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 Carolina Dozens 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. You can even enjoy easy day trips to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Cades Cove – and then retreat to the peace and quiet of the North Carolina Smokies. There's plenty to keep you occupied for a few days or a week's vacation.
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Interstate 40, Exit 50 Asheville, NC 828-225-1333 or 800-BILTMORE 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.
1080 Ski Lodge Road Maggie Valley, NC 828-926-0295 or 800-768-0285 We utilize one the most advanced snowmaking systems in the Southeast and offer 100% snowmaking on 16 lighted slopes including the Cat Cage Terrain Park. With a variety of terrain for beginners to experts alike and over 4,000 sets of snowsports equipment, the Cataloochee experience offers something for everyone. Snow School lesson programs, night runs, discounts and more. 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. Located off U.S. 276 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. Highway 294 828-494-7855 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. Hwy 28 west of Bryson City, NC 828-498-2234 (May thru September) or 828-498-2251 (off season) 480 feet high, Fontana is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States. Constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority during the early 1940s to supply electricity to fuel the war effort during World War II. Open for visitors May thru September. 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. Hwy 19 N Cherokee, NC 800-427-7247 or 828-497-7777 24-hour casino fun, featuring video gaming machines, restaurants and a 1,500 seat entertainment area. 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. 1 Folk School Road Brasstown, NC 828-837-2775 A school dedicated to the preservation of time-honored crafts, music and dance since 1925. Courses and special events.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Oconaluftee Visitor Center US 441 North Cherokee, NC 828-497-1900 An outdoor collection of historic log, farm buildings that is open year-round. Walk at your leisure through the house, barn, and outbuildings including a blacksmith shop and chicken coop. Gardens and orchards feature heirloom plants. Easy walking trail by the Oconaluftee River. Hwy 441 & Drama Road Cherokee, NC 828-497-3481 By combining high-tech wizardry and an extensive artifact collection, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian is fun for the entire family and an exciting, educational event. Open daily at 9 am except closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children, and free for children under age 6.
Nantahala Gorge 13077 Highway 19 West Bryson City The newly created Championship Wave on the Nantahala River is attracting kayakers and spectators alike. With two major freestyle kayaking competitions coming up on the River - the 2012 World Cup, and the 2013 World Championships - you can get a look at the wave feature in action. And for kayakers, it's a free park and play area. 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. Drama Road Cherokee, NC 828-497-2111 or 828-497-2315 Recreated Cherokee Village of the 1750s. Regular tours by Cherokee guides present history, crafts, early homes and mountain forest demonstrations of beadwork, pottery, blowguns, and much more in a beautiful forest setting. Open from 9:00 am -l 5:30 pm daily, mid-May through October; call for specific dates. Hwy 441 & Drama Road Cherokee NC 828-497-3103 Established in 1946, it serves mainly as a cooperative mutual for 300 Cherokee craftspeople, the facility has a large display area for those interested in historical baskets, masks, pottery, fingerweaving, wood carving and more. Open all year, yet hours vary seasonally; call ahead n the off-season. No admission fee.
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. 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.
Mountainside Theater / U.S. 441 North Cherokee, NC 866-554-4557 Recognized as one of the top outdoor dramas in the United States with over 5,000,000 visitors since its opening in July 1950. The Drama tells the history of the Cherokee people from about 1540 through their forced removal from this area in the late 1830's. Shows nightly except Sunday. Preshow at 7 pm, drama begins at 7:30 pm. Performance runs 2 hours including intermission. June-August; check the website for exact dates. General admission seating.
Main Campus Entrance 828-227-7129 Our exhibitions illustrate the natural world and mountain societies, past and present focusing on the Scots-Irish migration into the mountains. Temporary exhibits have been produced around such themes as blacksmithing traditions, Cherokee myths and legends, the history of an Appalachian watershed, and the southern Appalachian handicraft movement.Free lectures and bluegrass concerts. Hours are seasonally adjusted and also reflect the University's holiday schedule; call for hours.
75 Gashes Creek Road Asheville, NC 828-298-5600 A living museum of plant and animal wildlife in the Southern Appalachian mountains. |
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Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Center
