Bryson
City, NC sits snug to the southern border of the
Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. Like it's
sister city, Cherokee, it offers a starting point
for outfitters, lodging and food plus easy access
to the National Park and its wealth of recreational
opportunities. Bryson City is a small, old-fashioned
red-brick southern city with an interesting casual
downtown that offers the traveler a full range of
services. It's a lively town and offers lodging accommodations
and restaurants sufficient to
host the tens of thousands of visitors yearly.
For example, the old railroad now houses the Great
Smoky Mountains Railroad, which offers excursions
for visitors. Also, 13 miles southwest of Bryson
City you'll find the Nantahala Gorge and
Nantahala River,
home
to numerous rafting and kayaking outfitters. The eight-mile Gorge
has even developed
its own community of tourist-oriented
businesses. In Bryson
itself, you can explore the little town, beginning
with the Old Swain County
Courthouse, which sits next to a statue of
a World War I doughboy. Nearby Lake Fontana isolates
much of the remote western Smokies from most
visitors. To explore this area by car, you
need to travel nine miles west of Bryson City and
pick up NC 28. It's worth the effort because
this route will introduce you to Stecoa NC,
a small village that offers a glimpse of the past,
and Fontana Dam, where you will want to drive
across the dam to enjoy the great views.
(Bryson City attractions)
Nearby Fontana NC (now Fontana Village) was founded in
1942 as the construction camp for Fontana Dam.
Upon completion of the dam,
the camp became a resort. The main administration
building became the main lodge, and the worker's
quarters became log cabins for today's
resort visitors. Fontana Village is 31 miles
west of Bryson City, North Carolina.
Bryson NC Cabins There are several motels, B&B inns and cabin rentals to accommodate you while visiting the area. In addition,
there are lodgings available in nearby towns such
as Cherokee, Waynesville and Fontana.
Starting in Bryson City, you can also drive down Deep
Creek Road to access Deep Creek Trail, an easy
walking path best known for its three peaceful
and beautiful waterfalls. Tom Branch
Falls, Junywank Falls, and Indian
Creek Falls are only short walks into the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. Portions
of this trail (gravel road) are accessible to bicycles
(but not pathways). The
streamside scenery is soothing to the soul.
