Some of the state's most spectacular forests thrive here, in part because this area is decidedly less developed than other parts of Western North Carolina. Certainly the forests and wildlife benefit from less human intervention, but the other side of the coin is less money to maintain the resources and foster their appreciation. Opened in October 1996, the 17.5-mile Cherohala Skyway runs from Santeetlah Gap in North Carolina to Beech Gap at the Tennessee state line. The skyway ranges in elevation from 3,000 feet at Santeetlah Gap, to its highest point at Haw Knob at 5,472 feet, and down again to 4,490 feet at Beech Gap. The U.S. Forest Service has given the same attention to blending the road in with its environment as workers did earlier this century on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Guardrails are a natural rusted brown to blend with the earth and trees.
Scenic overlooks are defined by attractive rock walls. Some overlooks, such as the one at Spirit Ridge, are handicapped accessible and offer expansive views of the magnificent landscape of Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness and Snowbird Creek basin. Other overlooks connect with hiking trails such as the one to Hooper Bald, elevation 5,429 feet, near where the wild Russian boar was first introduced to North Carolina. Interpretive stations, restrooms, and picnic areas are also planned. The magnificent virgin and old- growth forests, mercifully preserved in spite of the overlogging experienced throughout Western North Carolina, harbor ancient trees that grow to a height of more than 150 feet and a girth of 20 feet.