The usually smooth hills of the Blue Ridge begin to grow steeper and sharper as U.S. 64 twists toward the Cullasaja Gorge. Temptation lures my attention to the rockface cliffs and glimpses of tumbling waters below, but the road demands my concentration.
This section between Highlands and Franklin, North Carolina, holds a special allure for motorcyclists given the stunning roadside waterfalls, cliff-hugging turns and towering peaks. It can be very narrow and filled with traffic during tourist season, adding to the danger of a careless rider.
Luckily, there are a few pull-offs, the best being at Bridal Veil Falls. The roadway once ran underneath the actual waterfall. Today, it’s blocked off for obvious safety reasons but remains open to foot traffic. Visitors often gather there for photographs, myself among them. It’s hard to drive past Bridal Veil Falls without pausing.
Just down the road, the more spectacular Dry Falls awaits. A small fee allows you to safely park in the lot, complete with a restroom, and explore into the Cullasaja Gorge where a trail runs underneath the overhanging waterfall. An easy-to-access raised walkway allows for a great view of the falls without the hike into the gorge.
As you keep heading toward Franklin, the road really begins to become more technical. One narrow section reminds me of the famous Hawks Nest Highway near Port Jervis, New York, the twisty cliff-clinging Route 97 above the Delaware River where I once roamed during a cross-country trip.
On my frequent trips through this stress-inducing section, I’m usually too focused on the road to sightsee, but I’ve found one spot with a narrow pull-off along the east-bound side. Here, you can walk a few feet into the trees to discover a wonderful view of Cullasaja Falls, a series of tumbling cascades that isn’t easy to see from the roadway.
This ancient gorge and the waterfalls scattered across the region draw thousands of visitors each year. The Franklin Chamber of Commerce offers maps of scenic routes.
“One of the options would be the scenic waterfall trail. We have it mapped out,” said Cindy Cavender, director of membership and special projects at Franklin Chamber of Commerce. “You can start in Franklin and go all the way through to Highlands, cut across over to Sky Valley and back up to Franklin. It takes about 45 miles to ride. On the way, you see seven waterfalls.”
Soon the turns on U.S. 64 begin to loosen and lose elevation. The river valley flattens as I roll into the town of Franklin, notable for its many gem mines. I fondly remember childhood trips here to pan for small ruby chips. After my mother’s passing, I discovered she’d kept those little red rocks we found as a memento. The ruby mining billboards in this area always evoke those memories.
“Gem mining is still very popular here. We have six or seven active gem mines,” Cavender said. “The Gem and Mineral Museum has a lot of artifacts from around our area. That’s a great place to go visit if you’re a rockhound to see what’s available to mine. Lot of sapphires rubies, garnets, are found native here.”
Entering town, U.S. 64 joins U.S. 74/441. Not far from this intersection is Currahee Brewing, a nice place to stop and relax after spending half the day in the saddle. I shake off my heavy riding jacket and helmet and head inside for some much-needed food and drink.
Curious as to why the brewery is named after Currahee, a mountain in Georgia, and not the nearby Cullasaja River, which joins the Little Tennessee River just a few yards from this spot, I asked the bartender as I sipped a golden glass of one of their lighter beers.
“Currahee was inspired by the TV series ‘Band of Brothers.’ We’re military-based here,” said bartender Becky Allen, adding the brewery also has two locations in Georgia.
The brewery specializes in European ales and lagers, offer food trucks several days a week and host live music on weekends.
“I think collectively people think this is the nicest venue in town. We’re on the river. We have options for lighter beers. It’s really nice here,” Allen said.
She said motorcycles often stop in to Currahee Brewing while exploring the many famous motorcycle routes such as Moonshiner 28, Wayah Road and the Tail of the Dragon. My own plans include taking Wayah Road up to Nantahala Lake and then back through Nantahala Gorge.
Before venturing back into the wild backroads, I stop at Scottish Tartans Museum on Main Street. I’ve heard about this charming shop and ridden past it many times, so I put it on my must-see list for today’s adventure.
“We’re the only Scottish tartans museum in the country. Actually, right now were the only one in the world. Scottish tartans are what we call plaid in the country, but tartan itself is a global art form,” said Heidi Hunter, a manager and member of the board of directors for the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin.
Inside the museum and gift shop, I find myself greeted with wall-to-wall colors and patterns, each labeled for a specific region or clan.
“Most people will come in and expect to see something about the clans. Perfectly appropriate. But clans aren’t the only ones with tartans,” said Heidi Hunter, a manager and member of the board of directors for the museum. “Most of the places within Scotland have their own as well.”
Hunter said tartans can often represent military units, motorcycle clubs, police fire departments, or any other group who wishes to create their own symbolic textile.
“It is something that is a touchstone to a particular group or place,” she said. “People like being affiliated with that. They like being able to wear their own plaid. For lack of one, you can actually design one. Nothing stops you from doing that. You can design your own, register it, have it woven, and wear it with pride like everyone else does. It’s a piece of fabric that means something to you. You’re only limited by your imagination.”
Hunter said they do not do genealogy, but they do have numerous reference books for surnames. While my ancestors weren’t Scottish, Hunter did find a clan affiliation on my grandmother’s side and showed me the green-and-blue tartan I could wear.
Even though the museum is 3,700 miles away from Scotland, the friendly staff also celebrate this region of Appalachia, where countless Scots-Irish families became early settlers.
“One of the things we do is introduce people to the history of this particular area. Franklin was named after a surveyor (Jesse Franklin) that surveyed this area. That’s where we get the name. It’s not for Benjamin Franklin as a lot of people think.”
I resist buying a kilt, sporran and dirk, and don my armored motorcycle jacket again as I depart for Wayah Road. This route from the west end of Franklin up to Nantahala Lake draws riders looking for challenging turns and little traffic.
Where the road begins at a small convenience store, I spot a group of riders and pull over to chat. Three of them are motorcyclists from Florida touring Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina before heading south.
“We decided to go to Barber Vintage Fest and camped out a few days. We headed up to the mountains. We just did Wayah,” said Yamaha FJ-09 rider Zacary Demboski of Fort Walton Beach, Florida. “This road is really good. It’s tight. It’s like the Dragon in certain areas, not as tight as that, but it’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”
My own run up Wayah Road began stuck behind a few dump trucks, probably crews still working to clean up or repair Hurricane Helene damage in the Nantahala National Forest. My Yamaha Tracer 9 GT spooled up quick to get around them before the real twisties began.
After a serene ride up the mountain, the placid waters of Nantahala Lake come into view. There are very few houses on the shore since the lake is owned by Duke Energy to generate hydroelectric power. Water releases from the reservoir thrill kayakers on the Nantahala River below. The river level seemed normal as I descended from the lake to join U.S. 19 and the Nantahala Gorge.
Riding through the Nantahala Gorge always seems to lift my mood. Rafting companies line the banks and brave kayakers tackle the whitewater despite the cold temperatures. A detour across the bridge takes me to another favorite stop, the Big Wasser Riverside Pub, part of the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
I order a sandwich and pick out a patio table giving me a nice view of the kayakers navigating the gates on the river. Light simmers on the water, but most of the valley is shady and cool. Nantahala means land of the noon-day sun since this gorge blocks direct sunlight for much of the day. It feels later than the hour states due to the shadow of the surrounding mountains.
A few other motorcyclists stroll in, and I nod and say hello. They also find this a nice rest stop during their two-wheeled outing. We share that usual exchange of what area roads we’ve ridden today and nods of recognition for roads fondly remembered.
It always feels nice knowing others can’t resist following a flowing river through a narrow gorge.
