Whitestone: A Tennessee Country Inn

Recreation : Day Trips : 4) Cherohala Skyway

Cherohala Skyway Day Trip

A day of mountain vistas without traffic, 6-8 Hour Excursion.

The Cherohala Skyway affords some of the finest mountain vistas and scenery in the eastern United States. If you would like to see the mountains without seeing lots of cars this is the trip for you. The skyway itself is 42 miles long and at some points reaches elevations of over a mile high. There are lots of points of interest along the way. Plan on making a day of it. You will travel from Tennessee to North Carolina and back.

Points of interest:

• Waterfall
• Lake
• Trails
• Mountain views

In preparation:

• Let us at the Whitestone Bed and Breakfast Tennessee pack a lunch for you. Let us Know at least the night before. There are no restaurants on the parkway. There are several picnic areas.
• Take water or other drinks.
• Take layers of clothing. Temperature can be 20-30 degrees colder at elevations.
• Take swim suits. In season, there are lots places to play in the river and/or swim in a mountain lake.
• Take a camera.
• Let us know your plans so we can be envious.
• Start with a bountiful Whitestone Bed and Breakfast Tennessee breakfast. Pick up your picnic basket after breakfast. Your server will have it ready for you.
• Depart Whitestone by turning left onto Paint Rock Road.
• Follow Paint Rock Road to Hwy. 72 and turn left.
• Almost immediately you will come to Hwy. 322. Turn right on Hwy. 322 and follow it until you reach Interstate 75.
• Take interstate 75 South to the very next exit. This is Exit 60 and Hwy 68. Turn left on Hwy. 68 and stay on it until you reach the town of Tellico Plains. The distance is around 25 miles. You will see signs leading you to Cherohala Skyway.
• Tellico Plains is an old community, which was at one time a Cherokee Indian village. This area abounds with Indian history. This was once part of the Cherokee nation. At one time there was a lot of logging in the surrounding mountains and Tellico Plains had several saw mills. Stokely Van Camps had a large farm and canning facility here.
• Get on Hwy. 165 from Hwy. 68. You are now on the Cherohala Skyway. Soon you will see the Tellico River on your left. In a few miles you will have an option to take a side trip and see Bald River Falls. It's worth the time.
• About four miles from the start of the Skyway you will come to a fork in the road. If you want to see the falls, take the right fork. It's about 3 miles up the road. If you don't want to see the falls take the left fork and stay on the skyway. (See the falls, you will be sorry if you don't).
  *If you are at the falls. This is a good place to wade in the creek. Use caution going down. It can be slippery. On up the road is a fish hatchery and more good river access. When you are through, backtrack to where you got off the Skyway and turn right. You are back on the Skyway
• Eleven miles ahead is an area called Indian Boundary. ( An old Indian reservation boundary) There is a wonderful lake with a sandy beach and bathhouses, a picnic area and a three-mile trail around the lake. This is a US Fee area; a nominal entry fee is charged. Depending on the time of day, you might wish to stop here on your way back.
• From Indian Boundary you will start to gain elevation. Just a short way up the road there is a fine overlook on the right. There are restroom facilities there. Don't use up all your film. You will have bunches more Kodak moments.
• Enjoy the ride ahead. There are many scenic overlooks and picnic areas. You are now approximately 8 miles from the NC border. When you cross into NC the Highway changes from 165 to 143. It's 20 more miles to the end of the Skyway.
• The Skyway ends at Snowbird Mountain. At this point you will turn around and go back the way you came.
• If you have dinner reservations with us, we will see you at 6:30.

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