Nantahala Byway
Nantahala Byway is a State 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 Nantahala Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
US-19 follows the Nantahala River through the deep, shaded Nantahala Gorge in far western North Carolina, where the canyon walls are so steep the name is said to mean "land of the noonday sun." The cold, dam-released river is one of the busiest whitewater runs in the country, with rafts and kayaks filling it on summer days. The gorge is the heart of the Nantahala National Forest.
- Nantahala Gorge
- whitewater rafting
- Nantahala National Forest
- "land of the noonday sun"
- US-19
Plan a drive on Nantahala Byway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.