NC 90: The Forgotten Highway of Caldwell County.

One of North Carolina's highway secrets is the unpaved portion of NC 90 in Caldwell County. From a point just beyond the curve, seen in the photo above, to an unmarked location in the tiny community of Edgemont, highway 90's last few miles are an unpaved journey through country that is forgotten by many everyday travelers. Although not in as quite a rugged territory as the mountains of Western North Carolina or some of the peaks just to the north, the unpaved NC 90 does climb from an elevation of approximately 1400 feet at the pavement change to close to 2400 feet in Edgemont.

Although isolated from nearby towns of Lenoir, Blowing Rock, and Boone, this segment does show signs of civilization. Utility poles and a handful of homesteads mark the route. Complete with three one lane bridges, unpaved NC 90 runs entirely through Pisgah National Forest and provides access to campsites within the park's boundary.

All photos taken May 2003.

Transition from pavement to gravel. The motorcyclists were forced to turn around.

An early flat piece of NC 90.

A primitive guard rail system

Tighter curves are found closer to Edgemont

NC 90 Curves Downhill in Caldwell County

Yes, there is local traffic on NC 90.

This concrete arch bridge is near Edgemont.

This one lane bridge over Thorps Creek is the longest of the three one lane bridges.

Rocks, drop offs, and other hazards make concentration the top priority of motorists on NC 90.

Lush green scenery surround this gentle S-curve.

Steven Duckworth, who took the photos while I drove

NC 90 @ NCRoads.com ---Matt Steffora

History of Mortimer and Edgemont ---James E. Parks

Comments

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l

Mines Road

Mines Road is an approximately twenty-eight-mile highway located in the rural parts of the Diablo Range east of the San Francisco Bay Area. Mines Road begins in San Antonio Valley in Santa Clara County and terminates at Tesla Road near Livermore of Alameda County. The highway essentially is a modern overlay of the 1840s Mexican haul trail up Arroyo Mocho known as La Vereda del Monte. The modern corridor of Mines Road took shape in the early twentieth century following development of San Antonio Valley amid a magnesite mining boom. Part 1; the history of Mines Road Modern Mines Road partially overlays the historic corridor used by La Vereda del Monte (Mountain Trail). La Vereda del Monte was part of a remote overland route through the Diablo Range primarily used to drive cattle from Alta California to Sonora. The trail was most heavily used during the latter days of Alta California during the 1840s. La Vereda del Monte originated at Point of Timber between modern day Byron and Bre

Interstate 210 the Foothill Freeway

The combined Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor of the Foothill Freeway is approximately 85.31-miles. The Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor begins at Interstate 5 at the northern outskirts of Los Angeles and travels east to Interstate 10 in Redlands of San Bernardino County. Interstate 210 is presently signed on the 44.9-mile segment of the Foothill Freeway between Interstate 5 and California State Route 57. California State Route 210 makes up the remaining 40.41 miles of the Foothill Freeway east to Interstate 10. Interstate 210 is still classified by the Federal Highway Administration as existing on what is now signed as California State Route 57 from San Dimas south to Interstate 10. The focus of this blog will mostly be on the history of Interstate 210 segment of the Foothill Freeway. Part 1; the history of Interstate 210 and California State Route 210 Interstate 210 (I-210) was approved as a chargeable Interstate during September of

Gribblenation

Search This Blog