Maggie Valley is located right beside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) and very near Interstate-40 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Maggie Valley has been a favorite for generations of folks in need of a cool mountain getaway. Its location near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, plus a large number of fine dining choices, and craft, souvenir and gift shops guarantee an enjoyable altitude change and experience. A wide selection of Maggie Valley hotels, motels, cabins and condominiums serve as lodging accommodations for Maggie Valley NC visitors. Hotels and motels dot the main parkway. Among the hotels are locally owned motor inns, but increasingly, the hotel and motel chains are available, including Best Western, Ramada Inn, Country Inn and Suites, and the Comfort Inn. The fall brings the most visitors, who are eager to get away from the city, and to see the splendid colors of autumn in the Great Smoky Mountains. But spring and summer are also extremely popular with travelers, and for good reason. The kids are out of school and the cooler air in the mountains offer a respite from summer heat. Spring, of course, is a time for renewal and the burst of color from wildflowers is enchanting. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and its majestic peaks is one of the main reasons for Maggie Valley’s popularity with travelers. The Smokies have more plant and animal species than any other national park. Deep within its rugged mountains and down miles of tree shrouded roads, you’ll find places like Cataloochee, with its restored historic buildings. These homesteads, barns and other outbuildings, serve...
Waynesville NC sits at the foot of the highest mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a model for the classic small town, with Main Street consisting of three blocks of very interesting shops, galleries and eateries. Downtown is small so you can explore Waynesville NC on foot and take pleasure in the work of area artists and craftsmen. In the summer, partake of Main Street’s art festival or July’s Folkmoot, a gathering of dance troups which perform throughout the area. You can spend the night in Waynesville in great comfort at any of the delightful B&B inns-not the least of which is The Yellow House, which is a luxury bed and breakfast near downtown (formerly a century-old house on a pond surrounded by gardens). Otherwise Waynesville NC has a long list of cabins and lodges and comfortable inns. If you stay for any length of time in Waynesville or the surrounding mountain area, be sure to take the walk around Lake Jualuska, which is only 4 miles from Waynesville. The walk is level, on a paved path, through beautifully landscaped park land. The walk, which is open to the public, consists of a 3-mile walk along the lake shore with breathtaking mountain views. The surrounding Balsam Mountains offer up several interesting hiking trails, including Balsam Knob and Graveyard Fields, with trailheads that lead to a system of trails that guide you along the river, around wildflower meadows (in season), and down to splendid waterfalls. Moreover, the Black Balsam Trail follows the mountain ridge line that offers great views. The Mountain-to-Sea Trail is an easy 3.5 mile round...
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...
Asheville, NC is a lively, sophisticated Smoky Mountains city that’s home to the Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate, the leading attraction of the Great Smoky Mountains, second only to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Asheville NC was just another small western North Carolina town until 1889 when the venerable George Vanderbilt visited and was impressed by all he saw. He returned shortly after his visit and purchased over 100,000 acres to develop the beautiful estate now called Biltmore. Nearby, Vanderbilt founded a model village—Biltmore Village—and also brought in experts on forestry, architecture, landscape design to deveop the European look the estate retains. In addition to the Biltmore Estate, Asheville NC has much to offer the traveler. Asheville has some great lodging accommodations including hotels and many wonderful B&Bs—not to mention the rustic and luxury cabins in the surrounding mountains. Choose from a fine selection of restaurants with a wide variety of cuisine. Entertainment-wise, the city of Asheville has a symphony orchestra, minor league baseball, and offerings at community theaters. For those especially interested in shopping, enjoy the Lexington, Pack Square, and Battery Hill shopping Districts. Asheville’s downtown comprises 60 square blocks with architecture dating from the years 1890-1930. Asheville, NC is surrounded by mountains: the Newfound Mountains, the Bald Mountains, the Pisgah Mountains, and the Great Balsams. This group of mountains boasts the highest peak in the east—Mt. Mitchell at 6,690 feet. And at the base of these mountains sits Asheville, NC in the impressive valley through which the French Broad River runs. Asheville’s special events include Lake Eden Arts Festival the last weekend in May; the Mountain Dance...
Townsend, TN bills itself as “The Peaceful Side of the Smoky Mountains”. And true to its name, it does have a much slower and easier pace than its neighboring towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge TN. More important is its close proximity to Cades Cove. Townsend is the closest of the towns bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is the most visited part of the Park. In fact, Townsend’s Tuckaleechee Cove is rich in Appalachian history and heritage. Here the Little River gently descends from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park into this quiet community, and was a natural settlement area that has attracted and served as home to pioneers for hundreds of years. In fact, archaeological digs in the Townsend area have recently uncovered evidence of settlers dating back thousands of years. As early as the 1700’s, white settlers settled the areas of Townsend and nearby Cades Cove. Today, several museums and historic sites keep us connected with the past. In the early 1900’s, the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company ruled the area when they logged thousands of acres until 1928, when locals fostered the idea for creating a national park. The railroad museum that exists here today contains hundreds of photographs, well-restored railroad equipment and entertaining exhibits to interest the traveler. True railroad enthusiasts can enjoy viewing the preserved locomotives and logging equipment. For more info, contact the Townsend Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum at 865-448-3060. From Townsend, you are only 25 minutes to Dollywood and Pigeon Forge TN, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville. Start your visit at the Townsend Visitors Center. Call 865-448-6134...
