North Carolina Visitor & Relocation Guide - Franklin Chamber of ...

Day Trips
and Area Attractions
Just a short distance away from Franklin are opportunities for some serious sight seeing in a couple of different directions.
A day trip can include beautiful views, wildlife viewing, fishing, picnicking and more -
which makes Franklin the perfect place to stay in Western North Carolina.
Cherohala Skyway
Take a breathtaking drive on the Cherohala
Skyway which connects Robbinsville, NC
to Tellico Plains, TN. Leave Franklin on old
U.S. 64 W. (Old Murphy Road), travel approximately
5 ½ miles then turn right onto
Wayah Road (SR 1310). You will wind
through beautiful mountain scenery and
parallel to much of Wayah Creek which is
a good fishing stream. Wayah Road will
bring you directly into U.S. 19 where you
will turn left and go approximately three
miles and then turn back to the right on U.S.
129 which takes you to Robbinsville, NC.
From Robbinsville you will follow the signs
to the Cherohala Skyway (NC 143 West).
The Cherohala Skyway takes you 40+ miles
through beautiful scenery and spectacular
views that rival the Blue Ridge Parkway. It
crosses through the Nantahala and Cherokee
National Forests before arriving in
Tellico Plains, TN. The name comes from
a combination of the two forests – Chero,
from Cherokee, and hala from Nantahala. It
20 VisitFranklinNC.com
took over 30 years to build and cost $100
million. The Cherohala Skyway is one of
96 National Scenic Byways in the United
States. There are few passing zones, so
relax, take your time and enjoy the natural
beauty, which is what the skyway is all
about.
If time allows, you will want to visit the
Lost Sea while you are in East Tennessee.
The Lost Sea is the largest underground lake
in the United States and a U.S. Registered
Natural Landmark. The caverns also house
an extensive collection of anthodites (cave
flowers). There is a one hour guided tour
that explains the history of the caverns and
includes a boat ride on the 4 ½ acre lake.
The Lost Sea is located near Sweetwater,
TN and is open every day except Christmas
Day.
Elk in Cataloochee Valley
Cataloochee Valley, which is about 60 miles
from Franklin, is an ideal day trip full of
beautiful scenery and history. Take a picnic
to enjoy while visiting the valley which is
part of the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park. You may see elk and wild turkey in
the meadows and tadpoles in the creek. Historic
buildings including a church, a schoolhouse,
homes and barns are still standing.
There are also several old graveyards which
are full of history to explore. Hiking trails
are well maintained and wide enough for
easy hiking for the entire family.
Elk once roamed the southern Appalachian
Mountains and elsewhere in the eastern
United States. They were eliminated
from the region by over hunting and loss
of habitat. The last elk in North Carolina
was believed to have been killed in the late
1700s. An experimental release of elk into
the Cataloochee Valley began in February
2001 with two dozen elk. The elk are radio
collared and monitored during the experimental
phase of the project. Another 25 elk
were released a year later. It is believed that
the park could support an elk population of
at least 400 in the long run, however it is not
know if the population will ever reach that
number.
To get to Cataloochee Valley, leave Franklin
on U.S. 23/441 North, when you reach
Dillsboro, turn right on U.S. 23/74 East.
Continue on U.S. 23/74 to U.S. 19 W. (go
toward Maggie Valley), take US 276 W. to
Cove Creek Road, about a quarter mile before
I-40. Turn left on Cove Creek Road
and drive to the sign “Cataloochee Valley
10 miles ahead, follow the road to the sign
Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This is the eastern entrance to the park.