Mountain Waters Scenic Byway
Mountain Waters Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway in North Carolina. Within North Carolina it covers roughly 65 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Mountain Waters Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Mountain Waters Scenic Byway runs 61 miles through North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest, from Highlands to Almond by way of two dramatic river gorges. The route follows US 64, old US 64, Wayah Road, and US 19/74, beginning with 7.5 miles through the Cullasaja Gorge alongside the Cullasaja River, where the road passes Bridal Veil Falls and actually runs beneath the overhang of Dry Falls, a 120-foot cascade. Farther along, a side trip up Forest Road 69 climbs 3.2 miles to Wayah Bald, a 5,342-foot summit topped by a stone fire tower built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, with views reaching into four states. The byway then descends past Nantahala Lake, ringed by 29 miles of shoreline, before dropping into the Nantahala River Gorge, one of the busiest whitewater destinations in the East, drawing nearly a quarter-million rafters, kayakers, and canoeists each year. Waterfalls, a mountain summit, and a whitewater river within one 61-mile drive make this one of the most varied byways in western North Carolina.
- Highlands to Almond
- 61 miles
- Cullasaja Gorge and Dry Falls
- Wayah Bald (5,342 ft, CCC fire tower)
- Nantahala Lake
- Nantahala River Gorge whitewater
Plan a drive on Mountain Waters Scenic Byway →
What is a National Forest Scenic Byway?
National Forest Scenic Byways are routes designated by the U.S. Forest Service that thread through the mountains, canyons and old growth of America's national forests and grasslands.
Where to Stay along Mountain Waters Scenic Byway
6 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Mountain Waters Scenic Byway.
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