Conditions change by the hour at elevation — always check the agency's own status page before you drive.
PassOpenings

Cherohala Skyway

TN 165NC 143 Tellico Plains, Tennessee to Robbinsville, North Carolina

Forty-three miles over the Unicoi Mountains between Tellico Plains, Tennessee and Robbinsville, North Carolina, climbing more than 4,500 feet along the way. The name is the two national forests it crosses — Cherokee and Nantahala — stitched together.

Does Cherohala Skyway close in winter?

Open all year

There is no seasonal gate on the Skyway. The Cherokee National Forest's list of roads it closes each winter does not include it, so there is no spring opening date to wait for.

Snow, ice and freezing fog are what shut it, for a day or two at a time. At 5,000 feet the mountains make their own winter weather, and the road can be iced when the valleys are clear.

Conditions change by the hour on the high ground — check Cherokee NF's status page before you drive. This page is trip-planning history, not road status.

The road itself

Designation
National Scenic Byway
FHWA National Scenic Byways Program, 1996
Length
43 miles
High point
Santeetlah Overlook
The top of the drive, on the North Carolina side east of the state line. No agency publishes a figure for it, so none is printed here.

Designated twice, because it is two states' road: Tennessee's half in 1996, North Carolina's in 1998.

The drive

  1. Tellico Plains, Tennessee

    The west end, on TN 165.

  2. Indian Boundary Recreation Area

    Just off the Skyway, with over 90 campsites.

  3. The Tennessee–North Carolina state line

    TN 165 becomes NC 143 here.

  4. Santeetlah Overlook

    The top of the drive, with the ridges rolling back toward Tennessee.

  5. Robbinsville, North Carolina

    The east end, near Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Santeetlah Lake.

What's on the road

  • The Forest Service puts the climb at more than 4,500 feet between Tellico Plains and Robbinsville. The top of the road is Santeetlah Overlook, and no agency publishes an elevation for it, so this page does not give one.
  • Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Santeetlah Lake sit at the Robbinsville end; the Tellico River and Baby Falls are at the other.
  • There is nothing on the Skyway itself — no fuel, no food. Fill up in Tellico Plains or Robbinsville.

Nearby: Blue Ridge Parkway · Kuwohi Road

Cherohala Skyway is one of the roads on our scenic byway and seasonal road index — every road here, with its designation, length and winter in one table.

Where these facts come from

Last checked August 25, 2026.

Cherohala Skyway: closing and opening questions

Does Cherohala Skyway close in winter?
There is no seasonal gate on the Skyway. The Cherokee National Forest's list of roads it closes each winter does not include it, so there is no spring opening date to wait for.
What closes Cherohala Skyway?
Snow, ice and freezing fog are what shut it, for a day or two at a time. At 5,000 feet the mountains make their own winter weather, and the road can be iced when the valleys are clear.
Is Cherohala Skyway open right now?
This page is the road, not its condition this morning. USDA Forest Service — Cherokee National Forest publishes the current state of Cherohala Skyway, and that is the one to check before you drive.

Watching a spring trip? The opening watch board follows every road we keep a record for at once.