Located on a historic corner of downtown Bryson City, right next to the old county courthouse, the Cork & Bean has not only good food but a great atmosphere.
Offers trips that encompass everything that’s great about Western North Carolina-hiking, picnicking, swimming, and a thrilling jet boat ride.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a 2,159.1-mile foot trail along the ridge crests and through the major valleys of the Appalachian Mountains.
This small town located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is literally a ‘base camp” for anything outdoor related.
The Lake is 3,000 feet in elevation and offers to visitors many activities ranging from boating and fishing, to swimming and sightseeing.
The Diner, as locals refer to it has been serving up traditional breakfast dishes and lunch specials to patrons for many years.
Do you get a hint of what this place serves from the name? Well, you should because they serve up fried goodness every day of the week.
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.
For great family rafting fun enjoy the Class I rapids of the Tuckaseigee River.
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.
A family Theme Park and Zoo, Santa’s Land is an enchanted Christmas theme park everyone will love.
A small town located deep in Western North Carolina offering a charming small town experience for all visitors.
Specializing in fresh baked Amish style goods, the Stoltzfus family has been baking great things for Bryson City for a long time.
An attractive, two-tiered cascade with some free-falling sections, across tilted rocks.
This river has become the centerpoint for a visit to the Grandfather Ranger District
A valley full of historic buildings, wildlife, and beauty, this is a great family destination inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Thousands of miles of trails can be found to hike in Western North Carolina, whether you find yourself in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or one of the many National Forests. There are tons of trails to choose from that vary in length and difficulty, but no matter which one is for you there […]
A city with something for everyone! Whether you enjoy art and music, the outdoors, eating and shopping local, or all of the above.
Situated in a valley surrounded by the Smoky Mountains, Maggie Valley is a fun city to visit for the entire family.
Mouse Creek Falls pours into the larger Big Creek, which is one of the clearest and most pristine waterways in the Park.
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.
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).
Water is one thing there is not a shortage of when you come to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Indian Creek Falls is the largest waterfall in the Deep Creek area when it comes to the volume of water flowing across it.
A mecca for outdoor adventure lovers makes Boone a great place to visit and live.
One of the most compelling outdoor dramas, Unto These Hills, tells the tragic story of how the Cherokee ancestors were forcefully driven out of the Great Smoky Mountains.
13 Acres of aquatic ponds are the home to many varieties of water lilies and lotuses that begin blooming in May and continue blooming into August.
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.
The water is clear, and in higher water the falls feels pretty powerful despite the creek’s relatively small size.
Tucked away in the mountains on Western North Carolina is this small town with a unique charm.
Marked by charming rural character and the scenic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Mars HIll is a great stop and play location in Western North Carolina.
Sylva is the closest city to Western Carolina University; and is another great location for exploring the great outdoors.
The Mountain Farm Museum has a collection of southern Appalachian farm buildings assembled from different locations throughout the Park.
The ultimate Western North Carolina destination for gambling and late night entertainment.
This falls starts with a short drop, which goes into a very long, gentle slide into a deep pool.
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.
Cataloochee is a ski area located near Maggie Valley, North Carolina. The area has fourteen ski slopes and trails.
In this most beautiful, unmarred, and natural setting, that was the uncharted hunting ground of the Cherokee Indians, virgin trees grow more than 100 feet tall and some 20 feet around the base.
Visiting Weaverville means having a chance for you and your family to experience life at a slower pace.
This falls is not high, but it’s absolutely beautiful and accessible via a fairly easy hike.
The waterfall is a high, steep slide with an open canopy before veering sideways into some smaller cascades that end under the trees.
Some of the most beautiful golf courses you will ever play on can be found amongst the mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina.
The area around Hot Springs is full of opportunities to get outdoors and have a blast.
Pisgah View Ranch is a Western North Carolina Dude Ranch that offers a horse ranch get a way for Family and Guests.
The North Carolina Bartram Trail, blazed in yellow, crosses over some of the most scenic mountains of the state.
Glen Falls is three tiers of 70, 60, and 15 feet in height for a total of about 145 feet of falling water.
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.
The Cherokee Skate Park is not only a great place to skateboard, bmx, or ride anything with wheels.
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, […]
A great small town experience in the heart of the Appalachian mountains.
North Carolina’s longest trail, the North Carolina Mountains to Sea Trail, is an ambitious project to provide a foot path linking the Mountains in the West to the Coastal Plain in the East.
Enjoy a soaring and gliding experience naturally fueled by a gradual elevation change at Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours.
Averaging 1,400′ deep, the Linville Gorge was carved by the Linville River on its way down the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
Located on a 42-acre Natural Heritage site the center has many species of wildlife, gardens, trails, indoor exhibits and farm animals.
At 4629 feet elevation, this grassy summit is not the highest mountain around, but it is considered by some to be the “crown jewel of the Appalachian Trail”.
The Choo Choo Coffee Company is not just a coffee shop, it offers much more than that to its patrons.
The Asheville Art Museum is the single visual arts facility serving Western North Carolina.
Stand Up Paddling is one of the fastest growing water sports today. It fun, healthy, and can help improve the overall quality of a persons life. Strengthen your core, improve your balance and get to know a part of nature you may be unfamiliar with. Bryson City Outdoors – Come see what all the fuss […]
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.
The Hazel Creek area inside the Great Smoky Mountains National park is rich with history about Western North Carolina and early Appalachia.
A small but beautiful waterfall that is located only a few minutes hike form the Deep Creek Parking Area.
This village is an authentic replica of an 18th century Cherokee community.
Skiing and Snowboarding is a great winter activity here in Western North Carolina.
Saddle up for some of the most beautiful horseback ridding that you have ever done!
The Pisgah National Forest consists of over half a million acres of forest surrounding Mt. Pisgah.
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.
Cherokee Bear Zoo & Exotic Animals is the home of many native Black Bears along with non-native Grizzlies, Lemurs, a Tiger, and a Monkey.
Bent Creek’s watershed contains a collection of trails for all kinds of hikes, for beginners and familes to advanced hiking groups.
The Green River Narrows Race happens once a year in November and is probably one of the most exciting kayak races to watch in the southeast.
The 4500-acre Needmore Tract was purchased by the State of North Carolina in January of 2004 as a nature preserve.
Known as “The Crown of the Blue Ridge”, Blowing Rock is a special place to many visitors and residents alike.
“The Road To Nowhere”, as most local residents call it, is a 6-mile scenic drive into the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where it dead-ends
A beauty worth visiting. A steep cascade drops over a ledge onto an outcrop among boulders before shifting right, and dropping over another, smaller, cascade into a deep and wide pool.
These trails travel along the shores and hills beside Lake Chatuge, and all trails are open to mountain biking and hiking.
A community that takes pride in it’s small hometown atmosphere makes Canton a city full of heritage and history.
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad winds up, down, and around the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Lying in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina it is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina
Located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains atop a plateau, Cashiers is a great spot for the whole family to visit and experience the beauty of Western North Carolina.
This beautiful distinguished city is full of upscale dinning and shopping locations and surrounded by some of the south’s most prestigious golf clubs.
There are many pristine lakes that can be enjoyed by boaters, wake-boarders, water skiers, or just lake lovers.
Wayah Bald provides a beautiful view of Franklin and the surrounding Western North Carolina Mountains.
Tsali has 39 miles of trails in a four loop system that wind around the Fontana Lake and through US Forest Service Land.
Hayesville in known as “The Best Kept Secret in North Carolina” by Western North Carolina locals, and rightly so.
A historic shopping center located downtown Asheville that is famous for its beautifully restored architecture from the 1920s.
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.
Deep Creek, located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has a campground complete with showers if you like spending the night in the great outdoors.
The beautiful valley of Shelton Laurel Creek – and the coves, tributaries, and mountains lining it to its North – comprise a remote part of the Pisgah National Forest, known as the Shelton Laurel Backcountry Area.
