Scenic Drives
Drovers Road - Mountain Scenic Drives
This route passes through Hickory Nut Gap, one of only two gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains which early eastern settlers took to reach the beautiful Asheville plateaus. Many farmers drove flocks of their market-bound livestock through this gap, hence the byway’s name.
Imagine back 100 years ago, to see the undaunted beauty of this area. The route is now quite different. Its beauty still abounds and the paths blazed a century ago are also the avenues of choice today. The route U.S. 74A works its way down from Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The byway begins just south of the community of Fairview. As you travel south/southeast, notice the tall peak to your left – the Little Pisgah Mountain (elev. 4,412’) once known to the Cherokee Indians as Konnatoga.
This forewarns the climb up and through Hickory Nut Gap. Long ago this gap was known as Sherrill’s Gap – named after a historic inn and tavern owned by Bedford Sherrill. This inn, open between 1834 and 1909, was a well-known comfort stop for weary travelers, settlers, drovers and Civil War soldiers. This National Register Historic Site (pictured here) still stands but is now maintained as a private residence. You may catch a glimpse of it as you drive the wide curves between Ferguson Mountain and Tater Knob. The hillsides are covered in stands of mature trees. In the spring and early summer you are treated to the symphony of flowering trillium and mountain laurel.
Descending from the gap you drive into Hickory Nut Gorge. Bearwallow Mountain is conspicuously to your right. Hickory Nut Creek (also known as the Rocky Broad) parallels your drive and a chain of blue ridges. At five miles from the beginning of the byway, you find the quaint village of Gerton. This community was first known as Pump. As the story goes, the town’s original name came from the frequent practice of thirsty patrons leaving money by a local water pump and upon their return they would find a jar of clear potent liquid – unique to these hills. The drive through here offers several craft shops, stores, campgrounds and some roadside stands. Sorry, the infamous pump is gone.
The high steep sides of the gorge are covered in a cascade of rocks, trees and rhododendron. In spring, you may see a tree with deep lavender blooms scattered along this drive. The Paulownia Tree, also known as the Empress Tree was originally brought here by George Vanderbilt. Since first introduced, the seeds of this tree have been spread throughout this area by birds. The byway ends at Bat Cave where it intersects with N.C. 9 and the Black Mountain Rag scenic byway. The following pages contain further details of this area.
Length: 10 miles
Driving Time: 20 minutes
Counties: Buncombe, Henderson
courtesy of NC Department of Transportation
added: September 15, 2009
updated: September 25, 2009
This Page:
http://www.visitnc.com/journeys/articles/scenic-drives/1/drovers-road-mountain-scenic-drives
