Biltmore House and Gardens
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| TRAVEL GUIDE TO BRYSON CITY AND THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS | |
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Biltmore House and Gardens |
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Places To Visit IN THE SMOKIES Bryson City's Location Is Ideal For Exploring All of Western North CarolinaDozens of Smoky Mountain attractions are just a short drive from Bryson City, making this the ideal home base for an event-filled Western North Carolina vacation.
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Attractions Within A One-Hour Drive Interstate 40, Exit 50 Asheville, NC 828-255-1700 or 800-543-2961 George Vanderbilt’s 250-room mansion is virtually the same as it was at the turn of the 20th century. Sculptures, paintings, furnishing, and household items have been carefully preserved. Tour the gardens and the winery, and enjoy a sumptuous three-course meal or a sandwich in one of several restaurants. Blue Ridge Parkway Association PO Box 2136 Asheville, NC 28802 The first leg of the Blue Ridge Parkway begins in Cherokee, at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and continues 26 miles to the Balsam Mountain exit at milepost 443. Exiting the Parkway at that point puts you on US 74 just west of Waynesville. Along the way, you'll pass Waterrock Knob where there is a visitor information center, comfort station and a spectacular view. Take the one-mile hike to the summit for an even better view. 75th Anniversary events 565 Aquone Road Just 15 minutes south of the Nantahala Gorge, there's an old stone building with bars on the windows that overlooks our small vineyard. Legend has it that the local lawman locked up the hooligans here to cool down until they went before the magistrate. Now the Calaboose is used to incarcerate our wines. 1080 Ski Lodge Road Maggie Valley, NC 800-768-0285 On a mountain overlooking Maggie Valley, Cataloochee was the first ski area in the Southeast. It offers ten slopes and trails, from beginner to expert. And for the kids, a snow tubing slope. U.S. Highway 129, connecting Western North Carolina with East Tennessee, is world-famous among motorcyclists and sports car drivers, for its eleven-mile section with 318 continuous curves. 1024 Georgia Road 866-482-2386 or 828-349-8888 A 56,000 square-foot family entertainment center with a variety of arcade games, two miniature golf courses, bowling, go-carts, kids play area, carousel, batting cages, laser tag, three restaurants, and more.
Oconaluftee Visitor Center Cherokee, NC 828-497-1900 Popular portions of the Park within an hour’s drive from Bryson City include Deep Creek, Lakeview Drive (The Road to Nowhere), Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Mountain Farm Museum, Mingus Mill, Smokemont, Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome and Cataloochee Valley. 1 Folk School Road Brasstown, NC 28902-9603 828-837-2775 A school dedicated to the preservation of time-honored crafts, music and dance since 1925. Courses and special events. National Forest Service Supervisor's Office 100 Otis Street
828-257-4200 This magnificent 3800-acre forest is a remnant of an old growth cove hardwood forest. Enormous yellow poplar, hemlock, basswood, beech and other trees tower over the two loop trails. This forest stands as a living memorial to Joyce Kilmer — teacher, journalist, soldier, and poet — best known for his poem, "Trees". Twelve miles northwest of Robbinsville, NC, off Hwy 143. S Hwy 19/74 west of Bryson City, NC One of the first, and now one of the most popular whitewater rafting and kayaking venues in the nation. With its class II and III rapids, the eight-mile whitewater course is popular with beginners and Olympic-class kayakers alike. But you can stay dry and still enjoy the beauty of the area, or the shops and restaurants. For a list of Whitewater outfitters and other information, click here.
86 East Main Street Franklin, NC 828-524-7472 A museum dedicated to the history and heritage of the Scottish Tartan. Contains the official registry of all publicly known tartans. The American extension of the Scottish Tartans Society in Edinburgh, Scotland. 570 Brevard Road Located near downtown Asheville between Interstates 40 and 26. With a panoramic view of the mountains and the Biltmore Estate, the market is open seven days a week, year round. The public is invited to enjoy the atmosphere and character of the mountains. Admission is free. |
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Attractions Within A Two-Hour Drive Blue Ridge Parkway Association PO Box 453 Asheville, NC 28802 The Blue Ridge Parkway drive from Cherokee to Asheville is 87 miles, and driving at the speed limit of 45 mph, you can be in Asheville in two hours. But then you'd miss all the great stops along the way like the Richmond Balsam Overlook (at 6,047 feet, the highest point on the entire Parkway); or a stop for lunch with a spectacular view at the Mt. Pisgah Inn; or before leaving the Parkway, a visit to the Folk Art Center at milepost 382. Located off U.S. 276, 14 miles northwest of Brevard, 4 miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway 800-660-0671 This major visitor attraction was once part of George Vanderbilt's vast Biltmore Estate. It was here that Dr. Carl Schenck started the first forestry school in the nation and first practiced forest conservation. A visitor center, exhibits, guided tours, historic buildings, and two paved trails lead you back to the era of the first forestry school, established 1898. Open May - October. Hwy. 143 west of Robbinsville, NC The spectacular 51-mile skyway connects Hwy. 143 in
Robbinsville, NC to Hwy.165 in Tellico Plains, TN, traveling through
the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. US 64/74A Chimney Rock, NC 800-277-9611 Spectacular 75-mile views, sheer cliffs and unique rock formations. Trails leading to the 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls. Famous as the filming site for the climactic scenes of The Last of the Mohicans. Highway 294, 18 miles west of Murphy, NC 828-494-7855 From the top of Prayer Mountain to the gigantic Ten Commandments spread across the mountainside, to the All Nations Cross, Bible passages are presented in marble and stone in an outdoor park. Open every day from sunrise to sunset. Free. Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 382 (east of Asheville) 828-298-7928 Home of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. Changing craft exhibits in three galleries, Daily demonstrations April thru December, Also the Allenstand Craft Shop. Free. US 441 on the Tennessee side of the Park These two towns, just five miles apart, serve as the principal Tennessee gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and host most of the Park's nine million annual visitors. The busy tourist center offers a many attractions including Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, the Ripley's Aquarium and Dollywood.
107 Park Headquarters Road Gatlinburg, Tennessee 423-436-1200 Popular portions of the Park within two hours of Bryson City include Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cades Cove, Parson Branch Road, Laurel Falls, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Greenbriar, Cosby Creek and the Fontana North Shore (Hazel Creek, Eagle Creek and Forney Creek areas, accessible by boat). 100 Fredrick Law Olmsted Way Asheville, NC 828/665-2492 Miles of nature trails, cultivated gardens, and state-of-the-art greenhouse complex. Near Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville entrance. In the Pisgah National Forest North of Brevard, NC Slide down Mother Nature's 60-foot smooth rock waterslide and plunge into a pool of cool water at the bottom.
75 Gashes Creek Road Asheville, NC 828-298-5600 A living museum of plant and animal wildlife in the Southern Appalachian mountains. Whiteside Mountain Road Highlands, NC Named for its sheer white cliffs, Whiteside Mountain rises above the Nantahala National Forest. A two-mile loop trail leads to the 4,930-foot summit. Hwy 281 south of Cashiers, NC With a drop of 441 feet, Whitewater Falls is the highest falls in the Eastern US.
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