This Hidden 130-Year-Old Tunnel Will Amaze You – RV Adventure Franklin, NC

5 months ago
Chad

There’s something special about pulling into Franklin, North Carolina — especially when the whole family is waiting. After a quick stop at our cabin, we drove the Lineage down to Franklin, where Chad’s mom lives, to meet up with Chad’s daughters, who had made the drive up from Tampa to visit for a few days. We had a packed agenda: waterfalls, a rail tour we’d been wanting to do for a while, and a summit view that did not disappoint.

Waterfall Tour: Cullasaja Gorge

With all five of us crammed into the Jeep, we headed out on one of the best short road trips in Western North Carolina — Highway 64, also known as Highlands Road, winding through the Cullasaja Gorge. The road follows the Cullasaja River, and along the way there are several waterfalls worth stopping for.

First is Cullasaja Falls, a powerful roadside drop that unfortunately only has a small, unmarked pull-off on a narrow section of the gorge. We couldn’t get in this trip, but we’ve stopped there before — just know it fills up fast and the road is tight. There is also no path to get close to the waterfall, but it’s still great to just stop and see it from the road.

Next up is Bust Your Butt Falls (officially Quarry Falls), a fun, easy-access waterfall with decent parking and a popular swimming hole vibe. Then comes Dry Falls, which earns its name from a paved path that leads you behind the waterfall, where you can usually stay relatively dry compared to standing in the full spray. We say “usually” — wind and water flow have opinions. Dry Falls now charges a fee to park, though the lot tends to be packed regardless. On this day, we had it completely to ourselves, which felt almost surreal.

Very close to Dry Falls is Bridal Veil Falls, once famous as the only waterfall in North Carolina you could drive your car behind. In fact, looking at old photos, it seems the road ONLY went behind the falls. That section is now closed to vehicles, but you can still walk behind it — still a great stop.

Highlands, NC

After the gorge, we wound our way up to Highlands, which sits at over 4,100 feet in elevation. It has that classic cool mountain town feel — charming shops, solid restaurant options (we ate at Four65), and easy access to trails and waterfalls. If you’re doing the Cullasaja Gorge waterfall run, tacking on lunch in Highlands is an easy yes.

The Andrews Valley Rail Tour

The main event was the Andrews Valley Rail Tour, something we’d been wanting to try for a while. The tour departs from Andrews, NC, and offers two ride options: a four-seat pedal rail bike with electric assist, or a nine-seat motorized passenger cart with a canopy. Since there were five of us, we went with the cart.

As it turned out, the two other passengers assigned to our cart decided to switch to pedal bikes — which meant we had the whole thing to ourselves. The guides call this one the “party train,” and we were not going to argue with that. They also mentioned that if you bring your own cooler, they’re not going to look inside. We had sodas. Allegedly.

The route follows 4.8 miles of track out to the Valley River Tunnel, rolling through the mountains at a relaxed pace with river views along the way. It’s a genuinely scenic stretch, and the motorized cart is a great option if you want the experience without the workout — though the people who did pedal told us coming back that with four riders and the electric assist available, it was very easy and they barely used the assist.

Tickets are $59.99 per person. They offer discounts for veterans on select dates, locals on certain days of the week, and groups of 20 or more. Rail bikes are open to ages 8 and up, while the passenger cart can accommodate kids 4 and up with an adult.

Valley River Tunnel

The turnaround point of the tour is the Valley River Tunnel, and it’s worth the trip on its own. This tunnel was hand-carved by Southern Railway workers in the 1890s and completed in 1894. Walking into it, the temperature drops noticeably — anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees — which is a welcome surprise on a warm summer day.

After the tunnel, there’s a stop to get out, stretch, have a snack or a picnic, and poke around before loading back up for the return ride to the depot. You get about 45 minutes at the rest stop, which is plenty of time to have a picnic and explore.

Wayah Bald

We capped off the visit with a drive up to Wayah Bald, and it’s one of those places that earns its reputation. From Franklin, you head west on US 64, turn onto Wayah Road, and follow the winding climb to Forest Service Road 69 — about four and a half miles of gravel road that’s well worth navigating. Just note that Forest Service Road 69 is typically closed from January 1st through April 1st.

The summit sits at 5,300 feet, which meant it was a comfortable 66 degrees while it was pushing 85 down in the valley. From the parking area, a short paved path leads up to the historic stone fire tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The views from the top stretch across the Appalachian Mountains into Georgia, Tennessee, and both Carolinas. We had the whole summit to ourselves — no crowds, no noise, just ridgeline views in every direction.

It was a great few days in Franklin. Next up, we’re back on the road and heading to our next stop — this time in our Momentum!— stay tuned!

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