Posts

Just 20 miles from the southern edge of the Smokies, the western North Carolina town of Sylva provides a strategic launch point for exploring one of the country’s most beloved natural wonders — Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The national park, spread between North Carolina and Tennessee, is the most visited in the country, boasting 16 peaks above 6,000-feet and 850 miles of trails. Even better, the park is easily accessed from Sylva courtesy of a lofty stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the iconic motorway linking the Smokies with Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.

Waterrock Knob

The stunning view from Waterrock Knob.
The stunning view from Waterrock Knob.
Nick Breedlove

Stretch your legs and get an eyeful of the Smokies before even reaching the park with a stop at Waterrock Knob, the southernmost visitor center on the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost 451.2). From the visitor center’s overlook — or the 6,292-foot summit of Waterrock Knob, accessible via a brief but steep 1.5-mile trail — the Smokies ripple into the distance, a seemingly endless sea of peaks, framing the historic city of Cherokee and the Qualla Boundary, a massive swath of land owned by the Eastern band of the Cherokee people.

Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Mingus Mill offers visitors a glimpse into 19th century life in the region.
Mingus Mill offers visitors a glimpse into 19th century life in the region.
Ken Lund

The Blue Ridge Parkway delivers visitors to the park’s southeastern entrance, in a valley along the Oconaluftee River. Aside from the stunning backdrop, the park’s Oconaluftee entrance is also deeply entranced with cultural history. Just a short stroll from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, the Mountain Farm Museum and nearby Mingus Mill immerse visitors into the existence of the region’s resourceful 19th century settlers with a collection of authentic artifacts and structures.

Just outside the park, the early history and legacy of the area’s first inhabitants is explored at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the Oconaluftee Indian Village.

The area surrounding the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is also a hub for some excellent animal viewing, most notably elk. Once abundant across Appalachian ecosystems, elk were extirpated from the region by the middle of the 19th century, as a result of enthusiastic over hunting. Elk were reintroduced in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2001; in the last decade and a half, the herd size is believed to have grown to more than 100 animals. Most frequently found lingering in the Cataloochee area of the park, grazing elk can also be encountered grazing the patchwork of fields flanking the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, especially at dusk and dawn.

Oconaluftee River

The Oconaluftee River is one of the park’s trout fishing strongholds, ideal for anglers in pursuit of brown or rainbow trout. In the southeastern corner of the park, the waterway is also paralleled by 1.5-mile Oconaluftee River Trail, which leads from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to the edge of Cherokee (and is one of only two trails in the park where dog walking is permitted).

Mingus Creek Trail

The Mingus Mill Trail offers hikers access to the summit of the 5,160-foot Newton Bald.
The Mingus Mill Trail offers hikers access to the summit of the 5,160-foot Newton Bald.
Ken Lund

Beginning just a half mile from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, at Mingus Mill, the Mingus Creek Trail is loaded with both history and scenery. The first stretch of the trail is nestled in a Depression-era road bed built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. You’ll travel through bunches of rhododendron, over gushing creeks, and even skirt a historic cemetery. For a longer day hike, the trail also provides access to 5,160-foot Newton Bald, a summit once cleared by early settlers that has since regenerated with new growth forest.

Clingmans Dome and Andrews Bald

Andrews Bald is one of the easiest summits to reach in the park.
Andrews Bald is one of the easiest summits to reach in the park.
Miguel Vieira

For avid hikers — or peak seekers — Clingmans Dome is a must-visit destination. At 6,643-feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the national park and the entire state of Tennessee. Even better, an elaborate observation platform cresting the summit offers panoramic views stretching for 100 miles. The viewpoint is accessible via a short half-mile climb from the Clingmans Dome parking area, or with a more extensive hike on the Appalachian Trail, which meanders directly past the summit’s viewing tower.

In the shadow of Clingmans Dome lies another iconic Appalachian summit, Andrews Bald. The highest but also one of the most accessible balds in the park, Andrews Bald features a meadow-blanketed 5,906-foot summit that is accessible via a 1.8-mile hike on the Forney Ridge Trail, which begins at the Clingmans Dome parking area.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Featured image provided by Nick Breedlove

Filled with sylvan streams winding through vast swathes of contiguous wilderness and crowned by the cloud-swaddled peaks of the southern Appalachians, Jackson County, North Carolina, is awash with natural wonders. Beyond the stunning backdrop, the mountain-nestled county is also peppered with inviting towns loaded with bountiful farmers markets, inventive craft breweries, farm-to-fork eateries, and boutiques showcasing locally produced artisanal crafts. Adventures are abundant in Jackson County, but here’s a shortlist of recommendations for an idyllic weekend escape.

Saturday

Photo by Nick Breedlove

Get a caffeine-injected start to your Jackson County adventure with locally roasted coffee and a portable bite from the Sylva Convenient Market and General Store in downtown Sylva. Stretch your legs walking the town’s main drag, lined with cafes, handicraft-loaded boutiques, and punctuated with rarities like the eclectic In Your Ear Music Emporium, an independent record store. The Dixie Mae Vintage Market is loaded with two-floors worth of singular antiques, and you’ll enjoy tasty treats from the cozy Baxley’s Chocolates.

Photo by Nick Breedlove

If Sylva has only whet your appetite for artsy wares, head two-miles down the road to Dillsboro, a hub for local artisans and host of the annual Western North Carolina Pottery Festival. Dillsboro’s condensed downtown is loaded with functioning studios—like Treehouse Pottery, Rabbit Creek Pottery, and Riverwood Pottery—each showcasing and selling everything from stoneware to ceramics inlaid with horse hair.

Photo by Margaret Hester

If you end up lingering until lunchtime, grab a bite in Sylva at Lulu’s on Main, serving sophisticated cuisine in down-to-earth digs. When you are ready to trade town for trail, head 45-minutes south to Cashiers. Get a taste for the lake-studded town at the Cashiers Farmers Market and pick up a picnic for the trail. Next, head just outside town to Panthertown Valley, a rugged, mountain-cradled slice of the Nantahala National Forest adorned with tannin-tinged streams and tumbling waterfalls. Hikers are enveloped by wilderness merely steps from the trailhead in Panthertown Valley, lending even brief day-hikes the feel of multi-day backcountry outings.

Although the namesake panthers no longer prowl the fern-draped valley, Cooper’s hawks cruise the canopy, and bobcats, black bears, and coyotes wander the rhododendron-fringed trails. Decipher the extensive network of backcountry trails with the definitive map, Bruce Kornegay’s “A Guide’s Guide to Panthertown,” available at the Blackrock Outdoor Company in Sylva, or with information from the Friends of Panthertown Valley.

Photo by Mark Haskett

If hiking a sometimes maze-like wilderness seems a little too ambitious, head for Whitewater Falls, which is also just outside Cashiers in the Nantahala National Forest. You will hear the thundering rush of water before even embarking on the brief trail to the viewing platform for the 811-foot falls. Stairs lead to a lower viewpoint, offering unobstructed vistas of the silvery flumes and providing access to the Foothills Trail, an option for tacking more trail time on to your waterfall visit.

Innovation Brewery.
Innovation Brewery.
Photo by Jackson County Tourism

In the evening, head back to Sylva to sample the artful ales available at the town’s trio of craft breweries. Choose from the Bavarian-inspired beers at the Heinzelmännchen Brewery, serving brews like the Ancient Days Honey Blonde or the subtle toffee-flavored Middle World Brown. Try the Sneak E Squirrel, the newest arrival to Sylva’s brewing scene, pouring flavorful pints like Cherry Vanilla Stout and Prison Shank, a quintessential English ale. The brewery also features a menu with everything from pork belly BLTs to bison burgers to the Toasted Fat Elvis, a culinary tribute to the King packed with peanut butter, bananas, and bacon. Peruse the lengthy tap list at Innovation Brewing, which is loaded with mainstays like the Spaceman Pale Ale and the Hoppy Camper IPA. You’ll also find seasonals like Apple Butter Brown, the Cucumber Mint Saison, or the Beet and Basil Pale Ale. After grabbing a beer, head outside to Innovation Brewing’s resident food truck, Cosmic Carryout.

Sunday

Photo by Nick Breedlove

Ease into Sunday at Sylva’s City Light’s Cafe. The vegetarian-friendly eatery serves everything from chevre-filled crepes to gluten-free pastries. Post breakfast, the cafe also has nearly a dozen local beers on tap and serves an array of organic, North Carolina wines. Best of all, you can bring your pooch to dine, and the joint celebrates four-legged patrons at monthly Yappy Hours. After breakfast, peruse the attached City Lights Bookstore, lorded over by a pair of resident cats. Astoundingly, City Lights is merely one of three independent bookstores in town—Sylva’s Main Street also boasts the Friends of the Library Used Bookstore and Harry Alter Books, specializing in rarities and out-of-print texts.

Photo by Nick Breedlove

Once adequately caffeinated, head for the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway. A lofty, peak-laden stretch of the 469-mile roadway ribbons through Jackson County, serving as a portal to an abundance of high-country trails. Begin with the more grueling hike by heading south on the parkway to the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, which is just after milepost 450. The hike from the windswept visitor center to Waterrock Knob’s 6,292-foot pinnacle is short—about a mile and a half round trip—but consists of a craggy climb along a series of tightly coiled switchbacks. Fortunately, climbers are consistently treated to stunning views of Maggie Valley and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, appearing like a sea of rippling, blue-tinged cordilleras silhouetted against the horizon.

Photo by Nick Breedlove

Next, drive north to Richland Balsam (milepost 431), just after the marker for the highest point on the motorway, at 6,053-feet. Hike the 1.5-mile loop trail to Richland Balsam’s 6,410-foot summit through a cloud-shrouded, spruce-fir forest more reminiscent of landscapes of northern New England. Check the trail for animal tracks—the thoroughfare is by far the easiest path through the dense, moss-cloaked evergreen forest, and more than just hikers take advantage of the summit route.

Tired of hiking but still craving more time outdoors? Jackson County is dubbed North Carolina’s Trout Capital, and it’s ideal for perhaps the most meditative of outdoor pursuits—fly fishing. The county is sprinkled with stops along the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, the first and only of its kind in the country. The largest rainbow trout caught in North Carolina to date, weighing in at just over 20 pounds, was hauled out of Jackson County’s Horsepasture River.

Photo by Jackson County Tourism

In the evening, head back to downtown Sylva for dinner at the Caribbean-inspired Guadalupe Café. The eatery serves organic, locally sourced food, and dishes up more than just island- inspired plates, including bison burgers, mango pork tacos, and, of course, trout cakes.

As for where to stay in Jackson County, you’ve got plenty of choices: Full-service resorts, cozy cabins, historic inns, and charming bed & breakfasts are all available in the area.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Originally written by RootsRated.

Featured image provided by Nick Breedlove