Murphy Branch — Andrews to Murphy
NC · Andrews → Murphy
Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0
The end of the line in the Carolina mountains.
Heads up: Rated poor. Owned by the state of North Carolina, so get permission first.
The Murphy Branch was built west from Asheville through the Smokies and finally reached Murphy, near the Georgia and Tennessee lines. Norfolk Southern dropped the western end in the 1980s and North Carolina bought it to save it from being torn up.
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad runs popular excursion trains farther east, between Dillsboro and Nantahala. This stretch between Andrews and Murphy has been idle for decades; the state has studied reopening it but hasn't funded it.
⚠️ Before you go: every railroad on this map is private property. A line that looks abandoned may still be owned by a railroad, used to store rail cars, or put back into service at any time — sometimes with no warning. Before going near any track, make sure it's truly abandoned (no recent use, rails not polished, no signals or cars stored on it) and that you're allowed to be there. Never assume a track is dead.
📷 Photos & stories from riders
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