Moonshiner 28 (NC 28)

Old moonshine-running route of sweepers and twisties from Deals Gap toward Highlands.

NC 28, known to riders as Moonshiner 28, runs from the Deals Gap and Fontana area southeast through the Nantahala country toward Franklin and Highlands. It mixes fast sweepers along the river and lakes with tighter wooded sections and waterfalls appearing around the bends, on a road that once served literal moonshine runners. It is a long, flowing drive rather than a single tight pass. Mind the slow log and RV traffic in the gorge, deer on the forested stretches, and damp shaded pavement under the tree canopy.