The Mountain Makes Its Own Rules

A few honest words about safety up here, because this high country is glorious and it is not to be trifled with. You're over a mile above sea level, and the mountain makes its own weather, fast. A clear blue morning in the valley can be a wall of gray fog on the crest, and it can close in around you in a matter of minutes. If that happens, slow way down, turn on your lights, and if you truly can't see, wait it out at a pullout. No view is worth driving blind off a mountain.

In the cold months, add ice and snow to the list. The Skyway doesn't officially close in winter, but it can be genuinely treacherous up top — the North Carolina side gets plowed and treated after a storm, but the Tennessee side often does not, and conditions get worse the higher you climb. If there's any doubt in winter, don't chance the crest.

And year-round: remember there are no services out here, little to no cell signal in most of it, and it's a long way to help. Watch for wildlife — black bear and deer, and yes, wild boar, which you'll hear about shortly. Drive it with the respect a big wild mountain deserves, and it will give you one of the finest days of driving anywhere in America.