What are the best driving roads near Asheville, NC?
Asheville sits on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the best driving roads near it branch off the Parkway: NC 215 and US 276 to the southwest through Pisgah National Forest, NC 209 ("the Rattler") to the west, and the Diamondback loop at Little Switzerland to the northeast. The Tail of the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway are about two hours west.
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The Blue Ridge Parkway
The Parkway runs right through Asheville. South of town it climbs toward Mount Pisgah and the highest point on the whole Parkway, north of town toward Craggy Gardens and Mount Mitchell. The speed limit is 45 mph at most and the views are the point, so drive it for the scenery and use it to reach the twistier roads below.
Sections close in winter for ice and snow. Check the National Park Service road status before you go.
Pisgah: NC 215 and US 276
NC 215 drops off the Parkway at Beech Gap and winds down through the forest, and US 276 runs through Pisgah National Forest past Looking Glass Falls to Brevard. Linked with the Parkway they make a loop of an afternoon from Asheville.
West and northeast
NC 209 between Hot Springs and the Lake Junaluska area is known as the Rattler: tight, quiet and rural. Northeast of Asheville, the roads around Little Switzerland — NC 226A, the Diamondback — are short and very technical.
The day trip west
From Asheville it is roughly two hours to Robbinsville, the base for the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, the Cherohala Skyway and NC 28. Plan it as a full day.
Mapped routes within an hour of Asheville
Curated drives first, then by how much they bend.
- Blue Ridge ParkwayNear Afton352 miCurated
- The RattlerNear Cove24 mi262 corners10.8 / miCurated
- Shiner's RunNear Waynesville32 mi318 corners9.9 / miCurated
- Devils WhipNear Marion26 mi225 corners8.7 / miCurated
- Diamond Back LoopNear Little Switzerland9.1 mi223 corners24.5 / miCurated
- Two Rivers One Mountain and Ten Million Trout EggsNear Johnson City68 mi302 corners4.5 / miCurated
- Top of the RoanNear Johnson City100 mi569 corners5.7 / miCurated
- Vinegar PieNear Johnson City152 mi457 corners3 / miCurated
- Places of the PastNear Johnson City74 mi242 corners3.3 / miCurated
- Mountain RibbonsNear Johnson City146 mi694 corners4.7 / miCurated
- East Tennessee History TourNear Johnson City34 mi155 corners4.5 / miCurated
- Grandfather Mountain DriveNear Blowing Rock17 mi170 corners10.3 / miCurated
Questions
- Is the Blue Ridge Parkway open in winter?
- Parts of it close whenever there is ice or snow, which in the high sections around Asheville can be weeks at a time. The National Park Service posts real-time closures.
- How far is the Tail of the Dragon from Asheville?
- About two hours by car, west on I-40 and US 74 toward Robbinsville and Deals Gap.
- What is the twistiest road near Asheville?
- Every route on this page lists its graded corners per mile, measured from the road's own geometry, so you can compare them directly. The short mountain roads like the Diamondback and the Rattler grade tighter than the Parkway.
Keep reading
- Tail of the Dragon: what to know before you drive itUS 129's Tail of the Dragon packs 318 curves into 11 miles at Deals Gap on the North Carolina–Tennessee line. Where it starts, the speed limit, when to go, and what to drive next.
- How do I find twisty roads near me?How to find the best curvy driving roads near you: what makes a road good to drive, how to measure it, and how Road Finder scores every road in an area on curvature and flow.