At 604 miles long, Hwy 64 is the longest numbered route in North Carolina and snakes through the NC mountains, by waterfalls, through gorges and some cool small towns. Beginning in Franklin, NC., the first 40 miles is part of the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway. This post covers the 18 mile stretch between Franklin and Highlands, an exhilerhatingly twisty ride that is both scenic and thrilling ~ if you can ride it in low traffic season!

Zipping up the twisting, turning, two lane highway, the first scenic stop off you will come across is the Cullasaja Falls. You will come across them quite unexpectedly as you sweep round a left hand bend. You’ll likely miss it the first time and will have to come back, but that’s no big deal, such is the fun of this road, you really won’t care riding it over! We have been up and down this road many times and in many weather conditions. Some sites will describe it as ‘dangerous’. I believe it is only ‘dangerous’ if you are dangerous. The road is wide enough to accomodate two lanes of traffic comfortably and large trucks/trailers are not allowed. The turns and bends are more gentle, not switchbacks and you can enjoy a decent speed and smooth ride ~ when no-one is pootling along in front of you! There is a small pull over to the side of the road, easily visible if travelling east, where you can pull over, hop off and take some great pics ~ just as scenic in all seasons.

After all this exercise you’ll be needing some refreshments. I highly (forgive the pun) recommend stopping off in the lovely little town of Highlands. There are many places to step in and refresh yourself and some cute stores line each side of the towns central street if you wanted to take your time to browse. As a starting point, I can recommend Bucks Coffee Cafe, if you’re looking for just a coffee and a light snack, or if you are starting out early with breakfast in mind. Great coffee! If you’re looking for more of a lunch or dinner, then we always enjoy the food, atmosphere and service at the Main Street Inn, on a warm day it’s lovely to sit out on the patio and watch the world go by as you linger over a deliscious meal. We’ve never been disappointed yet!