Harrah’s Cherokee Casino

The ultimate Western North Carolina destination for gambling and late night entertainment.

Drift Falls

A neat sliding cascade, which drops into a huge, deep pool.

Rufus Morgan Falls

A high, cascading slide in an pretty cove.

Scottish Tartans Museum

Visitors are invited to view their family tartan, connect with their clan, and learn about the history of Highland Dress.

Willson Creek Area

This river has become the centerpoint for a visit to the Grandfather Ranger District

Santa’s Land

A family Theme Park and Zoo, Santa’s Land is an enchanted Christmas theme park everyone will love.

Biltmore Park

A “planned community” or small downtown area not far from the Asheville Airport that was designed to make you feel like you where in a actual city once inside.

Marshall

A small mountain town rich with history and a love for the mountains that surrounded it.

Ski and Snowboard

Skiing and Snowboarding is a great winter activity here in Western North Carolina.

Jackrabbit Mountain Trails

These trails travel along the shores and hills beside Lake Chatuge, and all trails are open to mountain biking and hiking.

Fontana Lake & Dam

The highest dam east of the Rockies is located just 35 miles West of Bryson City, North Carolina.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, established in 1934, covers 520,408 acres of land with heights ranging from 840 feet at Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome.

Grandfather Mountain

At 5,964 feet above sea level, Grandfather Mountain is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountain Range and the only private park in the world.

Bent Creek Area

Bent Creek’s watershed contains a collection of trails for all kinds of hikes, for beginners and familes to advanced hiking groups.

La Dolce Vita Bakery

This a location full of decadent and delightful desserts that are bursting with unique and interesting flavors.

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is unique in that you can drive behind them. US Hwy. 64 used to pass behind the falls until it was rerouted in front of the falls for safety.

Big Shoals (Secret Falls)

A relatively large creek pours over a nearly vertical bluff into a big, deep, beautiful pool, complete with a sandy beach, before spilling over some smaller cascades and into a dark, rocky cove.

Fontana Disc Golf

A beautiful disc golf course located on the property of Fontana Village only minutes away from Fontana Dam. The course is 18 holes and is made up of par 3 and par 4 holes that offer players a diverse course of trees and open field to play on. This is a great course to play, […]

Bartram Trail

The North Carolina Bartram Trail, blazed in yellow, crosses over some of the most scenic mountains of the state.

Mouse Creek Falls

Mouse Creek Falls pours into the larger Big Creek, which is one of the clearest and most pristine waterways in the Park.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls and many cascades are located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Nantahala National Forest, around the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Pisgah National Forest and the Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina, including the 411 feet Whitewater Falls which is the tallest series of falls east of the Mississippi.

Recreational Boating

There are many pristine lakes that can be enjoyed by boaters, wake-boarders, water skiers, or just lake lovers.

Whitewater Falls

Some consider this the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad winds up, down, and around the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

Catawba Falls

Catawba Falls is one of Western North Carolina’s exceptional Blue Ridge waterfalls

The Filling Station Deli and Sub Shop

A unique sandwich shop located in the heart of downtown Bryson City, where a wide variety menu serving up signature deli sandwiches, salad, soups, and more can be found.

Backpacking

Sometimes to see the things you want to see in Western North Carolina it requires you to hike for multiple days, and we love it.

Indian Creek Falls

Indian Creek Falls is the largest waterfall in the Deep Creek area when it comes to the volume of water flowing across it.

Smoky Mountain Jet Boats

Offers trips that encompass everything that’s great about Western North Carolina-hiking, picnicking, swimming, and a thrilling jet boat ride.

Cradle of Forestry in America

The Cradle of Forestry in America is a 6,500 acre Historic Site within the Pisgah National Forest.

Asheville Art Museum

The Asheville Art Museum is the single visual arts facility serving Western North Carolina.

Mountain Farm Museum

The Mountain Farm Museum has a collection of southern Appalachian farm buildings assembled from different locations throughout the Park.

Sylva

Sylva is the closest city to Western Carolina University; and is another great location for exploring the great outdoors.

Black Mountain

This historic city offers a hometown experience where your family can watch local craftsmen demonstrate and age-old technique.

Black Balsam Knob

The Black Balsam area includes some of the most spectacular mountain balds in the Southern Appalachians, including Black Balsam Knob, Sam Knob, and Tennent Mountain.

Big Laurel Falls

The falls are not tall, but they are pretty, and spill into a neat little pool.

Andrews

A small town located deep in Western North Carolina offering a charming small town experience for all visitors.

Blowing Rock

Known as “The Crown of the Blue Ridge”, Blowing Rock is a special place to many visitors and residents alike.

Hot Springs

The area around Hot Springs is full of opportunities to get outdoors and have a blast.

Mingus Mill

Located at its original site, Mingus Mill stands as a tribute to the test of time.

Dillsboro

Dillsboro is a small city where you can take a step back in time and tour around the downtown area visiting shops, restaurants, and art galleries that are held within historic buildings.

Upper Bearwallow Falls

This is a long slide in two main parts. Only the lower part is visible from the overlook constructed by the park.

Flat Rock

Known as the “Little Charleston of the Mountains”, Flat Rock is a small community filled with historic inns, shops, restaurants, and galleries that will keep you exploring the area for days.

Grove Arcade

A historic shopping center located downtown Asheville that is famous for its beautifully restored architecture from the 1920s.

Soco Falls

Soco Falls is located on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee Indian Reservation) just beside US Hwy. 19, between Cherokee and Maggie Valley, NC

River Arts District

The River Arts District is home to many studio artists of all mediums.

Bryson City

This small town located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is literally a ‘base camp” for anything outdoor related.

Anthony’s Restaurante and Pizzeria

Offering up Italian favorites to locals and visitors to Bryson City, NC.

Alarka Falls

This is a long tumbling cascade and slide, with a few free falling sections.

Panthertown Valley

The Panthertown Valley is one of those unique places that are well revered by hiking and outdoor enthusiasts, as well as ecologists, in the Southern Appalachian mountains.

Bard Falls

This waterfall is a narrow tumble and cascade into a deep trough, that opens up and spills out into a deep pool – a fantastic swimming hole (if the water isn’t super high).

Everett Street Diner

The Diner, as locals refer to it has been serving up traditional breakfast dishes and lunch specials to patrons for many years.

Canton

A community that takes pride in it’s small hometown atmosphere makes Canton a city full of heritage and history.

Highlands

This beautiful distinguished city is full of upscale dinning and shopping locations and surrounded by some of the south’s most prestigious golf clubs.

Camp Living Water

Sitting on the banks of Deep Creek, Camp Living Water offers week-long Christian camps and High Trek Adventures for various age groups from 7 to 18.

Brown Mountain Lights

The Brown Mountain Lights create an uncanny light show that has been described in many ways from being like a glowing ball of fire, to being a bursting skyrocket, or a pale almost white light.

Soda Pops Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor

Bryson City’s most unique ice cream parlor takes you beck to the old days right when you step foot inside the door.

Cherohala Skyway

This paved two-lane road climbs to elevations over 5300 feet and extends over 50 miles. In April 1997, the state of North Carolina declared it a Scenic Byway.

Glen Falls

Glen Falls is three tiers of 70, 60, and 15 feet in height for a total of about 145 feet of falling water.

Tom Branch Falls

Tom Branch falls is the tallest waterfall and the easiest to access in the Deep Creek area.

Richmond Hill Disc Golf Course

Asheville, NC – This 18 hole disc golf course is one of the most played courses in Asheville. It features a wide range of obstacles and is pretty difficult as you throw through the woods, over valleys, and down ridges.

Turtleback Falls

This falls is named for its shape, sort of like the domed shell of a turtle. It drops into a deep pool and some people use it for sliding.

Mills River Area

The Mills River area is the largest in the Pisgah Ranger District.

National Parks & Forests

Nature trails, parks and scenic roadways abound in Western NC. Walk the Appalachian Trail; explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Nantahala National Forest, or Pisgah National Forest; or drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, or Mountain Waters Scenic Byway. There is fun for everyone in Western NC.

Big Ivy

This area of the Pisgah National Forest, located along the upper reaches of the Ivy River, has long been known by locals as the Coleman Boundary.

Roan Mountain

Famous for its Catawba Rhododendron gardens with its brilliant purple flowers in spring, the Roan is a wonderful place to visit and hike any time of the year.

Wheels Through Time Museum

A collection of over 250 rare antique American Motorcycles and Automobiles.

Asheville

A city with something for everyone! Whether you enjoy art and music, the outdoors, eating and shopping local, or all of the above.

Tuckaseegee Tavern

The Tavern is where you go to get served up some pub style food in Bryson City.

Chimney Rock Park

A privately owned National Heritage Site, Chimney Rock Park encompasses 1000 acres, including rock formation seen here with a 360 degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Ranger Falls

This is an a small, steep, attractive cascade surrounded by laurel and rhododendron.

St. Lawrence Basilica

The St. Lawrence Basilica is a beautiful and historic part of Asheville.

Rafting

In Western North Carolina you will be able to find a very calm river or one that is a little more raging, depending on what suits you best.

Wilderness Falls

The waterfall is a high, steep slide with an open canopy before veering sideways into some smaller cascades that end under the trees.

Grove Park Inn

The Grove Park Inn is a Beautiful Resort and Spa that attract thousands of visitors every year.

Tail of the Dragon

318 curves in 11 miles is the ultimate thrill ride for many motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts when visiting Western North Carolina.

Graveyard Fields

Surrounded by mountains exceeding 6000′ in elevation, the base of the valley is itself over 5000′, which accounts for some of its unique characteristics. A variety of hiking trails wind throughout the valley for your exploration.

Linville Caverns

Deep inside of Humpback Mountain lie the Linville Caverns, North Carolina’s only caverns.

Darnell Farms

Darnell Farms offers many weekend festivals: Strawberry Jam Festival, Tomatoefest and Timberfest plus a Corn Maze depending on the season.

Brevard

Located right in between a state and national forest, and surrounded by waterfalls, Brevard is another great city where the outdoors are just minutes away.

Upper Satuhla Falls

This falls begins as sliding cascade just uphill of NC Hwy. 28.

Blue Ridge Parkway

A scenic roadway, which travels 469 miles to connect the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.

The Iron Skillet

Serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner to locals and visitors weekly.

Golf

Some of the most beautiful golf courses you will ever play on can be found amongst the mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina.

Schoolhouse Falls

This falls is not high, but it’s absolutely beautiful and accessible via a fairly easy hike.

Biltmore Estate

Discover America’s largest home, magnificent gardens, award-winning winery, great shopping and delicious dining.

Clingmans Dome

Rising 6,643 feet above the Great Smoky Mountains, Clingman’s Dome is the highest point along the Appalachian Trail and provides a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains.

Weaverville

Visiting Weaverville means having a chance for you and your family to experience life at a slower pace.

Pack Place

Located in the heart of Asheville, North Carolina is educational Pack Place.

Hazel Creek

The Hazel Creek area inside the Great Smoky Mountains National park is rich with history about Western North Carolina and early Appalachia.

Juneywhank Falls

A small but beautiful waterfall that is located only a few minutes hike form the Deep Creek Parking Area.

Tsali

Tsali has 39 miles of trails in a four loop system that wind around the Fontana Lake and through US Forest Service Land.

Vacation Rentals

Cabins in the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina are as unique as each family who owns them.

Cemeteries on the North Shore of Fontana Lake

List of cemeteries that are located on the north Shore of Fontana Lake and the surrounding area which were eventually taken over by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service after the Tennessee Valley Authority built the Fontana Dam. Bradshaw Cemetery: On Possum Hollow Branch on Hazel Creek. Hickory Bottom Branch on Possum Hollow. On […]

Oconaluftee Indian Village

This village is an authentic replica of an 18th century Cherokee community.

Fletcher

Located between Asheville and Hendersonville, Fletcher is a place where you can enjoy the thrills of the city within a short drive while still feeling like you are tucked away in a quiet mountain hide-away.

Waynesville

Surrounded by the Appalachian mountains Waynesville has so much to offer within a short drive from outdoor activities to shopping and dinning.

Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours

Enjoy a soaring and gliding experience naturally fueled by a gradual elevation change at Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours.

Mingo Falls

The Spectacular Mingo Falls located in Cherokee, NC are over 120 feet high and are rated one of the most impressive falls in Western North Carolina.

Colors of Fall

Leaf Lookers come from all around to see the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of Western NC as they change colors in the Fall of the year.