Western North Carolina is what it’s called. Tucked in a mountainous region of the state, this pie-shaped wedge sits below Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (also known as The Smokies) and above Georgia and South Carolina. On most maps, it is that section west of Asheville that usually displays in a separate box.
Floridians have summered here for years, escaping the hot humid weather of their native land. So many come in July and August that some visitors wonder, by the number of out-of-state tags, if they are really in North Carolina at all.
There’s much to be loved about this area of the state - windy two-lane roads, beautiful green fir trees, the smell of fresh, pine-scented air, clear and cool rivers, interesting waterfalls and early morning dew on the lawn.
ASHEVILLE - A RESORT CITY
Asheville is the biggest city and has an abundance of things to do come rain or shine. The most well known attraction is the Biltmore House, the largest home in America. The estate also features gardens, a winery with tours and tastings, River Bend Farm and outdoor activities, such as carriage rides, horseback riding, biking, hiking, river float trips on the French Broad, Segway tours, sporting clays and fly-fishing.
A self-guided trail begins in downtown Asheville at the Pack Center. Highlights include incredible art deco architecture, plus the boyhood home of modern American literary author Thomas Wolfe who wrote “Look Homeward, Angel.” This community has a strong bent on arts and crafts, which can be found in downtown shops, in the River Arts District and at the Grovewood Gallery next to the Grove Park Inn. East of town on the Blue Ridge Parkway (a 469-mile linear park spanning from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to The Smokies), discover the Folk Art Center with works by local and regional artisans. During certain times of the year, there are also demonstrations, like woodturning and broom making, as well as story telling.
CHEROKEE INDIANS and THE SMOKIES
Travel west of Asheville, past Waynesville, to Cherokee, headquarters of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Named after the Native American tribe, the town serves as the southern entrance to the national park. The Museum of the Cherokee Indian tells their 12,000-year old story, while the Oconaluftee Indian Village, an authentic 1700s replica, depicts Native American life and culture. Each summer the outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” highlights 300-plus years of Indian history culminating with the forced removal of the Cherokee - the Trail of Tears. The oldest and leading Native American arts cooperative in the U.S., the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, showcases Cherokee arts and crafts - beadwork, wood and stone carvings and baskets.
The Smokies is the most visited national park in America. When entering via Cherokee, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is a great place to get your bearings. Behind it is a re-created mountain farm, as it would have appeared before the government acquired the land. U.S. Highway 441 serves as the main north-south road through the park with a few roads that offshoot to hiking, fishing, horseback riding and waterfalls. The Smokies offers beautiful vistas and ample places for drivers to pull over, stretch their legs and enjoy the view. Pack a lunch and find a designated picnic area such as the Chimneys, Metcalf Bottoms or Cades Cove. Truly getting back to nature may require some effort and patience because of the park’s popularity. While bears and other wildlife do inhabit the park, they are not as apparent near busier roads as some might expect. Off the beaten path, at night and with food, take care. Summer and fall are when bears are most active.
DILLSBORO and BRYSON CITY - ALL ABOARD
Back in North Carolina and on flatter ground, take the combined U.S. Highways 441 and 74 or 74 and 23 to nearby Dillsboro for a leisurely morning or afternoon visit. This small town’s white clapboard shops and dining establishments sit above the creek and railroad tracks. One of the biggest draw is the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. There’s a depot here (currently no scheduled service), as well as at Bryson City to the west. The railroad features numerous adventures - evening dinner excursions along the Tuckasegee River (a slower rafting river that’s great for children), plus daytime trips overlooking Fontana Lake and the Nantahala River. The latter are especially appealing during autumn. If you linger long enough in Dillsboro, you’re certain to hear the train whistle as she pulls out of the station.
At Bryson City there’s a burgeoning downtown with shops and restaurants. North of town is The Smokies’ Deep Creek recreation area with hiking trails to Juney Whank Falls, Tom Branch Falls and Indian Creek Falls. Enjoy nature, but for safety’s sake, please stay on the marked paths and out of the waterfalls. Plan on some good ole fashioned family fun - take an inner tube down a chilly mountain stream.
THE NANTAHALA
A dozen miles west of Robbinsville on North Carolina Highway 143, discover the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest within the Nantahala National Forest. To best experience the landscape get out and walk the two-mile, well-worn, dual-loop trail. Kilmer is best known for his poem, “Trees”…“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree…”
If you’re interested in float trips, there are several rivers to choose. One that receives especially high marks is the Nantahala that flows through the Nantahala Gorge. Outfitters are located alongside a section of U.S. Highways 74/19 beyond Bryson City. To get a view of the river, stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center that sits on its banks or continue traveling up the road. There are a few pull-offs in the deep green Nantahala Forest where whitewater rapids can be observed. However, the peaceful sound of flowing water is occasionally pierced by the squeals of rafters.
SMALL TOWNS
Small towns with a gas station and a diner or cafe dot the map. Accommodations are best found in larger places like Murphy, Franklin and Brevard. Visitors will find budget-level brand names and value properties, plus bed and breakfasts.
Franklin’s downtown with a bit of a 1960’s feel is a haven for antiques. The area is also famous for gem mining. Perhaps too hokey for adults to partake, but a great activity that kids will remember long after their vacation is over. Gems are a very real part of the state’s geology.
Waterfall enthusiasts could spend their entire getaway chasing Mother Nature, as there’s an outstanding selection. Some are right off the highway, while others require some exercise to locate. The roads south and east of Franklin offer easy viewing. For those who do not have a fear of heights or traveling where a slim guardrail is all that separates from below, take State Road 28 from Franklin to Highlands through the Cullasaja Gorge.
Highlands - the exact opposite of Franklin – is a sophisticated village in the mountains with a two-block-long downtown with clothiers, quaint shops and outstanding restaurants, plus the historic Highlands Inn and the Old Edwards Inn and Spa. The wide main street allows for ample angle parking on either side, plus a double row in between. There’s a distinct ambiance in Highlands - one of wealth, but not show. Children are not visible, or if so are well behaved. Folks who vacation or have retired here look for or bring the good life. Highlands is reputed to have 12-fine dining restaurants and four-Wine Spectator Award winners.
A few mid-range brand name lodging establishments, bed and breakfasts and inns are located just outside of downtown and are set into heavily treed landscape, blending into the scenery.
Situated off major highways and connected only by two-lane mountain roads, Highlands, Cashiers and Sapphire are the types of destinations that visitors set their global positioning satellite (GPS) devices to find. Those that do make their way to the area, value the privacy it affords, as well as outstanding golf.
THE ARTS AND APPLES
With an ensemble of 250 waterfalls in the surrounding mountains and the Brevard Music Center in its backyard, Brevard offers the finest in nature and the arts. Each summer students come to attend the music school bringing exceptional talent. Performances showcase opera and chamber and orchestral music, or select from a more soothing natural arrangement.
Rarely can one say Hendersonville without mentioning Flat Rock, home of the state theatre of North Carolina, the Flat Rock Playhouse (productions from spring to fall) and the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. This area was the summer retreat for wealthy southerners from the lowlands, plus served as a summer Bible camp.
Nowadays Hendersonville is synonymous with apples. According to the state department of agriculture, North Carolina is ranked seventh in the nation for apple production and the local tourism agency reports it is the top producer in the state. From late August until October or November there are apples galore. Pick your own or purchase them at roadside stands. Varieties include gala, golden and red delicious and Rome. At the end of summer an Apple Festival is held downtown. This bustling main street houses shops, restaurants and the arts council’s galleries where works by local and international artists are presented. Nearby the Henderson County Farmers Curb Market sells only locally grown products.
VANDERBILT’S PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST
The Forest Discovery Center at the Cradle of Forestry is located north of Brevard on U.S. Highway 276. Along the way, schedule a stop at Looking Glass Falls and take in this magnificent feat of nature. There’s parallel parking in advance of the falls and a slight uphill walk. Follow the steps down a level to observe from another vantage point. Remember your camera.
For a little activity for the kids, come prepared (AKA bring towels and a change of clothes) to get wet at Sliding Rock. The 60-foot waterslide over a smooth rock surface brings children (and adults) into a plunge pool. Under the jurisdiction of the National Forest Service (NFS), this “cool” spot has restrooms and changing areas during the summer. A nominal admission fee is charged.
Another terrific family outing is the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education with indoor and outdoor exhibits focusing on conservation and wildlife. They neighbor the Pisgah Fish Hatchery with garden and wetland displays, an indoor aquarium and the ever-popular trout raceways - where fish are raised and kept until they leave the facility. According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, brook, brown and rainbow trout from the hatchery are released into approximately 80 streams and lakes.
The 6,500-acre Cradle of Forestry - an interesting name but often in need of more explanation - is where the first forestry school in America, Biltmore Forest School, started in 1898. George W. Vanderbilt, who developed Biltmore House, initially hired a forest manager to oversee his estate and later enticed Dr. Carl Schenck to come and create what today is the Pisgah National Forest. The school existed for 15 years and graduated 360 students with a scientific understanding of how to protect forests, but as colleges and universities added similar programs, students moved elsewhere.
Inside the Discovery Center watch the video about Biltmore’s woodlands, then peruse the center to learn about forests as wildlife habitats, the importance of conservation and the role of the NFS in maintaining timberlands. Outside walk the paved path to historical sites and buildings from those early days. See what life was like for forestry students. Get a close up look at their schoolhouse (as compared to Pisgah National Forest, the much larger outdoor hands-on learning environment where classes also took place), student housing and an old sawmill.
Just north of the Cradle of Forestry, it’s possible to jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway and head back toward The Smokies. Along the way explore the Graveyard Fields, a 2.3-mile loop trail at mile marker 418.8. Traveling further west, cross the highest point on the parkway at 6,064-feet. It’s just a little east of Richland Balsam, where there’s a 1.5-mile loop trail amid spruce fir trees.
Or drive north on the parkway toward Asheville to Mt. Pisgah and the Pisgah Inn, a great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Continuing on, enjoy panoramic views of Pisgah National Forest. Just south of Asheville is the North Carolina Arboretum, a 430-plus acre garden that is part of the University of North Carolina. Take in the colorful beauty found in bonsai, container and quilt gardens. There is plenty of nature to absorb - an azalea repository, the half-mile fern loop and the natural garden, old mill and old arboretum trails.
One of the most laid-back parts of the state, Western North Carolina, has many diverse activities to keep any visitor as busy or unoccupied, as they desire.
