Do the Moonshiner 28 tours work without cell signal?

Yes. Download before you go and the audio plays by your phone's location even with no signal — ideal for Deals Gap to Franklin, Tennessee–North Carolina.

How do I get the tours?

Download the free Ranger Tales app from the App Store and unlock the Moonshiner 28 tour(s) inside the app.

Deals Gap to Franklin, Tennessee–North Carolina

Moonshiner 28

The legendary NC-28 — sixty miles of wild mountain highway from Deals Gap past Fontana Lake and Bryson City to Franklin, through old blockade-whiskey country, the moonshine-running roots of stock-car racing, and some of the Smokies' quietest backroads.

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Self-guided audio tours

The Moonshiner 28 tour

Driving tourCarPlay

Moonshiner 28

23 stops· 40 min· 55.9 mi

Sixty miles of twisting mountain highway from Deals Gap to Franklin, North Carolina — the old blockade-whiskey country of the far Smokies, and the third of the three legendary roads that meet at Deals Gap, alongside the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. Ranger Quinn keeps you oriented and safe and tells you what you're seeing — Fontana Lake, the Nantahala gorge, the largest national forest in the state, and the gem country around Franklin. Ranger Boone Merrick brings the tales this road was named for: why these hidden coves ran with moonshine, the outlaw they called the King of the Moonshiners, how running liquor on roads like this one birthed stock-car racing, the mountain towns drowned to build Fontana Dam and the broken promise called the Road to Nowhere, and a thousand-year-old Cherokee mound that finally came home in 2026. Drive it either way. Fuel up first — the services are thin out here. Then roll.

Waterfalls & landmarks

What you'll see

Tap any landmark for a visitor guide — what it is, where it is, and how to hear its story.

Plan your visit

Good to know

Is there a self-guided audio tour of Moonshiner 28?: Yes — Ranger Tales offers 1 self-guided audio tour of Moonshiner 28. The legendary NC-28 — sixty miles of wild mountain highway from Deals Gap past Fontana Lake and Bryson City to Franklin, through old blockade-whiskey country, the moonshine-running roots of stock-car racing, and some of the Smokies' quietest backroads. Each plays by GPS and works offline.
Do the Moonshiner 28 tours work without cell signal?: Yes. Download before you go and the audio plays by your phone's location even with no signal — ideal for Deals Gap to Franklin, Tennessee–North Carolina.
How do I get the tours?: Download the free Ranger Tales app from the App Store and unlock the Moonshiner 28 tour(s) inside the app.

🎧 Get the tour

Explore Moonshiner 28 with a ranger

Download the tour, leave your phone in your pocket, and let it play itself as you go. Works offline.

Get it on the App Store