WNC Travel Guide
Mountain biking
This is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the Smokies, one easily witnessed by all the vehicles with mountain bikes strapped to the back or top. Pretty straightforward as to why so may partake of this sport: the Smokies contain some of the best bike trails anywhere. Here are the popular spots:
Blue Ridge Parkway serves up the best of the mountains
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road that winds for 469 miles from the southern end of Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive in Virginia to U.S. 441 at Oconaluftee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee.
The spiritual appeal of waterfalls
Whether one is an avid outdoorsman or an occasional hiker, there is something special about making a gorgeous waterfall the destination for a hike.
Golf courses
In this mountain region, there are a handful of top-notch public courses, including the Sequoyah National in Cherokee (designed by Robert Trent Jones II) and the historic 27 holes at Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort and Spa. In the Cashiers area of Jackson County, the scenic High Hampton Inn is regarded as one of the most picturesque courses in the country. Other courses include:
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has an amazing array of mini-ecosystems within its borders — from peaks over 6,000 feet to low valleys, from moist densely forested coves to dry meadows. A walk from mountain base to peak compares with traveling 1,250 miles north. Several resident plants and animals live only in the Smokies.
Breweries west of Asheville
Andrews
• Hoppy Trout Brewing Company 828.835.2111 • www.hoppytroutbrewing.com
• Snowbird Mountains Brewery 678.419.3035 • www.snowbirdmountainsbrewery.com
Bryson City
• Mountain Layers Brewing 828.538.0115 • www.mtnlayersbeer.com
• Nantahala Brewing 828.488.2337 • www.nantahalabrewing.com
Canton
• BearWaters Brewing 828.246.0602 • www.bwbrewing.com
Cashiers
• Whiteside Brewing 828.743.6000 • www.whitesidebrewing.com
Cherokee
• Native Brews Tap & Grill 828.497.2739 • www.native-brews.com
Dillsboro
• Innovation Brewing 828.586.9678 • www.innovation-brewing.com
Franklin
• Currahee Brewing 828.634.0078 • www.curraheebrew.com
• Lazy Hiker Brewing 828.342.5133 • www.lazyhikerbrewing.com
Hayesville
• Hayesville Brewing 828.835.6010
• Nocturnal Brewing 828.305.7337 • www.nocturnalbrewing.com
Highlands
• Satulah Mountain Brewing
828.482.9794 • www.satulahmountainbrewing.com
Maggie Valley
• BearWaters Brewing (Outpost) 828.944.0009 • bearwatersbrewing.com
Murphy
• Valley River Brewery 828.837.2337 • www.valleyriverbreweries.com
Sapphire
• Sapphire Valley Brewing 828.743.0220 • www.sapphirebrewingcompany.com
Sylva
• Balsam Falls Brewing 828.631.1987 • www.fb.com/balsamfallsbrewing
• Innovation Brewing 828.586.9678 • www.innovation-brewing.com
• Lazy Hiker Brewing 828.349.2337 • www.lazyhikerbrewing.com
• Nantahala Brewing (Outpost) 828.641.9797 • www.nantahalabrewing.com
Waynesville
• 7 Clans Brewing 828.454.5664 • www.7clansbrewing.com
• Boojum Brewing 828.944.0888 • www.boojumbrewing.com
• Frog Level Brewing 828.454.5664 • www.froglevelbrewing.com
Hiking trails of the North Carolina Smokies
With a quiet step you stand a great chance of seeing some of the multitude of wildlife Western North Carolina has to offer.
