The Great Smoky Mountains are renowned for many things, wildflowers in the spring, clear rivers and creeks in summer, and of course glorious fall foliage. Our local chamber of commerce here in Bryson City, NC has put together a great guide for
finding the best color in the Great Smokies this fall.
Those visiting the Great Smoky Mountains for leap-peaping will find several great hiking trails and drives within a short distance of their
Smoky Mountain vacation rentals. Hwy 441 through the National Park provides stunning vistas from the car. Quiet walkways along the way let visitors get up close to the leaves.
For those so inclined, a round of golf in the Smokies among brillant fall color is a super way to relax. A
recreational kayak tour on Lake Fontana lets visitors see the mountains from a whole new angle, with the fall colors reflected on the quiet green waters.
All of these
Smoky Mountain vacation packages from a basecamp of a choice of great
Bryson City NC cabin rentals.
Whether visitors are coming to do some
fishing in the Smokies, Smoky Mountain golfing,
whitewater rafting or just to relax in
Bryson City NC cabin rentals, getting to the mountains can be nearly as much fun as being here - at least when drivers find themselves on the
Nantahala Scenic Byway.
For those coming to the Great Smoky Mountains from Chattanooga, TN or North Georgia, the Nantahala Scenic Byway offers 40 beautiful miles to ease the drive.
US Hwy 19/74 winds its way up through the Andrews River Valley to the Nantahala Gorge, following the Valley River and then the Nantahala River in turn. Mountains rise misty in the distance across the valley, then draw close and seem to hug the road as the sides of the Nantahala Gorge rise on either side of the river. Nantahala means, loosely translated, "River of the Mid-Day Sun", because the sun only reaches the heart of the River Gorge when it is directly overhead.
This scenic roadway offers open vistas and close encounters with mountains in only a short drive - well worth the trip! There are numerous pullouts along the road by the Nantahala River, several with picnic tables, where you can enjoy watching the rafters and kayakers paddling by.
On a cool fall night in the Smokies, curl up in front of a fire in one of our
Bryson City NC cabin rentals and reach for a good book. What's a good read for a mountain evening? We have a favorite suggestion.
Ron Rash, professor at Western Carolina University, is the award winning author of 9 books:
The Night The New Jesus Fell to Earth (short stories),
Casualties (short stories),
Eureka Mill (poetry),
Among the Believers (poetry),
Raising the Dead (poetry),
One Foot in Eden (novel),
Saints at the River (novel), and
The World Made Straight (2006) and
Serena (2008).
His family has lived in the Appalachian mountains since the 1700s, and there is a unique taste of the rugged mountain life in his works and his characters are no simple stereotypical constructs, but rather real folks dealing with tough issues, some common to people everywhere, some unique to the mountain region they live in.
Whether here for fishing in the Smokies, smoky mountain golfing or just a relaxing
Carolina mountain vacation, there's nothing like a good book to wind down the day, and Ron Rash won't disappoint.
You never know what is going to happen in the Great Smoky Mountains, and at 2am on October 25, 2009
a rock slide covered Interstate 40 at mile 2.6 near the NC/TN line. The slide is similar to one that hit the same area in July of 1997, closing both lanes of traffic. As with the 1997 slide, I40 will be closed for 3-4 months while the area is cleaned up, the road repaired and the mountainside stabilized.
Luckily there's more than one way around the mountains to our
Smoky Mountain vacation rentals and all the fun happenings in our corner of the world. Whether folks are coming to do some Smoky Mountain golfing, or to look at
Smoky Mountain cabin properties, or to hike around looking at waterfalls, there are many ways to get here without worrying about Interstate 40!
Here are some alternative routes to Bryson City.
FROM VIRGINIA:- OPTION 1, through Asheville: Driving south on Interstate 81, take Interstate 26 (Exit 57A) east to Asheville. At exit 31B, take Interstate 40 west to US 74 (exit 27) – the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway. Follow US 74 past Waynesville and Sylva to Cherokee (exit 74) and Bryson City (exit 67).
- OPTION 2, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Drive south on Interstate 81 until it merges into Interstate 40. Continue WEST on I-40 to TN-66 (exit 407). Drive south to Sevierville where you'll pick up US 441 South. Continue south on US 441 through Gatlinburg and into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on to Cherokee, NC.
From Cherokee, there are two short routes to Bryson City: (1) the two-lane US 19 West, or (2) you can continue south on US 441 to US 74 west. Continue on US 74 to Bryson City (exit 67).
- Note: US 441 through the National Park reaches an elevation of 5000 feet at Newfound Gap. For current updates of weather related road closings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park please call (865) 436-1200. Once you hear a voice, dial extension 631 for road information or extension 630 for a weather forecast. Please be aware that road openings/closings may change throughout the day.
FROM KNOXVILLE, TN:
- OPTION 1, through Maryville and Deals Gap: From Knoxville, take US 129 south through Maryville. Continue south on US 129 through Deals Gap and into North Carolina. Just past the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort , turn left on to NC 28 and continue east (passing Fontana Dam) to US 74. Turn left (east) and follow US 74 to Bryson City (exit 67) and Cherokee (exit 74)
Note: US 129 through Deal's Gap is extremely curvy (318 continuous curves in 11 miles). It's one of the nations most popular motorcycle and sports cars roads. Others may find it too curvy.
- OPTION 2, through Maryville and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: From Knoxville, take US 129 south to US 321 in Maryville. Drive east on US 321 through Townsend, TN. Just east of Townsend, turn right on the E. Lamar Alexander Parkway into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Follow the Little River Road until it merges into US 441. Turn right on US 441 and continue south to Cherokee.
From Cherokee, there are two short routes to Bryson City: (1) the two-lane US 19 West, or (2) you can continue south on US 441 to US 74 west. Continue on US 74 to Bryson City (exit 67).
- OPTION 3, through Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: From Knoxville, take Interstate 40 east to TN-66 (exit 407). Drive south to Sevierville where you'll pick up US 441 South. Continue south on US 441 through Gatlinburg and into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on to Cherokee, NC.
From Cherokee, there are two short routes to Bryson City: (1) the two-lane US 19 West, or (2) you can continue south on US 441 to US 74 west. Continue on US 74 to Bryson City (exit 67).
- Note: US 441 through the National Park reaches an elevation of 5000 feet at Newfound Gap. For current updates of weather related road closings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park please call (865) 436-1200. Once you hear a voice, dial extension 631 for road information or extension 630 for a weather forecast. Please be aware that road openings/closings may change throughout the day.
FROM NASHVILLE, TN:
- OPTION 1, through Chattanooga and the river gorges: From Nashville, take Interstate 26 to Chattanooga. When I-26 ends, south of the city, take Interstate 75 north to US 74 (exit 20) near Cleveland, TN. (This is a loop highway that combines US 74, US 64 and TN 60). Look for signs marking an exit to Ocoee and Murphy, NC). To stay on US 74/64, you will take this exit and continue east past Ocoee Lake, the Ocoee River Gorge, and Murphy, NC. In Murphy, continue east on US 74 through Andrews and the Nantahala River Gorge to Bryson City (exit 67) and Cherokee (exit 74).
- OPTION 2, through Knoxville: From Nashville, take Interstate 40 east to Knoxville and choose one of the three options from Knoxville to Cherokee and Bryson City (Click the Knoxville tab above).
We've got Smoky Mountain golfing, fishing in the Smokies,
Smoky Mountain vacation rentals and now we have Elvis! Okay, so he's not the real Elvis, but he's a mighty cheerful impersonator. Chris Monteith is bringing "The King" to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot for a Halloween concert that we're expecting to rock our little mountain town.
This is one of our favorite things about Bryson City - the weekly
Music in the Mountains concert. Every Friday night at 6:30, some new and fun local music makers gather at the Depot and play their hearts out. We get over to listen any time we can and it's always a great time - not only do we get to hear great music, but we get to meet visitors from all over the country who've stopped to add some mountain tunes to their
Smoky Mountain vacation.
Elvis in Bryson! We're looking forward to this one....
It's here! Fall color has arrived in the Great Smoky Mountains - the peaks around our
Bryson City NC Cabin rentals are just pocked yellow and orange and at lower elevations, we're seeing leaves begin to turn too. The air is full of the fall sounds of rustling leaves in the breeze and the crunch of the fallen leaves underfoot! Mornings are cooler and days are still hot, making for perfect days of golf in the smokies after a good, hot breakfast!
Smoky mountain golfing is in full swing among the colorful peaks with the opening of
Sequoyah National Golf Course in Whittier, NC. This course is brand new and we'll bring you more information on it as it becomes more established! The local course already well known is the
Smoky Mountain Country Club, also in Whittier, NC. Roaming the greens while admiring the display of color onthe mountains...now that's a fantastic Smoky Mountain day!
Fall in the
Great Smoky Mountains means color, color, color. North Carolina does not have the abundance of maples that make New England famous for red fall color, we do have enough sprinklings of those fabulous flaming red trees to make these southern mountains glow. Layer after layer of yellow, orange and red dappled peaks spread into the distance here, and the colors linger from mid October into November, making late season viewing a treat. We are seeing the color now, marching down the mountainsides. Very color.
Whether we're out fishing in the Smokies, or enjoying a round of Smoky Mountain golf, we are admiring the glorious color on our lovely mountains! We're lucky enough that even where we're not out playing, our Smoky Mountain cabin properties - both the house and the office in town - offer us views of the fall extravaganza. What a treat! And lucky for folks visiting us that we also have
Smoky Mountain vacation rentals so they can enjoy the same views we do!
Here's the first guest report on our newest
Yellow Rose Realty vacation rental -
the Golfer's Retreat Condo, located by the Smoky Mountain Country Club just outside of Bryson City, NC:
Our stay here has been more than we could have imagined. The amenities are exemplary. The condo offers privacy, luxury, and a beautiful mountain view. If you are a golfer, mountain lover, or someone who’s looking to relax with all the comforts of home, condo 2 is the place to come. We have spent seven days here and we could not have asked for anything more. The golf course and grounds are simply beautiful. You must visit the pool and Jacuzzi. They are both awesome! The location has allowed us to visit from Gatlinburg to Asheville. With Cherokee being only a few minutes away, we enjoyed many afternoon trips there. Whatever you like to do from whitewater rafting to antique shopping can be done within a reasonable distance from this location. We rented a cabin in 2006 while visiting the mountains. However, we much prefer the condo here at the Smoky Mountain Country Club. Many thanks to the owner and staff at Yellow Rose Realty, who has made our vacation one we will never forget. The Gill Family - Roy, Dana, Brandon and Anna (stayed June ’08 at Golfer’s Retreat Condo)
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