Snaking Through The Appalachian Mountains Is A Scenic Drive Showcasing The Highland Beauty Of Tennessee

Up in the Appalachian highlands of Tennessee is a scenic drive that showcases some of the state's famed mountain beauty. Tennessee knows a thing or two about supremely scenic roads that wind through ethereal forests and mountains, and the 12.5-mile Highway 143 (SR 143) that snakes through Roan Mountain State Park to Carver's Gap on the border of North Carolina is one of the most beautiful. Travel + Leisure named it as one of the best road trips in the U.S. in 2025, and it's not hard to see why once you cruise this inspiring route that puts you in the heart of the elements that make the Appalachians — one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world — stand out.

Highway 143 winds through a mountainous landscape peppered with balds, grassy summits unique to the Appalachians, created in part by the grazing of large extinct animals, such as mastodons and woolly mammoths. Drive past meadows, evergreen forests, and balds covered with bright wildflowers along this road that crosses through the Cherokee National Forest and offers direct access to Roan Mountain State Park. 

If beginning your drive at Roan Mountain on the Tennessee side, the closest jumping-off point is Elizabethton, a quaint and historic city in the foothills of the Appalachians, which is just a 20-minute drive away. If you'd rather start from Carvers Gap and drive up into Roan Mountain State Park from North Carolina, Bakersville is the closest town with services, also just 20 minutes away. On the North Carolina side, bigger hubs like Asheville are just under 1.5 hours away, while Knoxville is two hours away for those starting in Tennessee.

While some may be interested in just taking a nice drive or including Highway 143 as part of a drive through the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, others might want to coast down this road to get to a hiking trail. Roan Mountain National Park has about 12 miles of trails, while many take the highway to the popular Carvers Gap to tackle part of the Appalachian Trail. All told, about 13 miles of the Appalachian Trail cross the Roan Highlands.

The Appalachian Trail runs east to west across Carvers Gap, and each direction offers a different experience. Eastbound, the trail takes you to the largest area of grassy balds in the Appalachians, while westbound takes you up the Roan High Knob through a dense forest that opens up to sweeping views of the mountains. Whether hiking or driving, you can take in the views of the five summits of Roan Mountain, which are lined with hardwood forests of spruce fir and wildflower-covered balds. Those visiting in the summer can marvel at the rhododendron bloom, which typically begins in mid-June. If you're looking to enjoy views of the balds but without making a super long trek to do so, you can stop at Carvers Gap and do a .7-mile walk to the summit across a meadow that leads you to beautiful vistas of the area. 

Keep in mind, however, that Hurricane Helene caused extensive damage to Roan Mountain State Park in 2024. While trails like Carvers Gap and the Appalachian Trail are currently open, a number of others have been closed indefinitely for repairs. It's best to check directly with the parks for the most up-to-date information.