A challenging loop straddling the NC/TN border through the Walnut Mountains. According to legend, during the forced removal of people of the Cherokee Nation, some women hid their babies in the mountains near Walnut and Brush Creek. On quiet summer nights, you can still hear their cries, according to local elders. The TN rest area has the best stocked vending machine you've ever seen, takes cards, and offers cold/frozen items with microwave access.