Roan Mountain (TN-143)

Tennessee State Route 143 is a 12.5-mile mountain highway climbing through Cherokee National Forest and Roan Mountain State Park to Carvers Gap at 5,512 feet on the Tennessee–North Carolina state line. The road ascends from the Roan Mountain community through dense spruce-fir forest, growing progressively steeper and curvier past Hidden Creek before delivering a series of technical twists near the summit. From Carvers Gap riders can continue into North Carolina on NC-261, making the combined route a 25-mile mountain crossing widely described as one of the curviest rides in the Southeast. Rhododendron bloom in late June draws additional traffic.