Driving Directions: Cheoah River Outpost

NOC's Cheoah River Outpost has changed! The new meeting place:

Blue Waters Mountain Lodge
292 Pine Ridge Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771
888-828-3978

Be aware: Driving on winding mountain roads can take up to twice as long as normal travel time and mileages can be deceptive. The meeting place for this trip is at the Blue Waters Mountain Lodge near Robbinsville, NC. Make sure allmembers of your group have these directions and follow them closely.

GPS: 35° 22.206 N, 83° 50.539 W

NOC does not recommend the use of GPS devices or online mapping sites, as the directions they give can sometimes be confusing or suggest alternate routes to what we recommend. These routes can often double your travel time. We advise using the directions below.

From Asheville, NC (approximately 110 miles)
Take I-40 W toward Knoxville, TN. Take Exit 27 onto US 74 W (Great Smoky Mountains Expressway) toward Waynesville/Clyde and Bryson City. Approximately 8 miles west of Bryson City, take a right on 28 N. Go approximately 11 ½ miles to Hwy 143. Take a left onto 143 and follow it to Robbinsville, NC. Take a right at the 2nd stop light onto 129 N. Follow 129 N through town (approx 4 miles) and cross the Ted Jordan Bridge. Make 2nd left (almost immediate) onto
Pine Ridge Road. Blue Waters Mountain Lodge is 0.2 miles on the right. Look for a large brown house with green rocking chairs on porch. Santeetlah Lake will be on the left.

From East Atlanta, GA (approximately 180 miles)
Take I-85 N to I-985 N. At Gainesville, GA take 365 N to 441 N. In Franklin, you will need to make a turn to stay on 441
N. Watch for signs. Near Dillsboro, NC Hwy 441 will funnel into US 74. Take 74 W toward Bryson City. After 22 miles on US 74 (you will pass Bryson City), take a right on 28 N. Go approximately 11 ½ miles to Hwy 143. Take a left onto 143 and follow it to Robbinsville, NC. Take a right at the 2nd stop light onto 129 N. Follow 129 N through town (approx 4 miles) and cross the Ted Jordan Bridge. Make 2nd left (almost immediate) onto Pine Ridge Road. Blue Waters Mountain
Lodge is 0.2 miles on the right. Look for a large brown house with green rocking chairs on porch. Santeetlah Lake will be on the left.

From West Atlanta, GA (approximately 180 miles)
Take I-75 N to I-575 N which becomes State Hwy 5 which in turn becomes U.S. Hwy 76. Stay with this road until just past Blue Ridge, GA, and then turn left onto Hwy 60 to Mineral Bluff, GA. In Mineral Bluff, turn right onto Hwy 60 Spur and follow it into North Carolina to US 74 E, turning right toward Murphy and Andrews. Approximately 10 miles east of Andrews, NC, take a left on 129 N to Robbinsville, NC. Follow 129 N through town (approx 4 miles) and cross the Ted Jordan Bridge. Make 2nd left (almost immediate) onto Pine Ridge Road. Blue Waters Mountain Lodge is 0.2 miles on the
right. Look for a large brown house with green rocking chairs on porch. Santeetlah Lake will be on the left.

From Chattanooga, TN (approximately 145 miles)
Take I-75 N toward Cleveland, TN. Take the first Cleveland exit (#20) onto US 64 Bypass East. Go 6 miles; take Ocoee Exit US 64 E towards Ocoee/Murphy, NC. At Murphy the road number changes to US 74. Stay on US 74 E. Approximately 10 miles east of Andrews, NC; take a left on 129 N to Robbinsville, NC. Follow 129 N through town (approx 4 miles) and cross the Ted Jordan Bridge. Make 2nd left (almost immediate) onto Pine Ridge Road. Blue Waters
Mountain Lodge is 0.2 miles on the right. Look for a large brown house with green rocking chairs on porch. Santeetlah
Lake will be on the left.

From Knoxville, TN (approximately 60 miles)
Take 129 South for 60 miles. This is a "wicked curvy" road, so drive carefully and allow extra driving time. You will enter North Carolina at Deal's Gap. Pass the Cheoah Dam and River. Approximately 12 miles from the Cheoah Dam, turn right onto Pine Ridge Road. Blue Waters Mountain Lodge is 0.2 miles on the right. Look for a large brown house with green rocking chairs on porch. Santeetlah Lake will be on the left.