Mountain Waters Scenic Byway
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The Mountain Waters Scenic Byway is a two-lane highway in North Carolina, which travels through the Nantahala National Forest in Macon and Swain County, North Carolina counties. The first part of this 61.3-mile byway follows the combined route of U.S. 64 and NC 28 from Highlands, North Carolina to Franklin, North Carolina and features views of the Cullasaja Gorge, the Cullasaja River and numerous waterfalls, including:
- Bridal Veil Falls, actually from a tributary creek
- Dry Falls, which visitors can walk behind without getting wet
- Quarry Falls, also known as Bust-Yer-Butt Falls
- Cullasaja Falls, the major cascade of falls
From Franklin, the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway follows SR 1442 to the west, climbing through Wynah Gap (elevation: 4,180 ft) on the way to Nantahala Lake and then to the community of Aquone. From Aquone, SR 1442 follows the Nantahala River to Beechertown, where it joins U.S. 19/74, which the byway follows to its ending point in the community of Lauada. The route from Aquone to Lauada features the Nantahala Gorge.
