Moonshiner 28
Once one of the major runs for moonshiners with revenuers hot on their bumper, today this road offers some great twisties, wide sweeper, and unsurpassed scenery. Mountain vistas, waterfalls, and secluded lakes appear around nearly every corner. Look if you dare!
Heading west out of Cherokee along US Hwy 19 and US 74 for a short while before heading south along Hwy 28.
Some of the best twisties on the Moonshiner comes in the next seven miles. But we must ride with caution, especially southbound as the pavement has some ruts, cracked surface and heaves. The worst section is at the cliffs. Northbound is much better. From US 74/19 to the Macon County Line we will encounter a little bit of everything in the way of curves and they will come at us fast. Stay alert and in control. It is highly recommend to stay near the white line on blind corners, but watch ahead for bad pavement in that line.
At the county line the road somewhat straightens, but we’ll still find some good twists and turns. The closer we get to Franklin the more traffic we will meet. Clay was discovered in this area in the 1700s and used to make the famous Wedgewood china for the Queen of England. Later gem stones were found in Cowee Creek and you can still stop and search for rubies and saphires in rocks dug directly from the mountain.
Highway 28 has been rerouted and now bypasses downtown Franklin. But if we take a right at the light on Main Street we’ll pass through the business district. Franklin’s main street offers a number of well maintained small parks, specialty restaurants, shops selling crafts and gemstones, the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum in the 160 year old jailhouse, and the Macon County Historical Museum.
Main Street is one way west, so to get back on 28 we will have to jog over one block to the south and head east on Palmer Street. We will pass a 30-foot tall ancient Indian mound on our left. Once the site of the Cherokee town of Nikwasi, the mound is thought to even predate the Cherokee.
Less than a mile we hang a right and 28 will eventually join US 64 and we are on your way to Highlands. The first six miles are boring, small industrial sprawl with typical local traffic. Watch out for cars and trucks turning into or out of businesses and side roads. Note the TRUCK ADVISORY signs, always a good indication that the road is going to get good ahead. And it does.
After passing Buck Creek Road on the left hang on. The Moonshiner climbs sharply with Cullasaja Gorge off to the right and rock cliffs to the left. The road narrows with a metal guardrail the only protection from a 250 foot plunge into the gorge. This roadway was cut into solid granite by workers dangling from ropes and drilling 10 feet into the rock to place dynamite charges. The road was graveled and opened in 1931. In those years it must have been one hairy ride. It took several years before Highway 28 was paved. The turns are so narrow that 18-wheelers cannot negotiate the corners today.
There is a small pull-off on the right where we can stop to view Cullasaja Falls which drops more than 250 feet in a series of cascades. The small parking area is only large enough for two cars but a motorcycle can squeeze in if we are careful. Pavement along here has some heaves and cracks to watch-out for. Once again the north bound lane is in better condition.
Hwy 28 follows the Cullasaja River for the next eight miles into Highlands. Stops along this section include a number of pull-offs to view the river and two picnic areas.
One of the most popular stops is Dry Falls where after a short hike we can walk underneath the 75 foot falls. The parking area was upgraded in 2009 and access to the falls has reopened.
Don’t care to get off the bike? Go another mile and actually ride under Bridal Veil Falls. Moonshiner 28 used to go right under the 120 foot falls, but a bypass was made and today there is a pull-off from the main road. A few years ago a giant boulder the size of a small truck fell onto the parking area. It took several years to remove and determine that no one was under it.
Entering the town of Highlands we see Lake Sequoyah off to the right. Highlands, sits at 4,118 feet elevation. Heading south out of Highlands the road once again is designated only as NC 28. Soon we cross the Eastern Continental Divide which demarcates the two watersheds of the east coast: the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.
It is not too long before we encounter some more great twisties on what is also known as Walhalla Road. After one turn the giant rock of Satulah Mountain towers into the sky ahead of us. Good pavement and good scenery all the way to the Georgia border 6 miles distant. In those six miles the elevation drops 1500 feet.
Once into Georgia the turns get even tighter but the pavement has many tar snakes – no big deal, but they do bother some riders. Another 6 miles of good riding and we reach the intersection of Warwoman Road. The first three miles of Warwoman may be worth an out and back for some good twisties.
Two more miles and we cross the Chattooga River into South Carolina. The Chattooga is designated a Wild and Scenic River and is a popular rafting and kayak destination. The road from the state line into Walhalla is a mix …. some really tight decreasing radius downhill turns, some good sweepers and some blah coming into town two-lane. Pavement is good with a few rough spots to watch-out for.
One good stop is the Stumphouse Tunnel and Issaqueena Falls just six miles before reaching Walhalla. The tunnel is a relic from the mid-1800s. The project began in 1852 as an attempt to connect Knoxville and Charleston by railroad, the Civil War and financial difficulties caused abandonment of the project. More than 4,000 feet of the tunnel was completed before work stopped. Temperature in the tunnel is a consistent 50 degrees year round and humidity is so high the walls are always dripping wet.
Stumphouse Tunnel and Issaqueena Falls were nearly sold to a developer in 2007. Enough funds were raised by donations and grants to keep the property in public hands. Today those 511 acres and an adjoining 440 acres are protected from development.
The town of Walhalla appears to be going through tough times. Many commercial buildings are deserted and the downtown needs some enlivening.
The ride back north to Cherokee offers a combination of twisties and some long winding sweepers that allow you to keep on the throttle throughout the curve. One of the best things about this route north is that it does not have a lot of traffic or towns to slow us down!
Moonshiner 28: 180 miles 4.75 hours saddle time