Thanks for the recommendation and thanks especially for the full-screen slide show. It's beautiful.

Visit us at

The Home

Great pics.

Just curious, which dam is that in your slide show?

That's Santeetlah Dam. Had to walk back off the road a ways to a rafting outfitter put-in and then some more around a not very secure fence to the base of the dam for these photos.

It was the second Tapoco dam, built in 1928, and its age is showing (you can see a leak in one photo). It doesn't have turbines. Water from the impoundment runs down the mountain through a giant pipe to a powerhouse on Cheoah.

More info:

(link...)

On this drive you go by Santeetlah, Cheoah, and Chilhowee dams, and you can see Caulderwood from an overlook on US129.

Wow. I'm headed that way next week. Hope I'm not too late.

Nice pictures. A great route to ride, by auto, motorcycle, or bicycle.

Why have I not done so?

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

Why have I not done so?

Thought you had? I'm not sure I had ever even heard of Cherohala Skyway until your reports on bicycling it.

Or did you mean the shortcut back to 129 along Santeetlah? Our GPS recommended it.

We were skeptical at first. It thinks the road to Abrams Creek Campground continues on and comes out in Cades Cove.

Yes, same dam, same road. The road runs along the lake for a while and near the end you get a glimpse of the dam thru the woods to the right if you're coming from Cherohala.

A little further just before you get to the bridge over Cheoah River (if I remember right) there's a gravel road with an iron gate that's locked. You can see the top of the dam from the there. We parked there and walked down the gravel road and on further to the base of the dam. There's a real nice raft/canoe launch there, looks pretty new.

From that spot it's maybe 8 or 10 more miles along the Cheoah River (?) to 129. My GPS called it Tapoco Rd., not sure what the number is. It goes by the Tapoco Lodge and comes out on 129 at Deals Gap.

EDIT: Man, I was just looking at the Google map trying to figure out where we were and I'm lost. It's very confusing in there.

If you're not tired by then I'd suggest a final segment up Foothills Parkway from 129 at Chilhowee Lake (or what's left of it) to 73/321 near Walland. I took the moms on that drive Saturday and it was glorious.

a final segment up Foothills Parkway

Yes, if you get an earlier start than we did that would be a great finish.

Just look at that Tennessee beauty.

There is a God, people. Something that beautiful and intricately perpetual cannot be an accident.

Thanx for the pics.
I have no pics, but the drive down 19E from Bristol toward Roan Mt. is pretty impressive as well. I highly recommend it to anyone who might be in this area.

Hiked to Looking Glass Rock in the Pisgah National Forest yesterday. The colors on the south facing slopes are just beginning to change. The air was clear, however, and the view spectacular. I suspect the folks across the valley riding along the Blue Ridge Parkway enjoyed views similar to yours.

I may have to go drive this road this weekend. I would rather cycle it, but doubt I could get my friends up there.