North Carolina Highway 215

North Carolina Highway 215 (NC 215) is a highway in western North Carolina that runs from the town of Rosman in Transylvania County to Canton at Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 74 (US 74). The portion from Canton to Rosman is a part of the US Forest Service's Forest Heritage Scenic Byway. It travels high into the mountains along a scenic stretch of the upper West Fork of the Pigeon River, and intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway at Beech Gap at an elevation of approximately 5300 ft.

Route description
In Transylvania County, at the intersection with US 64 near Rosman, this road cuts through a path originally placed by the Gloucester Lumber Company, following the path of the North Fork of the French Broad River to its headwaters. Between US 64 and intersection of Macedonia Church Road (SR 1326), the highway has seven miles of narrow, winding, hairpin turns that are mostly surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest. In some areas the road is all that separates small mountain cliffs and steep ravines below the roadway. Within this seven mile stretch, the highway climbs 700 ft in elevation from 2200 ft in elevation, at Rosman, to 2900 ft at the unincorporated community of Balsam Grove. This route is characterized as having a dense leafy canopy for much of the way during the summer season.

Northward beyond Macedonia Church Road, the highway has broader shoulders and has entered Balsam Grove, and serves as the primary route in and out of the area. There is a solitary gas station in this area that serves as the only stop along the route until reaching Jackson County.

After passing through Balsam Grove, the road returns into Pisgah National Forest, climbing rapidly for another 7 mi through the Pinhook Valley, peaking at the intersection with the Blue Ridge Parkway at 5300 ft. This section of the road climbs 2400 ft in 7 mi.

Along the way, you will find several spots to pull over to the side of the road to take a break from the curves, allow faster traffic to move on, or to provide relief for a carsick passenger.

History
The highway defines the boundaries of the Shining Rock and Middle Prong wildernesses: Shining Rock lying to the east, and Middle Prong to the west. The right-of-way for the highway is all that separates the two for several miles, and several hiking trails start along parking areas on this road or on spur roads connecting to it. Several waterfalls along the West Fork or its tributaries can be seen from the road itself, especially during the winter after rainfall. Some can be accessed by hiking trails, but others are very remote making hiking to them difficult even though they can clearly be seen from the highway. This section of road is popular with tourists and with motorcyclists due to its curvy nature.

NC 215 was built on the right of way of two logging railroads.

Future
North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to modernize a 5.04 mi section of NC 215 between US 276 (Pigeon Road) to SR 1926 (Pisgah School Road). The project includes widening lanes to 12 ft from the current 10 ft and paved shoulders. At an estimated cost of $13.8 million, it is currently unfunded.