Drive 262.4 miles • 7 hours, 33 minutes

Mountain adventure meets Southern hospitality on this beautiful loop drive. Bring your hiking boots, your fishing pole and your appetite, because you’re in for an experience that bursts with southern flavors.

1. Murphy

Starting Point • History, Nature, Outdoor Recreation

You’ll love this small town in the mountains of North Carolina, the county seat of Cherokee County. There’s history here: Murphy dates back to 1839, and a stroll along its tree-lined streets leads to scores of historic homes. Bring your fishing gear because the trout is famous in the region.

2. Cherokee

57.7 miles, 1 hour, 29 minutes • Entertainment, History, Shopping

Cherokee is on the reservation of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Be sure to visit Oconaluftee Village and experience 18th-century Cherokee life. Feeling lucky? Toss the dice at the Cherokee Casino Resort or shoot a hole-in-one at Sequoyah National Golf Club. Shop for premier quality handmade arts and crafts or visit nearby waterfalls.

3. Asheville

51.1 miles, 1 hour, 23 minutes • Entertainment, Outdoor Recreation

What do you get when you blend nature’s beauty with great shopping, gourmet dining, rich history, and plenty of music and art? You get Asheville, aka the “Paris of the South.” Here, you’ll find an honest-to-goodness symphony orchestra, iconic music halls and a luxury spa deep in a salt cave. Tour on foot, bus or bike, or hop on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. There are multiple destinations for RV parks in Asheville. You’ll find this city to be a good long stopover during your North Carolina trip.

RECOMMENDED STOPOVERS

Asheville Bear Creek RV Park – Asheville, NC – (800) 833-0798

4. Hendersonville

25.9 miles, 36 minutes • Food, Outdoor Recreation

Nestled in the mountains, Hendersonville serves up outdoor adventures with the same verve that it serves up its sweet apple pies (made from homgrown apples). Hiking, zip lining and whitewater rafting are on the menu, as are tasty treats served up during the North Carolina Apple Festival.

5. Franklin

78.9 miles, 2 hours, 46 minutes • Nature, Outdoor Recreation, Quirky

Breathe deeply that clean North Carolina mountain air! Franklin is North Carolina’s home base for outdoor adventure, where visitors fish lovely woodland streams, hike to awesome waterfalls, and enjoy the area’s glens, dells, hills and valleys. There are lots of opportunities for great hunting, rafting, kayaking and more. And Franklin is known as the “Gem Capital of the World,” so bring your mining gear. Who knows? You might strike it rich in Franklin. Take the drive back to Murphy (48.8 miles, 1 hour, 15 minutes), and the loop is complete.

RECOMMENDED STOPOVERS

The Great Outdoors RV Resort – Franklin, NC – (828) 349-0412