Back

Drives North Carolina Asheville and the Blue Ridge

Highway 63: Leicester to Trust

NC 63, New Leicester Highway · Leicester → Trust

Twisty18.6 mi35 min2,600 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,900 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

The drive

NC 63 is a two-lane mountain highway that Wikipedia calls aggressively twisty in its mountain sections. The drive runs from Leicester, through open farm valley, past Canto along Little Sandymush Creek, over Doggett Gap, the highway's high point, and down about 1,500 feet to Trust.

The descent has two twisty stretches, around miles 5 to 7 and 11 to 16. The road ends at NC 209 in Trust, beside Friezeland Creek, so it pairs with NC 209. It's 18.6 miles and about 35 minutes.

Along the way

  1. Leicester
  2. Doggett Gap
  3. Trust (NC-209)
Elevation
2,600 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,900 ft
LeicesterTrust
Curves
Mostly moderate, with two twisty stretches
LeicesterTrust
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The descent from Doggett Gap is steep and twisty.
  • NC 63 is not among NCDOT's major Helene repair projects, but check DriveNC for work.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check NCDOT DriveNC.

Questions about this drive

How long does NC 63 from Leicester to Trust take?

Leicester to Trust on NC 63 is 18.6 miles and takes about 35 minutes.

How twisty is NC 63?

Wikipedia describes the mountain sections of NC 63 as aggressively twisty, and the road drops about 1,500 feet from Doggett Gap.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

More drives near here

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

Map of Highway 63: Leicester to Trust, from Leicester to Trust