Historic Tales

As you cross over the Little Tennessee River into downtown Franklin, you’ll notice a sculpture in the center of Women’s History Park. The sculpture, “Sowing the Seeds of the Future,” depicts three women from the area’s past: Na-Ka Rebecca Morris (a Cherokee), Salley (an enslaved woman) and Harriet Timoxena Siler Sloan (a pioneer woman). The sculpture represents each group of women and their contributions that helped build Franklin.

It also serves as the trailhead for the Women’s History Trail. Markers and art throughout the town weave the story of how women contributed to the culture and growth of the community, including the “Sowing the Seeds” women. One marker denotes the female entrepreneurs who turned a former 1890s girls’ school into the Franklin Terrace Inn to boost tourism in the early 1900s. The B&B still serves as base for adventure.

Museums also tell the tale of community. The Scottish Tartan Museum is the only tartan museum outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. It traces the history of the tartan and highlights Scottish heritage in the NC mountains. Visitors can also learn about their Scot heritage and buy a family (clan) tartan.

The Gem and Mineral Museum shows why the area is considered the gem capital of the world and is a delight for the rockhound in all of us. And the Macon County Historical Society and Museum details community life from WWI to the present.

Nature Trails

Franklin also serves up a notable trail-related title: it’s the first certified Appalachian Trail (AT) town. But you don’t need to be a long-distance hiker to enjoy the local trails. Waterfalls and overlooks await on trails deemed easy to strenuous. Many are located off dirt and gravel roads, so be sure your vehicle is capable of reaching certain trailheads and download both map directions and trail maps from your preferred hiking app before heading out due to a possible drop in cell service.

The 1.1-mile roundtrip Big Laurel Falls forest-covered trail culminates at a 25-foot cascade after following creeks and shallow waterfalls. It takes less than a half mile to reach 20-foot Mooney Falls, with its strong cascades audible even before you hit the trail.

Two overlooks, Pickens Nose Trail and Wayah Bald Lookout Tower, are worth the bumpy road drive. Travel through a rhododendron forest for 0.75 miles to reach the Pickens Nose craggy summit, and yes, the outcropping resembles the nose of 18th century General Andrew Pickens. The view of Nantahala National Forest is worth the initial 275-foot elevation change at the trail’s start.

Wayah Bald Lookout Tower, a stone tower built in the 1930s, is accessible by both the AT and Bartram trails, as well as a paved greenway via a forest service road. The 360-degree view at 5,342 feet stretches to the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains as well as the hills of Georgia, and is perfect for a sunset.

No matter your level of adventure, Franklin has you covered.