U.S. Route 276

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U.S. Route 276

Length:

108 mi^[1] (174 km)

Formed:

1926^[1]

South end:

I-185/I-385 at Mauldin, SC

North end:

I 40 in Cove Creek, NC

United States Numbered Highways
Spur of US 76
List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

U.S. Route 276 is a spur of U.S. Route 76. It currently runs generally northwesterly for 108 miles (174 km) from Mauldin, South Carolina at Interstate 185/Interstate 385 to Cove Creek, North Carolina at Interstate 40. It passes through Upstate (northwestern) South Carolina and western North Carolina.

U.S. 276 originally began at Laurens, South Carolina. It began at U.S. Highway 76 and ran northwestward along much of the current alignment of I-385, going through Gray Court, Fountain Inn and Simpsonville. When I-385 was extended to Interstate 26 near Laurens in the 1980s, U.S. 276 was truncated to its current location. [1] In North Carolina between 1936 and 1967, segment after segment of North Carolina Highway 284 was replaced by US 276.

Some cities and towns along U.S. 276 include

Between the towns of Brevard and Waynesville in North Carolina, US 276 travels through the Pisgah National Forest and is a route heavily traveled by recreationalists. The road follows the Davidson River and a tributary upstream before climbing the Pisgah Ridge and crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway at its top, then descending by the Pigeon River and the Shining Rock Wilderness. Many trailheads used for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding lie along US 276 in this area and roads connecting to it. Drivers will also find roadside campgrounds, picnic areas, waterfalls, and two museums - the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and the Cradle of Forestry in America - along the road or within a short distance of it.