Cartoogechaye

West of Franklin along the US 64 corridor toward Wayah Bald, Cartoogechaye is a scenic mountain valley following the creek of the same name — locally pronounced “Car-tooga-jay.” One of Macon County’s most storied areas, it was home to the Cherokee town of Echoee near the creek’s junction with the Little Tennessee River, and today blends that deep heritage with farms, pasture, and some of the county’s most sought-after mountain properties.

Property Listings

Price

Living Area

Rural grassy field with a muddy driveway leading toward a small outbuilding and wooded hills.

For Sale

MLS® 26036597

Cartoogechaye is Macon County history and mountain scenery woven together. The valley traces Cartoogechaye Creek as it winds down from the Nantahala Mountains, past horse pastures, dairy-farm heritage, and family homesteads settled by names like Siler that shaped early Franklin. The community carries a strong Cherokee legacy — the Echoee (“new place”) town once stood here — and sits at the gateway to Wayah Bald, the Appalachian and Bartram Trails, and the vast Nantahala National Forest, giving residents world-class hiking, fishing, and scenery right at hand.

Real estate here ranges from creekside cottages and working farms to expansive custom homes and mountain estates, with recent listings running from the high $600s to nearly $3 million. Lots tend to be generous — multi-acre parcels with pasture, woods, creek frontage, or long-range views. The draw is the combination of privacy, natural beauty, and easy, flat highway access into Franklin for shopping, dining, and Angel Medical Center, without the winding mountain switchbacks found in more remote areas.

Quick Facts

Location: West of Franklin along the US 64 corridor toward Wayah Bald, following Cartoogechaye Creek, Macon County, NC
Character: Scenic mountain valley, deep Cherokee heritage, farms and pasture, sought-after estate properties
Lot sizes: Generous multi-acre parcels — pasture, woods, creek frontage, and mountain-view tracts
Home ages: A mix of historic homesteads and farms with newer custom mountain homes and estates
Nearby: Downtown Franklin, Wayah Bald, Nantahala National Forest, Appalachian and Bartram Trails, Cartoogechaye Creek, Angel Medical Center
Schools: Cartoogechaye Elementary, Mountain View Intermediate, Macon Middle School