Perfect combination of Smoky Mountain views, weather, attractions and activities
Cultural Events & Attractions
Family-Friendly Activities
Fishing
Golfing
Hiking
Rafting/Kayaking
Skiing
Local Events
As a resident western North Carolina land or Eastern Tennessee land owner in your custom home in one of our luxury Ultima Carolina Smoky Mountain communities, you won’t have any problems finding events and attractions for you and your visitors to enjoy.
Western North Carolina Attractions
Allanstand Craft Shop/Folk Art Center
Handmade jewelry, pottery, ironwork, glass, baskets, prints and more from members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Recognized worldwide for excellence in craftsmanship and design for 75 years. Hours: Apr.-Dec. open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan.-Mar. open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bele Chere Street Fair
This annual July event in Asheville features live music, delicious food and local artisan wares. Has been called “one of the country’s greatest street festivals.”
Biltmore Station Antiques
This multi-dealer antique mall is located near the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.
Brevard Music Center
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the Brevard Music Center (BMC) has been providing young musicians with the opportunity to develop their talents for sixty-eight years.
Each summer, more than 400 students ages 14 through post-college join professional musicians to eat, breathe and sleep music for seven weeks. In addition to a rigorous schedule of instruction, students collaborate with faculty and guest artists in more than eighty public performances.
Fine Arts Center
Asheville’s only downtown cinema is located in the heart of the city’s art and entertainment district. Dedicated to first-run and independent films. Two screens in an elegant, historic, Art Deco building. AC.
Flat Rock Playhouse
North Carolina’s State Theatre invites you to enjoy the finest Broadway musicals, comedy, drama and youth theater. Flat Rock Playhouse’s professional company presents shows each May through December.
Folkmoot USA
Folkmoot USA, North Carolina’s Official International Festival, is a two-week celebration of the world’s cultural heritage through folk music and dance. Held each summer across the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina, Folkmoot features performances, parades and workshops by more than 350 performers from a dozen or so countries.
The Bard presented in an open-air amphitheatre by the Montford Park Players, North Carolina’s oldest established Shakespeare company.
Shakespeare in the Park
The Bard presented in an open-air amphitheatre by the Montford Park Players, North Carolina’s oldest established Shakespeare company.
Western North Carolina Jazz Society
The WNC Jazz Society presents monthly shows of excellent straight-ahead acoustic jazz at Asheville’s Diana Wortham Theater. Featured artists have or will include Larry Coryell, Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Alexander, Freddy Cole and Bill Charlap.
Eastern Tennessee Attractions
Sequoyah Birthplace Museum
This museum in Vonore, Tenn., belongs to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The museum promotes understanding and appreciation of the history of the Cherokee people with its informative exhibits.
Lake Winnepesaukah
This Amusement Park in Rossville, Ga., is great for kids. Enjoy rides, a waterpark, outdoor games, in-park concerts and more
Farragut Folklife Museum
The Farragut Folklife Museum is housed in the Farragut Town Hall in Farragut, Tenn. It features collections of artifacts from eastern Tennessee and town namesake; Admiral Farragut was the first admiral of the U.S. Navy and a Civil War hero.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Take a ride into history from this whistle-stop in Chattanooga. For a quick trip, the Missionary Ridge Local takes only 55 minutes and packs excitement through a Civil War era tunnel and includes a guided tour of the restoration shop. For a longer experience, take the Chickamauga Turn, a six-hour round-trip ride to historic Chickamauga, Ga.
East Tennessee Discovery Center
Explore science in this Knoxville museum with 10 aquaria tanks, collections of insects, amphibians, reptiles, and a live honeybee colony. Also see how Light, Sound and Vision exhibits pair perfectly with those for machines and energy to round out this educational experience.
East Tennessee Historical Society Museum
History speaks through this Knoxville museum’s permanent and changing exhibits, which focus on eastern Tennessee’s rich history and heritage. Traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian and other venues also share special stories from our past. The Museum’s newest permanent signature exhibit is Voices of The Land: The People of East Tennessee.
Tennessee Aquarium
Explore life above and below the water’s surface in the jewel of Chattanooga’s tourist attractions. Take a journey through aquatic habitats, from a cove forest high in the Appalachian mountains to a coral reef in the blue depths of the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, see thousands of animals and three living forests.
As a resident western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee land owner in your custom home in one of our luxury Ultima Carolina Smoky Mountain communities, you’ll find plenty of attractions for you and your family.
Flat Rock Playhouse
North Carolina’s State Theatre invites you to enjoy the finest Broadway musicals, comedy, drama and youth theater. Flat Rock Playhouse’s professional company presents shows each May through December.
The Biltmore Estate
The sprawling 1895 masterpiece estate and gardens that put Asheville on the map, this former Vanderbilt home is now a national treasure drawing millions per year to tour its beautifully and painstakingly restored rooms.
Carl Sandburg’s Home
Writer Carl Sandburg spent a lifetime asking what it meant to be an American in his poetry, songs, lectures and essays. His western North Carolina home is located on 264 acres that include five miles of trails, gorgeous gardens and the descendents of Mrs. Sandburg’s goat herd.
Asheville Historic Trolley Tours
See the best of Asheville onboard a vintage trolley and enjoy a fully narrated tour covering all of the city’s major points of interest. Included: the Grove Park Inn, Biltmore Village, the Grove Arcade, the Montford Historic District, the downtown shopping and restaurants district, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the Asheville Museum and Art Gallery district, the Asheville Chamber and Visitors Center and much more.
Botanical Gardens at Asheville
This 10-acre nonprofit nature preserve (next to UNCA) is dedicated to preserving and displaying the native flora of the Southern Appalachians. Garden-themed gift shop. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated and memberships are encouraged.
Cradle of Forestry and Forest Discovery Center
Nestled below the Blue Ridge Parkway on Hwy. 276 is a unique historic site the whole family can enjoy. The Cradle of Forestry is the birthplace of forestry in America, home to the first forestry school in the United States in 1898 called the Biltmore Forest School. Today, the site offers guided tours through the old campus. You may meet a weaver, a quilter, a toy maker or even a basket maker. Inside the Forest Discovery Center, see an 18-minute movie, then explore 15 hands-on exhibits. Kids, be sure to try the scavenger hunt, then ride the fire fighting helicopter simulator.
Grandad’s Apples N’ Such
A family-owned and operated orchard since 1994, with four generations of apple-growing experience. Pick your own apples, or have them picked for you. Inside the barn, find delicious apple pies, caramel apples, fresh cider (made here), local honey, local canned goods like apple butter and chow-chow, local crafts and other merchandise.
Grandfather Mountain
The highest peak in the Blue Ridge in Marion, North Carolina is a globally recognized nature preserve featuring the Mile High Swinging Bridge; bears, cougars, otters and other animals in their natural habitats; picnic areas; and western North Carolina’s best hiking trails.
Justus Orchard
With 25 acres of a wide variety of apples, your visit to Justus Orchard will reward you with one of nature’s most versatile fruits. You can pick your own apples, or they can pick them for you, but whichever way you like it, you’re sure to find the variety of apple you love.
Lake Lure
Step aboard and discover one of the most spectacular lakes in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Daily hourly tours, evening champagne, and dinner cruises. Or rent a boat from the marina and explore the lake on your own.
Mountain Fresh Orchards
Visit the fruit stand and take home some fresh-picked apples, apple cider, jams, jellies and so much more. Located on 12 acres in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Mountain Fresh Orchards is family-owned since 1981.
Tweetsie Railroad
This Wild West theme park features a three-mile steam-powered train ride through the North Carolina mountains. Shopping, live entertainment, amusement park rides and a petting zoo.
Eastern Tennessee Family Attractions
Falls Creek Falls State Park
A paradise of more than 20,000 acres sprawled across the eastern top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau, this state park in Rockwood, Tenn., provides a spectacular, scenic recreation area laced with cascades, gorges, waterfalls, streams and lush stands of virgin hardwood timber.
Cumberland Mountain State Park
Also situated on the Cumberland Plateau in Crossville, Tenn., this 1,720-acre park includes opportunities for boating, camping, fishing, hiking and golfing, as well as a central meeting facility.
Lake Winnepesaukah
This Amusement Park in Rossville, Ga., is great for kids. Enjoy rides, a waterpark, outdoor games, in-park concerts and more
East Tennessee Discovery Center
Explore science in this Knoxville museum with 10 aquaria tanks, collections of insects, amphibians, reptiles, and a live honeybee colony. Also see how Light, Sound and Vision exhibits pair perfectly with those for machines and energy to round out this educational experience.
Tennessee Aquarium
Explore life above and below the water’s surface in the jewel of Chattanooga’s tourist attractions. Take a journey through aquatic habitats, from a cove forest high in the Appalachian mountains to a coral reef in the blue depths of the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, see thousands of animals and three living forests.
Western North Carolina’s clear streams, sparkling lakes, and diverse habitats
As a resident western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee land owner in your custom home in one of our luxury Ultima Carolina Smoky Mountain communities, you’ll find fishing among our many outdoor attractions.
Western North Carolina Fishing
Asheville Drifters
Strategically located in the heart of some of the best trout fishing and smallmouth bass fishing in the country.
Bryson City and the Great Smoky Mountains
Swain County’s streams and lakes are a fisherman’s paradise.
CCS Fly Fishing Outfitters
CCS Fly Fishing Outfitters offers guided fishing trips in western North Carolina, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding areas.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Whether you enjoy hunting, fishing, boating or are just interested in Tarheel wildlife, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission enriches your outdoor experience.
Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing
A full service fly shop and outfitters located right on the banks of the beautiful Oconoluftee River in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Western North Carolina’s mountain courses, from wide river valleys to fairways that roll and pitch with Mother Nature. As a resident western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee land owner in your custom home in one of our luxury Ultima Carolina Smoky Mountain communities, you’ll find golf among our many outdoor activities.
Golf in Western North Carolina
Champion Hills
Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club
Etowah Valley Country Club
Fairfield Mountains Resort
Kenmure
Lake Toxaway Country Club
Links O’ Tryon
Maggie Valley Club
Springdale Country Club
For a comprehensive guide to golf courses in Western North Carolina, visit Great Smoky Mountains Golf.
Golf in Eastern Tennessee
Dayton Golf & Country Club
Lakehaven Golf & Country Club
Fall Creek Falls State Park Golf Course
Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain State Park
Deer Creek Golf Club
River Run Golf Course
Southwest Point Golf Course
Ridgewood Golf Club
White Oaks Golf Course
Stonehenge Golf Club
Lakeside Golf Course
Emory Golf & Country Club
Madisonville Golf Course
Hundreds of waterfalls and miles of mountain trails in western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.
As a resident western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee land owner in your custom home in one of our luxury Ultima Carolina Smoky Mountain communities, you’ll find hiking among our many outdoor activities. You could spend a lifetime and never do the same hike twice.
Hiking in western North Carolina
Appalachian Trail
Western North Carolina’s part of the trail follows the North Carolina/Tennessee boundary, then winds through the Pisgah National Forest with views of the southern Appalachians and Great Smoky Mountains.
Dupont State Forest Waterfalls
Near Brevard in western North Carolina, see High Falls and Triple Falls. The hike is relatively easy, and the views are absolutely spectacular.
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge mountain range and a globally recognized nature preserve. Stand high above the surrounding region in awe of 360-degree views of mountain ridges retreating to the horizon, and discover sanctuary for the human spirit.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Endless forest ridges straddle the border between western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World-renowned diversity of plant and animal life, beautiful ancient mountains, and preserved remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture make this is America’s most visited national park.
Green Knob
Pass through the first of many grassy, open meadows before the trail wraps around the ridge heading South. Follow an apparently unnamed stream uphill, and gradually get closer and closer until it sounds like there may be a waterfall far below you.
Mount Pisgah
When you park, you are just shy of 5000′ in elevation amidst the northern hardwood forest. Hike the forest, dominated by oaks with some birches, maples, beeches, spruces and firs mixed in, all the way up to the summit.
Sam Knob
Spend a beautiful couple of hours to reach awe-inspiring views at the top. If that’s not enough, add on one of many side trips along the way.
Tom’s Creek Falls
A great hike for kids, this short, easy and safe hike includes all the things kids like along the way: a creek, big rocks and a spectacular view at the end.
For more Western North Carolina hiking trail reviews, visit Hike WNC.
Hiking in Eastern Tennessee
Bald River Falls Trail
This trail follows the Bald River from the Tellico River Road at Bald River Falls to Forest Road 126, passing through deciduous forest and over numerous rock embankments.
Benton Falls Trail
This well-marked, mostly level trail leads from the pleasant Lake McCamy at the top of Chilhowee Mountain to the 65-foot, tiered Benton Falls.
Benton MacKaye Trail: Watson Gap to Ocoee River
The final portion of the BMT is it’s finest. Leave Watson Gap, and enter the Cohutta Wilderness. The path dips down to a couple of high elevation streams before regaining the Blue Ridge and heading north.
Big Frog Mountain Trail
From this trail, find outstanding views of the surrounding mountains, including the Cohutta Wilderness to the south and the Tennessee Valley to the west.
Marguerite Falls Trail
This short, manageable trail follows West Fork Creek past the impressive Cathedral Rock to end at the picturesque and protected Marguerite Falls.
Whigg Meadows Trail
This short easy hike yields a big reward, making its way on a grassy jeep road to Whigg Meadows, with 360 degrees of views into the Tellico district to the west and north, and western North Carolina to the east.
White-water fun in western North Carolina at levels for all ages
As a resident western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee land owner in your custom home in one of our luxury Ultima Carolina Smoky Mountain communities, you’ll find the local favorite of white-water rafting and kayaking among our many outdoor activities.
Endless River Adventures
Expert kayak instruction and guided kayak tours on the rivers and lakes of western North Carolina.
French Broad Rafting Expeditions
This outfitter specializes in your family or group, whether it’s the adventure and excitement of whitewater rafting or the ease and relaxation of a calm-water trip.
Mountain Adventure Guides
A group of professional whitewater rafting and rock climbing outfitters and guides located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Asheville and Boone, North Carolina.
Nantahala River Rafting
Thrill to the challenge and excitement of whitewater rafting on the most popular river in the Southeast. Enjoy the scenic splendor of the Nantahala National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains as you paddle the clean cold waters of the Nantahala River.
Nantahala Outdoor Center
Since 1972, the NOC has shared the outdoors with millions of guests. Located in western North Carolina near the Great Smoky Mountains.
Challenging powder or leisurely family days in the western North Carolina mountains
As a resident western North Carolina or eastern Tennessee land owner in your custom home in one of our luxury Ultima Carolina Smoky Mountain communities, you’ll find great skiing from expert to novice among many outdoor activities in our region.
Wolf Laurel
Just north of Asheville
828-689-4111, or toll free: 800-817-4111
Cataloochee
Maggie Valley in Haywood County
800-768-0285
Ski Beech
Boone area
Snow Reports: 800-438-2093
Lodging: 800-462-3324
Sugar Mountain
Boone area
828-898-4521, or toll free: 800-784-2768
Hawksnest
Boone area.
Ski Report 828-963-6563
Group planning: 800-822-4295
Appalachian Ski Mtn
Boone area
Ski Report: 828-295-7823
Reservations/Group information: 800-322-2373
For more upcoming events around western North Carolina, visit Asheville.com’s Calendar >>
