281

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58.5 km

Length

+1,289 m

Ascent

−1,435 m

Descent

1,125 m

Highest point

Hairpins

11.3%

Max gradient

1h 18min

Drive time (approx.)

Weather on the road

At the highest point · 1,125 m

15 °C clearsky

wind 3 m/s · clouds 0%

At the start

18 °C clearsky

wind 2 m/s · clouds 0%

	Min	Max	Wind
Thursday 22 Oct	9 °C	15 °C	3 m/s	clearsky
Friday 23 Oct	4 °C	16 °C	3 m/s	clearsky
Saturday 24 Oct	3 °C	16 °C	3 m/s	clearsky

Weather data by MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Updated 10/22/26, 9:46 PM

Terrain and when to go

Landscape: Hill and low mountain road
Surface: asphalt 74%

Roads nearby

The Whitewater

47.3 km
Length: +988 m
Ascent

The Oconee

56.0 km
Length: +720 m
Ascent

215

65.4 km
Length: +1,067 m
Ascent

58.5 km · 5 hairpins · 1,125 m

Elevation profile

What does 281 look like?

North Carolina - Upper Whitewater Falls 01 · P. Hughes · CC BY-SA 4.0

NC281-State Line · Washuotaku · CC BY-SA 3.0

Old Tuckasegee School, Tuckasegee, NC (44221730552) · Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States · CC0

Old Sols Creek School, Argura, NC (49081660128) · Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States · CC0

Corbin Creek Falls, NC · RC10quad · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under the licences shown; each opens its source page.

Start

Oconee County

35.02465, -83.01908

Finish

Tuckasegee

35.27022, -83.12276

Along the road

Parking

Whitewater Falls Parking Area 0.5 km · 823 m

West Fork Way Parking Area 28.2 km · 873 m

24 unnamed places along the road, from 0.0 km to 50.9 km.

Toilets

1 unnamed place along the road, from 0.4 km to 0.4 km.

Viewpoints

Whitewater Falls Overlook 0.9 km · 850 m

Whitewater Falls Viewing Platform 0.9 km · 850 m

1 unnamed place along the road, from 0.9 km to 11.2 km.

Fuel

1 unnamed place along the road, from 13.9 km to 13.9 km.

Restaurants and cafés

Panthertown Cafe 15.9 km · 931 m

Amore Restaurant 17.0 km · 934 m

The Trout Cafe And Grill 17.3 km · 918 m

Grand Olde Station 19.0 km · 922 m