One of the most beautiful locations on earth! North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains invites everyone to experience its majestic beauty. Visit Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Canton and Clyde to discover small-town main streets, a thriving arts community, fine restaurants, museums and the grandeur of the highest mountains in the East. Rich in history and scenery, the area is the ideal location for romantic getaways or family entertainment.
With so much to see and do in the area, we recommend the following 5-day itineraries. Enjoy all the area has to offer by mixing and matching events to your particular interest. Time indicators are recommendations only. Feel free to spend as much or as little time as your schedule allows. Be sure to check days and hours of operation for each venue.
DAY 1. Maggie Valley holds great fascination for adults and children alike. Alive with music and dance, Maggie Valley is home to the Maggie Valley Opry House, where banjo great Raymond Fairchild picks his way into hearts of all ages. Theatres and music halls such as Carolina Nights Dinner Show and live clogging performances at the Stompin' Ground add excitement to the cool mountain air. The Soco Gardens Zoo brings an unexpected surprise with a diverse collection of animals, from wallabies and muntjacs to binturongs and white Bengal tigers. Take an informative tour along pleasant, tree-shaded walks led by knowledgeable guides. New to Maggie Valley is the Wheels Through Time Museum, a celebration of American cars and motorcycles with more than 250 vintage vehicles dating back to 1903.
With rental cabins and cozy brookside motels, casual dining and endless diversions, Maggie Valley has maintained its own unique personality and independent nature. Don't look for a McDonald's or Wal-Mart in this town. What you will find are museums and miniature golf, shopping and golf courses, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, snow skiing and rafting as well as an exciting nightlife. Maggie Valley offers a little something for everyone in the family.
DAY 2 . Waynesville is at the heart of a thriving arts community. A walk along Main Street captures it all, from down-home traditional to stylish contemporary. Gourmet coffee shops and light, airy galleries filled with modern paintings, sculpture and jewelry sit alongside old-fashioned newsstands that have welcomed customers for decades. The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts, just off Main Street, houses a beautiful collection of pottery, baskets, embroidery, quilts and sculpture in the historic Shelton House. Be sure to check the year-round production schedule next door at the Haywood Arts Repertory Theatre, recently named NC's Community Theatre of the Year.
Stay in a quaint bed & breakfast just off Main Street; enjoy a summer Friday night traditional street dance complete with bluegrass band; dine at a Mediterranean and Argentine grill; take in a movie at the Waynesville Drive-In or just sit back, relax and enjoy the scenic beauty that surrounds you.
DAY 3. Elk-watching, year-round golf, snowboarding or wildflower hikes—enjoy a day outdoors in North Carolina's Smokies.
Cataloochee Valley, a historic settlement and part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is home to the reintroduced and thriving elk population. Take a family picnic to watch these majestic creatures as they graze in the dew-kissed mornings and peaceful evenings. For excitement, Cataloochee Ski Area's mile-high slopes offer ski and snowboarding enthusiasts a thrilling trip. When the snow melts, enjoy a slow, quiet afternoon of fly fishing in a forest stream. The Blue Ridge Parkway follows the southern county line for 46 miles, and along this stretch are favorite hiking spots and the highest point on the parkway, where the Appalachian landscape comes close to tundra. The venerable north-to-south Appalachian Trail passes through here, as does the east-to-west NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail. From easy to difficult, the area includes a variety of winding mountain hikes.
This is waterfall country, too: incredible cascades tumble over ledges and river rock at spots along U.S. 64 and U.S. 276. This tri-county area (Haywood, Transylvania and Jackson) is home to some of the highest falls in the eastern U.S. Area outfitters offer the exciting challenge of whitewater rafting, or for slower water, there are five trout ponds to choose from.
Take to the links in one of six challenging golf courses that wander along scenic slopes. Or discover a real gem at the Old Pressley Sapphire Mine in the region where the world's largest Blue Star Sapphires were found. The mountainsides make for stunning horseback rides or exciting llama treks. Mountain bikers, hunters and rock climbers will not be disappointed with all the great spots to enjoy in Haywood. Make Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Canton and Clyde a home base for exploring outdoor pursuits from spring wild flowers to wild adventures.
DAY 4 . Next door to Waynesville's eclectic art scene and Maggie Valley's family fun are Canton, Clyde, and Lake Junaluska. Lake Junaluska Assembly is the conference center for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. This community of private homes, conference facilities, lodges and bed & breakfasts circles a serene, stunning expanse of water that is, in turn, surrounded by mountains. The conference center hosts music retreats, youth events and church-related conferences. Visitors can find peaceful lodgings at bed & breakfasts while taking time for a tranquil stroll around the lake and rose walk. Also at Lake Junaluska is the World Methodist Museum, complete with several galleries and a reading room.
Stop in Clyde for flowers, antiques, clothing or surplus shopping. Friendly faces are the norm in this tiny, quiet community. Canton, once in Cherokee Indian Territory, is home to its own kind of revival—a downtown revitalization and an ongoing effort to preserve its history. Hand-painted murals throughout the town portray Canton's rich history. The Canton Area Historical Museum depicts the story of the area's industrial, political, environmental and war-related history, and just across the street is the newly restored Colonial Theatre, which hosts concerts, readings and plays on a grand vintage stage. In between, there's plenty to see and do: refreshing swimming holes, slow country drives, live, old-time music and breath-taking mountain views.
DAY 5. Spring through winter, the Smoky Mountains offer a world of experiences while being the perfect home base for dozens of day trips. Whether it's a scenic driving tour or a day in Asheville at the Biltmore Estate, there is even more to enjoy just a short drive away. Explore the heritage, history and culture of the region's Native Americans on the Cherokee Indian Reservation at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, the Oconaluftee Village or the outdoor drama Unto These Hills. Flirt with Lady Luck at Harrah's Cherokee Casino, 60,000 square feet of slots and digital gaming open 24 hours a day, every day. Take an excursion on the Great Smokey Mountains Railroad or visit the nation's first school of forestry at the Cradle of Forestry in America. A little bit further, but still a reasonable day trip away, visit Knoxville and Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN or Spartanburg/Greenville, SC. Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Canton and Clyde are close to everything and yet still a relaxing retreat away from it all.
For more information on these or other locations and events visit www.smokeymountains.net