Rockingham, North Carolina sits in the heart of Richmond County, where rolling hills, farmland, and patches of forest create surprisingly pleasant driving routes. While it may not be the first destination that comes to mind for scenic drives, the area offers accessible routes that showcase the Piedmont region’s natural beauty and rural charm.
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The best scenic drives near Rockingham range from quick 30-minute loops through the county’s backroads to full-day excursions that reach the Uwharrie Mountains, Pee Dee River basin, and historic towns within an hour’s drive. These routes provide opportunities to see working farms, quiet woodlands, and small communities that define this part of North Carolina.
Whether someone has an afternoon to spare or wants to dedicate a full day to exploring, the drives around Rockingham offer a peaceful alternative to highway travel. The routes highlighted here balance scenic value with road quality and interesting stops along the way.
Short Drives Around Richmond County
Richmond County offers several scenic routes within a 30-minute radius of Rockingham, each showcasing different aspects of the region’s rural character and natural landscapes.
Ellerbe and the Surrounding Countryside
The drive to Ellerbe covers approximately 15 miles north of Rockingham along Highway 220. This route passes through gently rolling farmland dotted with tobacco barns and family farms that have operated for generations. The countryside becomes more varied as drivers approach Ellerbe, with patches of pine forest alternating with open pastures.
Ellerbe itself sits at the edge of the Uwharrie Mountains’ foothills. The town serves as a gateway to Rankin Lake, a small reservoir surrounded by walking trails and picnic areas. From Ellerbe, drivers can explore several backroads heading west into Anson County, where the terrain becomes more hilly and wooded.
The best time to make this drive is during early morning or late afternoon when the light emphasizes the area’s agricultural landscapes. Several farm stands operate along Highway 220 during summer and fall months.
Hamlet’s Historic Streets and Nearby Backroads
Hamlet lies 8 miles east of Rockingham via Highway 74. The town’s historic railroad district features preserved early 20th-century architecture, including the Seaboard Station. Main Street showcases brick storefronts and the National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame.
Beyond the town center, several county roads wind through the surrounding area. Highway 177 heading south passes former mill sites and crosses over tributaries feeding into the Pee Dee River system. These backroads reveal abandoned warehouses and rail spurs that speak to the region’s industrial past.
Drivers can create a loop by taking Highway 177 south and returning via Tanner’s Bridge Road, a route that covers roughly 20 miles total. This loop passes through areas where cropland meets pine plantations.
Pee Dee River and Blewett Falls Lake
The drive to Blewett Falls Lake follows Highway 73 east from Rockingham for approximately 12 miles. This route runs parallel to the Pee Dee River for several stretches, offering glimpses of the waterway through breaks in the tree line. The landscape transitions from residential areas to increasingly dense woodland as drivers approach the lake.
Blewett Falls Lake formed behind a hydroelectric dam creates a reservoir stretching several miles upstream. Highway 73 provides access to several informal pull-offs where visitors can view the water. The area attracts anglers targeting catfish, bass, and bream.
Key features along this route:
- Wooded sections with mature hardwoods and pines
- River overlooks at strategic points
- Access roads leading to boat launches
- Wildlife viewing opportunities, particularly for waterfowl and wading birds during migration seasons
The return journey offers different perspectives on the same landscape, particularly regarding how afternoon light changes the appearance of the river.
Longer Drives Worth a Day Trip
Venturing 45 minutes to 90 minutes from Rockingham opens up distinctive landscapes ranging from historic golf resort towns to pristine national forests and South Carolina’s unique sandhills ecosystem.
Southern Pines and Pinehurst
The drive to Southern Pines and Pinehurst takes approximately 50 minutes via US-1 North, covering about 45 miles through rolling piedmont terrain. This route passes through horse country, where travelers can spot equestrian farms and pine forests characteristic of the Sandhills region.
Pinehurst remains world-renowned for its golf heritage, with Pinehurst No. 2 hosting multiple U.S. Open Championships. The village center features New England-style architecture, boutique shops, and dining options that reflect its resort town status. Southern Pines offers a more relaxed atmosphere with its historic downtown district along Broad Street.
The Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve provides 900 acres of longleaf pine ecosystem with four miles of hiking trails. Visitors can explore this rare habitat that once covered 90 million acres across the Southeast. The preserve’s nature center offers educational exhibits about the region’s ecology and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
Uwharrie National Forest and Lake Tillery
Uwharrie National Forest sits about 60 miles northeast of Rockingham, accessible via NC-73 and NC-24/27, making for a 75-minute drive. The route follows the Pee Dee River corridor before entering the ancient Uwharrie Mountains, some of the oldest mountains in North America.
The forest contains over 50,000 acres with numerous hiking trails, including the 20-mile Uwharrie Trail that traverses ridges and valleys. Badin Lake within the forest offers water recreation and scenic overlooks. The forest roads themselves provide excellent drives through dense hardwood forests and past abandoned gold mine sites from the 1800s.
Lake Tillery borders the eastern edge of the forest along NC-740, offering 5,000 acres of water surface. The lakeside drive features multiple access points for fishing, boating, and picnicking. Fall colors peak in late October, transforming the surrounding hardwoods into brilliant displays of red, orange, and gold.
Cheraw State Park and the South Carolina Sandhills
Cheraw State Park lies 45 miles south of Rockingham in South Carolina, reachable in about 55 minutes via US-1 South. The drive crosses the state line into Chesterfield County, passing through tobacco farmland before entering the sandhills region.
The park encompasses 7,361 acres with a 360-acre lake surrounded by longleaf pines and turkey oaks. The park’s nature trail winds through pitcher plant bogs, where carnivorous plants thrive in the acidic soil. The 18-hole golf course, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, integrates seamlessly into the natural landscape.
The historic town of Cheraw, just minutes from the park, features over 50 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cheraw Lyceum Museum and downtown district showcase Federal and Victorian architecture dating to the late 1700s. Dizzy Gillespie, the legendary jazz trumpeter, was born here, and the town celebrates his legacy with an annual festival each fall.
