Franklin, NC - Fun in the Highlands of North Carolina

August 5 - 12, 2013

(For larger images, click on photo)

Franklin, NC is one of the hidden treasures in the Western North Carolina.  Just south of Smokey Mountains National Park and just north of the Georgia state line, it is the home to big mountains, gems, waterfalls, and lots of things to see and do.  While we had been to Asheville and the Smokeys, we had never ventured this far back into the more remote areas.  This is not to say that this area is that rural, it is not, but it is rugged terrain and there is lots to see.

We stayed at the Great Outdoors RV Park just north of the city of Franklin.  This was a very nice park that was carved into the side of a mountain.  There were a number of seasonal residents that chose to "summer in the mountains" staying with us.  Very friendly people and a number of Tiffin owners.  We had two Open Roads, two Phaetons, and two Allegro Busses in the park while we were there.  They were pretty interested that we were on our way to Red Bay to see our new coach built.

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the RV park.  

As I mentioned, there are lots of things of natural beauty in that part of North Carolina.  First up was a half day trip to Natahala Gorge.  This area was chosen for the white water venues for the Atlanta Olympics.  If you like white water rafting or kayaking, this is the place to go.  There are simply miles of river to play in.  We took a break in the area where they held kayaking competitions to watch the kayakers.

Watching these kids do rolls and flips was rather intimidating.  I'll stick to flat water kayaking.

Franklin, NC is also known as the gem capital of North Carolina.  There are natural deposits of rubies, sapphires, and other gemstones in Cowee mountain just north of Franklin.  Several "gem mines" exist to help relieve the tourists of their hard earned dollars.  A number of them "salt" the dirt you have to sift through.  We opted for a non-salted mine for our adventure.

Intrepid miners hard at work washing the mud off of gravel.

A genuine rockhound

Our take from a morning of washing rocks wasn't bad.  We have three rubies and three sapphires for the morning.  These are not gems yet and they just look like rocks, but we do have them.  The interesting thing is that, as you are washing and sorting them, they are significantly heavier than ordinary rocks.  One of the sapphires even retains some of the shape of the original hexagonal crystal.  

There is an abundance of waterfalls in and around Franklin.  Most can be found towards the south and into Georgia.  Some are easy to drive to, others require a real hike to see.  We, being almost old people, opted for the easier ones to visit.  Some of the best are along US64 from Franklin towards Highlands, NC.  This road is narrow, twisty, and is not suitable for trucks or RVs but the scenery is great and the waterfalls easy to get to.

Cullasja Falls

Bust Your Butt Falls

(and popular swimming hole)

Nice butterflies in the Cullasja gorge

Dry Falls from the walkway

Under Dry Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Given that we had monsoon rains every afternoon across the county during our stay, water volume for August was pretty impressive.  

Our last full day in Franklin, we decided to explore the little town of Sylva just a few miles north of the campground.  We were really heading for the local chocolate shop but it wasn't open, so we did the next best thing, visited Sylva, NC.  And we found the most impressive court house either of us and ever seen.

On 8/12 we departed for Red Bay, AL because on Wednesday, 8/14, our new home was going to start construction.  When it is all done in early September, it should look like this: