Mouse Creek Falls pours into the larger Big Creek, which is one of the clearest and most pristine waterways in the Park.
The Nantahala River offers the thrill and excitement of riding river rapids in a raft, canoe or kayak while enjoying the scenic Nantahala National Forest that surrounds it.
Skiing and Snowboarding is a great winter activity here in Western North Carolina.
Offers trips that encompass everything that’s great about Western North Carolina-hiking, picnicking, swimming, and a thrilling jet boat ride.
Visitors are invited to view their family tartan, connect with their clan, and learn about the history of Highland Dress.
Situated in a valley surrounded by the Smoky Mountains, Maggie Valley is a fun city to visit for the entire family.
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 […]
The North Carolina Bartram Trail, blazed in yellow, crosses over some of the most scenic mountains of the state.
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.
A mecca for outdoor adventure lovers makes Boone a great place to visit and live.
A family Theme Park and Zoo, Santa’s Land is an enchanted Christmas theme park everyone will love.
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.
For great family rafting fun enjoy the Class I rapids of the Tuckaseigee River.
A small but beautiful waterfall that is located only a few minutes hike form the Deep Creek Parking Area.
With an elevation of 6,593 ft Mount LeConte is the third highest peak in the national park, it is however the tallest peak in Tennessee.
A short falls but in a cozy setting, this one is worth a stop if you’re on the main trail.
Beginning in Highlands, this approximately 61 miles of nationally-recognized byway winds through southern Appalachian hardwood forests, by numerous waterfalls and lakes and through two river gorges.
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.
The Choo Choo Coffee Company is not just a coffee shop, it offers much more than that to its patrons.
Some of the most beautiful golf courses you will ever play on can be found amongst the mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina.
An attractive, two-tiered cascade with some free-falling sections, across tilted rocks.
318 curves in 11 miles is the ultimate thrill ride for many motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts when visiting Western North Carolina.
Cataloochee is a ski area located near Maggie Valley, North Carolina. The area has fourteen ski slopes and trails.
This impressive, multi-streamed cascade has a roadside view, but accessing it can be dangerous. US Hwy. 64 has cliffs on both sides and is narrow and curvy here.
A small town located deep in Western North Carolina offering a charming small town experience for all visitors.
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.
Darnell Farms offers many weekend festivals: Strawberry Jam Festival, Tomatoefest and Timberfest plus a Corn Maze depending on the season.
The Asheville Art Museum is the single visual arts facility serving Western North Carolina.
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.
The fresh smell of hops and everything else that goes in to a great craft beer fill the air when you approach doors of the Nantahala Brewery.
Deep inside of Humpback Mountain lie the Linville Caverns, North Carolina’s only caverns.
The Cherokee Indian Museum contains a unique collection of original artifacts used by the Cherokee Indians many years ago.
Shining Rock became one of the original components of the Wilderness System in September 1964. It is the largest Wilderness area in North Carolina.
A great small town experience in the heart of the Appalachian mountains.
Located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Franklin is a city filled with many things to do for the whole family within the city.
The creek can have a decent flow during wet weather, but it spreads out wide across this bumpy rock outcrop, forming lots of little falls over the mini ledges and giving it lots of character.
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.
Known as “The Crown of the Blue Ridge”, Blowing Rock is a special place to many visitors and residents alike.
This falls is not high, but it’s absolutely beautiful and accessible via a fairly easy hike.
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.
This city is set up beautifully along the banks of Lake Lure, offering visitors a great balance between outdoor adventure, rest, and relaxation.
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.
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.
Bent Creek’s watershed contains a collection of trails for all kinds of hikes, for beginners and familes to advanced hiking groups.
The ultimate Western North Carolina destination for gambling and late night entertainment.
Located on a 42-acre Natural Heritage site the center has many species of wildlife, gardens, trails, indoor exhibits and farm animals.
The 4500-acre Needmore Tract was purchased by the State of North Carolina in January of 2004 as a nature preserve.
A small mountain town rich with history and a love for the mountains that surrounded it.
Water is one thing there is not a shortage of when you come to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
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.
Specializing in fresh baked Amish style goods, the Stoltzfus family has been baking great things for Bryson City for a long time.
The Davidson River watershed is one of the most popular area for outdoor recreation within the Pisgah National Forest.
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.
This a location full of decadent and delightful desserts that are bursting with unique and interesting flavors.
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.
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.
Hayesville in known as “The Best Kept Secret in North Carolina” by Western North Carolina locals, and rightly so.
This excellent loop, designated a National Recreation Trail, climbs to the top of Whiteside Mountain, with its spectacular 700′ high cliff walls lofting the hiker for amazing views.
“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
There are many pristine lakes that can be enjoyed by boaters, wake-boarders, water skiers, or just lake lovers.
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.
Averaging 1,400′ deep, the Linville Gorge was carved by the Linville River on its way down the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
A wooden fire tower at the summit provides hikers with amazing 360 degree views of the mountains of western North Carolina.
Fly Fishing is a popular past time in Western North Carolina. With an immense amount of mountain streams in the area you are sure to be able to find some fish somewhere.
Do you remember the atmosphere that was portrayed on the show “Cheers”? Well, if you do Mountain Perks is Bryson City’s Cheers.
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”.
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.
Pisgah View Ranch is a Western North Carolina Dude Ranch that offers a horse ranch get a way for Family and Guests.
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.
A historic shopping center located downtown Asheville that is famous for its beautifully restored architecture from the 1920s.
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.
The Grove Park Inn is a Beautiful Resort and Spa that attract thousands of visitors every year.
Cabins in the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina are as unique as each family who owns them.
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.
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.
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.
The highest dam east of the Rockies is located just 35 miles West of Bryson City, North Carolina.
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.
Located at the top of this mountain, in Maggie Valley, is a mile high fun center with an old west setting.
Offering up Italian favorites to locals and visitors to Bryson City, NC.
The water is clear, and in higher water the falls feels pretty powerful despite the creek’s relatively small size.
A city with something for everyone! Whether you enjoy art and music, the outdoors, eating and shopping local, or all of the above.
The Mountain Farm Museum has a collection of southern Appalachian farm buildings assembled from different locations throughout the Park.
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.
Surrounded by the Appalachian mountains Waynesville has so much to offer within a short drive from outdoor activities to shopping and dinning.
Discover America’s largest home, magnificent gardens, award-winning winery, great shopping and delicious dining.
