The Carolina Road, also known as the Old Carolina Road, refers to various sections of the Great Wagon Road and other routes in colonial America. "The 'Old Carolina Road', extending from Philadelphia, through Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina, and later beyond that, was one of the most heavily traveled roads in eighteenth-century America. At Roanoke, then called Big Lick, the road split with one branch going to the southwest, leading into the upper New River Valley and on to the Holston River in the upper Tennessee Valley. From there, the Wilderness Road led into Kentucky, ending at the Ohio River where flatboats were available for further travel into the Midwest and even to New Orleans.
The other branch went south to Charlotte, NC. South of Roanoke, the Great Wagon Road was also called the Carolina Road. The Great Wagon Road ultimately reached Augusta, Georgia, on the Savannah River, more than 800 miles (1,300 km) from Philadelphia.
What started as a footpath later became an improved wagon road. The 1751 Fry-Jefferson map notes the term "Waggon" only north of Winchester, Virginia. In 1753, a group of wagon travelers reported that "the good road ended at Augusta" (now Staunton, Virginia), although they did keep going all the way to Winston-Salem.
Some of our ancestors may have traveled this road to reach the areas of south-central Virginia.
Below are excerpts from https://piedmonttrails.com/great-wagon-road-project/, which describes the road's route. Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wagon_Road. Scroll down to Roanoke, Virginia, to Wachovia (now Winston-Salem), North Carolina, for a detailed list of the route. There are some slight variations and alternatives between the two. I have slightly edited the information below. I have created a map below that shows the Virginia route based on these descriptions along with where some of our ancestors lived. There are also two photos of historical markers; one in Franklin County, VA and one in Walnut Cove, NC.
1. Beginning at Franklin Road, a historic road sign informs present-day travelers of the historical significance associated with the Great Wagon Road. The settlers would have traveled this section and reached the banks of the Roanoke River. The crossing was known as Tosh’s Ford, and after crossing the waterway, travelers would have seen Evans Mill, located approximately 1/4 mile south of Crystal Spring. Franklin Road will allow present-day U.S. Highway 220 to join the route, and here the pioneers would begin leaving the great valley of Big Lick.2. The settlers traveled 5 miles from the location of Evan’s Mill and reached a natural gateway named Maggoty Gap . [1] This passage made it possible for the heavy wagons and livestock to pass through the Blue Ridge Mountains. 3. The route in the present day next reaches the U.S. Highway 220 freeway intersection, and the original route crosses Maggoty Creek and 4. Follows VA 613 or Naff Road. A brick structure (638 Naff Rd.) stands along Naff Road and served as an active inn in the mid-to-late 18th century. 5. Boones Mill. According to documents, the mill was constructed in or around 1786.6. Passing over Little Creek along VA 739 7. And traveling 10 miles, the settlers would have crossed the Blackwater River. Today, this crossing is a one-lane bridge along VA 643. Early documents proclaim that this area was known for flooding. Several families would be camped near here to wait out the floods before crossing.
In this area, the present-day Waid Recreation Area (also called Waid Park), located along the Pigg River just west of Rocky Mount, VA is said to contain a preserved portion of the road. [2]
8. The route then travels 5 miles, following VA 802, also known as “Old Carolina Road”. [There is no 802 on today’s map]9. Traveling 9 miles to present-day Ferrum, which was established in 1889. The railroad construction decided to use the original wagon road in 1892. The rail lines were constructed over the road in this area. The pioneers would have traveled 6 miles from this location to reach 10. The boundary of Henry County, Virginia. After crossing Town Fork Creek, a steep incline would have been waiting on the wagons. This incline was littered with trees, debris, rocks, and other hazards. It is estimated that the original climb would have been approximately 4 miles, with 1 mile along the ridge line. 11. A steep descent along VA 606 and the crossing of Little Reed Creek would have been made along the bottom. Here, the route rejoins U.S. Highway 220 and the area around Philpott Dam. The dam has significantly altered the landscape, and the area's appearance would have been completely different from that of 18th-century travelers. Moravian diary entries reveal that many of the travelers regarded this area as the most beautiful along the route.12. The Smith River is the next obstacle for the pioneers. Follow present-day U.S. Highway 220 through Fieldale by vehicle to the river crossing. Many historians speculate that the actual crossing was near the waters of Blackberry Creek. The 1751 Fry-Jefferson Map shows this possible location. 13. From U.S. Highway 220 to VA 609, the route traveled through an early settlement named Rangely. This community was active as early as 1753 and was located near present-day Dillon's Fork Road. It was popular among early travelers due to a man named John Hickey (1728-1784). John operated a store and was known as the last stop along the trail to replenish supplies. John Cornelius Hickey was born in Middlesex, Virginia, and settled near the Smith River. It is recorded that John also operated an inn and maintained a farm with various crops. The road became known as Hickey’s Road, an extension of the Great Wagon Road. From this point, the road traveled 11 miles to reach present-day Horse Pasture, Virginia, along U.S. 58. 14. From this point, the original route crosses over between Wagon Trail Road and George Taylor Road, traveling 4 miles to reach the North Carolina state line boundary.
The North Carolina border was established in 1728.
15. The road generally followed NC 1625 Amostown Rd. for 5.2 miles to Sandy Ridge. 16. Then NC 704 and 772 to Dodgetown. Some wagons branched southwest here to ford the Dan River, possibly following Dodgetown Road past Dillard Road, then down Glidewell Lane to a ford and then over Bumpy Hollow Road and Stewart Road to NC-89 to reach Meadows, Danbury, or Walnut Cove. Wagons also could follow Dodgetown Road and NC-1698 (Davis Chapel Church Road), crossing Davis Ford (now a bridge) to reach Meadows, Danbury, or Walnut Cove. It is possible that the original Moravian settlers forded the Dan River here in 1753 and then traveled south to present-day Walnut Cove, but this road doesn't appear on the Wachovia map of 1767. On the Wachovia maps of 1770 and 1771, it runs directly from Salem to the Dan River ford here, crossing Town Creek at present-day Walnut Cove; it is called the Limestone Road in 1770 and the Upper Road in 1771.17. From Dodgetown, it follows NC 772 through Dillard, then Hickory Ford Rd. and Willard Rd. (now only passable with 4WD) to the Dan River crossing. The land on the west side of the Dan River has been altered significantly for agriculture, but from the 1766 Moravian map by C. B. Reuter, it appears that wagons rolled through in the vicinity of NC-1718 (Saura Farm Road) and made their way up the hill (now Oldtown Road) to the Townfork settlement (now Walnut Cove and Germanton).
NOTES:[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggoty_Gap offers a good description of the area and the road at the time.[2] https://visitfranklincountyva.com/244/Waid-Park
Page added April 7, 2026