Out of Gatlinburg take Hwy 441 South through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This is a 30 mile drive through some of the most scenic areas of the Great Smoky Mountains. At Clingman's Dome you will enter into North Carolina and then Cherokee. Drive thru Cherokee to the dead end where there is a traffic light and turn right. Go 500 feet to another traffic light and turn left thus remaining on Hwy 441 South. In approximately three miles you will come to the intersection of Hwy 441 and Hwy 19/74, stay in the right hand lane and take the first highway entrance to the right going West toward Bryson City/Murphy. Stay on this highway, "The Great Smoky Mountain Expressway" for 16 miles where this highway becomes a two-lane road. Continue on Hwy 19/74 heading into the Nantahala Gorge on the road which is labeled, "The Scenic Waters Byway". From here it is approximately 12 miles to the Nantahala Mountain Resort, passing the Nantahala Outdoor Center and the Nantahala River Launch Site Park. The entrance to the Nantahala Mountain Resort, Franklin Branch Road, is 1.4 miles past the Launch site (Wayah Road) on the left.

     This drive is 65 miles from the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountain Park, approximately one and one half hours and is a beautiful scenic mountain trip through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the mountains of Western North Carolina.