Scenic Routes Lead to Color Across North Carolina

Barker House in Edenton – Photo Credit: VisitNC

With a longtime reputation as the “Good Roads State,” North Carolina invites travelers to eschew the passing lane for leisurely drives through scenic landscapes. Taken at an unhurried pace, these routes leave breathing room for memory making. Maps and details from the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Scenic Byways compilations can be downloaded here(link is external).

Along North Carolina’s inner coast, the Edenton-Windsor Loop provides a two-hour escape that crosses creeks, rivers and the vast Albemarle Sound into a setting laced with history and waterside beauty. The drive starts and ends in Edenton(link is external), a Colonial capital with postcard-perfect scenes of the Roanoke River Lighthouse, the home of Edenton Tea Party leader Penelope Barker(link is external) and America’s oldest functioning courthouse. The route continues through the community where early 18th-century governors lived and on to Windsor, a Colonial trade center on the Cashie River. Historic Hope Plantation(link is external), home of Gov. David Stone, normally invites visitors to explore agrarian life and the culture of the enslaved African Americans there. It’s closed because of COVID-19, but its foundation offers the estate’s trails and grounds as a place for conversations across racial lines to help heal divisions.

In the rolling hills of the Piedmont, the Yadkin Valley Scenic Byway winds for 65 miles through North Carolina’s first and largest American Viticultural Areas. The drive begins in Elkin, a town off Interstate 77 where the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail and the Yadkin River Paddle Trail meet. Twice crossing the Yadkin River, the route affords easy access to distinctive wineries that have reopened tasting rooms and grounds in compliance with the state’s COVID-19 protocols, among them Raffaldini(link is external), Piccione(link is external), Laurel Gray(link is external), Shelton(link is external) and Round Peak(link is external) vineyards. Travelers can drink in scenery as well as sip wine, especially passing through the historic Village of Rockford(link is external) and glimpsing the unmistakable Pilot Mountain(link is external) above the horizon.

On the 98-mile Whitewater Byway, it’s easy to lose track of time while taking selfies and other shots at some of the 200 waterfalls that define North Carolina’s southwestern corner. The byway generally follows U.S. 64 through Rosman(link is external), Franklin(link is external), Cashiers(link is external), Highlands(link is external) and Murphy(link is external). In the Cullasaja Gorge, the Cullasaja River feeds stars among the roaring cascades — Bridal Veil, Dry and Cullasaja. Trails at Gorges State Park(link is external) in Sapphire run through the rugged terrain to reach Rainbow, Turtleback, Hidden and Stairway falls on the Horsepasture River. Place names such as Cowee, Sequoyah and Cartoogechaye reference the region’s Cherokee history, which can be most easily accessed on the byway at the Cherokee County Historical Museum(link is external) in Murphy once it reopens. Before visiting waterfalls, travelers are advised to review the outdoor safety information(link is external) found on VisitNC.com.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 reopening in North Carolina, please check the advisory(link is external) at the top of the VisitNC.com(link is external) homepage. The advisory links to the latest news from local destinations and to Count On Me NC(link is external), a public health campaign that helps travelers identify restaurants, hotels and attractions that have undergone special safety training related to COVID-19.

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