Car rental for the Cherohala Skyway

The Cherohala Skyway is 40 miles of mountain highway connecting Tellico Plains, Tennessee with Robbinsville, North Carolina. It climbs to approximately 5,400 feet elevation — higher than the Dragon, higher than the Foothills Parkway. The road's character is entirely different from the Dragon: where the Dragon is 318 tight corners at 30 mph, the Cherohala is high-speed sweepers and open mountain exposure where the speed limits are higher and the views are longer.

The name is a portmanteau of Cherokee National Forest (Tennessee side) and Nantahala National Forest (North Carolina side) — the road cuts through both. Traffic is dramatically lighter than on the Dragon, and the experience of running the Cherohala on a clear October morning with no other cars visible in either direction is one of the best drives in the region.

The natural pairing: run the Dragon in the morning, take the Cherohala in the afternoon. Deals Gap (the Dragon's western end) is about 45 minutes from the Tellico Plains entrance to the Cherohala. Many guests combine both roads in a single day.

The Cherohala's high-speed sweepers reward a car with power and composure more than the Dragon's precision demands. The Supra is the obvious answer — 382 hp, BMW chassis, composed at higher speeds than the Dragon's 30 mph limit ever allows. The Cherohala is the road where the Supra's additional power over the BRZ actually manifests in a meaningful way.

The BRZ is still excellent — the Cherohala has tighter technical sections near the summit that reward the BRZ's manual and lighter weight. Many drivers who prefer the BRZ on the Dragon still prefer the Supra on the Cherohala — different road, different tool.

The WRX STI is the best choice if weather is uncertain. The Cherohala's high elevation means cloud cover, moisture, and temperature drops even when Tellico Plains is sunny. AWD and manual in the STI is the confident answer for a Cherohala day when the forecast is ambiguous.

Fuel before you start. There are gas stations in Tellico Plains and in Robbinsville at either end; there is nothing in between. A full tank at the start is required.

The road is two lanes with passing zones. Traffic is light by national park standards — on a typical weekday you may have the road nearly to yourself. Weekend fall traffic is heavier but still manageable compared to the Dragon.

Allow 90 minutes to drive the full 40 miles if you stop at the overlooks. The overlooks are worth stopping at — Haw Knob (near the TN-NC border) offers one of the broader views in the region. Round-trip takes 3 hours; one-way to Robbinsville and back by another route (US-129 through Tapoco and back to Deals Gap) is the classic full-day Cherohala plus Dragon loop.