesting topography, streams and wide open fields that make for a good number of scenic drives to enjoy. height: 100%; If you’re ever traveling north or south on I-85 and need a break from the pace past Charlotte or Greensboro, exit around Concord and Cabarrus County onto NC 49. The Croatan Sound and bridge to Roanoke Island is where the Alligator River Route ends. Stop off at one of the many overlooks to take it all in. The drive starts in Elkin and US 21 across the beautiful Yadkin River before meeting Old US 421. Rutherford County in Western North Carolina has 3 popular driving tours that offer opportunities to discover the beauty of its mountains, foothills, lake, farmlands and river country, each sharing their own unique topography, communities and history. Many of North Carolina’s most popular scenic drives offer places where visitors can safely pull off to admire overlooks. Please visit our Disclosure and Privacy Policy pages for further explanation. 4 Scenic Drives You Don’t Want to Miss Let’s be real—if you’re visiting the mountains in Western North Carolina, you’d be hard-pressed to find a drive that isn’t spectacular. Starting in the west, motorcycle riders will find outstanding Blue Ridge Mountains riding. Found inside – Page 85United States Highway 19 and North Carolina Highways 107 and 112 pass through or near the reservation . National Park has been described in chapter I. A description of the Cherokee Division southwest of the park follows . fbq( 'track', 'PageView', { } Near Scenic Wolf Resort at Mile Marker 3 is Laurel River Bridge, North Carolina's tallest bridge with a height of 235 feet. Note: We’ve left out city streets when breaking down the roads that make up these byways. Today. For something a bit different but with that Blue Ridge Parkway feel, the Mt. I love that you included the Pottery route! Even if you haven’t, we’re confident that you’ll agree upon these being the best North Carolina road trips that one can take. @media only screen and (max-width: 359px) { Morrow Mountain State Park. Stop by Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge or 17 other viewing spots to observe more than 300 species during migration and nesting season. jQuery && jQuery( function( $ ) { Escape the monotony of everyday life, even if just for a day, when you embark on a drive on one of the best scenic backroads in North Carolina. Here are five motorcycle roads in North Carolina to get you started. Found inside – Page 1If you have hiked through North Carolina's parks, driven the Blue Ridge Parkway or another of the state's scenic drives, or paddled its rivers, you have seen natural communities. Perhaps you have wondered about some of the patterns—why ... It is an adventure through 23 Virginia localities and includes the Fincastle Turnpike and Carolina Road. Payette River Scenic Byway. Before that, the journey begins on US 19 while driving through Madison and Yancey counties. You will find 3 wonderful scenic drives to take through Rutherford County. That also includes a few state roads and main thoroughfares through small towns and cities. There a couple of our favorite High Country hikes for a lot of reasons. Thank you! The Uwharrie National Forest is home to the Flint Hill Ramble, a back country road that runs between Ophir and Abner, North Carolina. Cherohala Skyway. The Outer Banks (North Carolina): If you can get past the overly crowded highways in summer and the strip-mall development, prepare yourself for one of the strangest and most beautiful natural geographical areas in North America. The most impressive of these waterfalls is My husband and I drove the Cherohala Skyway on our way from central TN to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Trips to feature as one of the River and passes through Byway allows you to the. Lead you to such beautiful waterfalls in North Carolina scenic highways T-Shirts designed and sold by artists... Scenic highways in the Southeast to view the foliage take U.S. 70 at the Carolina... 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