Drives The Southern Appalachians
Cherohala Skyway
TN-165 and NC-143, Tellico Plains to Robbinsville · Tennessee and North Carolina
The Cherohala Skyway climbs from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to more than 5,400 feet along the crest of the mountains, then descends to Robbinsville, North Carolina. Wide, smooth and sweeping, it's the Tail of the Dragon's opposite, and often far quieter.
- Distance
- 51 mi
- Drive time
- 1 hr 25 min
- Climbing
- 7,700 ft
- Highest point
- ≈ 5,400 ft
Carve is the scenic-drive planner for cars: turn-by-turn on iPhone and Android, with CarPlay and Android Auto, and offline with no signal. No app yet? The link shows the route and where to get Carve.
The drive
The name joins the two national forests it crosses, the Cherokee and the Nantahala. The road climbs from about 900 feet to more than 5,400, past 15 overlooks, on grades of up to 9%.
There's no gas, food or shop anywhere on the Skyway, cell coverage is minimal, and restrooms are few. It's a road to drive prepared, and slowly enough to stop at the overlooks.
Stops along the way
- Bald River Falls About five miles from Tellico Plains, then a short way up Forest Service Road 210: an 80- to 100-foot waterfall.
- Indian Boundary A lake and picnic area just off the Skyway on the Tennessee side.
- Hooper Bald A half-mile trail from between North Carolina mile markers 7 and 8 to the 5,430-foot summit.
- Santeetlah Overlook At 5,390 feet, around mile 11 in North Carolina.
- Santeetlah Gap The Skyway's North Carolina end. Turn here for Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.
When to go
The Skyway is open all year. In winter the road is generally treated, but expect ice and snow up high. Fall color starts as early as September on the crest and runs through mid-November lower down.
Good to know
- There's no gas or food along the Skyway: fill up in Tellico Plains or Robbinsville.
- Cell coverage is minimal. Download the route before you set off.
- The crest is above 5,000 feet, and can be far colder than the valleys at either end.
- North Carolina bans trucks with trailers over 30 feet on its part of the road.
More drives
- Tail of the Dragon US-129 at Deals Gap · 11.3 mi · Intense
- Blue Ridge Parkway Mileposts 384 to 451, Asheville to Waterrock Knob · 68 mi · Twisty
- Kancamagus Highway NH-112, Lincoln to Conway · 36 mi · Sweeping
Free to plan and drive with a signal. Carve Apex downloads the whole route for driving with none.
Sources: USFS: Cherohala Skyway, Wikipedia: Cherohala Skyway, Visit Monroe County, TN, Visit Smokies. Distance, time, elevation and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-06.