98 steps. Not 100. I don't know why they missed this opportunity for a round number but I counted…read morethem going up and coming back down, getting the same. 98 steps. However, you can drive to the top where there is parking. If you do that, you'll miss the Jackson County Confederate Memorial that is midway on the stairs. The Historical Jackson County Courthouse is a 1913 Classical Revival structure that towers on a hill above and at the end of Sylva's main street. It has served here until 1994 when the new Justice Center opened a couple of miles away. It sat unused for several years until it was refreshed and restored, reopening in 2011 as the Jackson County Public Library complex that includes the Jackson County Historical Association, the Genealogical Society, and the Arts Council. Two stories and constructed of painted brick, it has a monumental portico at the front with large classical columns and is topped with a three-stage cupola above the central block. If you've been to Marshall NC, it does look a lot like the Madison County Courthouse. [Review 531 of 2026 - 4626 in North Carolina - 25713 overall]

All those stairs!!!! They just call to be climbed!! It's a 55 ft elevation gain…read more It's very pretty from the bottom and from the top of the stairs. Take a moment to notice the Mountain View's. It's just lovely. Don't want to climb those stairs? Don't worry you can get to the Library and Courthouse by car.

The Jackson County Public Library sits inside the old courthouse at the top of the hill, and the…read moresetting alone makes it worth the visit. You can climb the 98 steps if you want the full Sylva experience but it is absolutely driveable and there is a proper parking lot right beside the building, which makes your visit a lot easier. Once inside, the space feels bright and open, with the kind of modern layout that still respects the bones of the historic structure. The windows give the place a calm, airy feel, and a few of the seating areas look out over the city of Sylva that makes you want to linger a little longer. There is plenty of room to spread out, racks of books arranged neatly and a mix of quiet corners and open tables depending on what you need. I was only here briefly and did not have a chance to test the wifi, but everything else about the library suggested a well maintained and thoughtfully run library. It is the kind of place that blends history and everyday usefulness without trying too hard, and it fills like a natural fit for the old historic courthouse rather than a forced reuse of the space. [Review 532 of 2026 - 4627 in North Carolina - 25714 overall]

Visiting from the city & needed to work on my laptop. What a great library! Take the elevator to…read morethe second floor . There were also plugs on the table which made it easy to charge devices.

The Granny Squirrel Covered Bridge has a name that sounds like it wandered out of a tall tale and…read morehonestly that might be the most dramatic thing about it because despite the folksy title, it isn't really a bridge at all. It's more like a short decorative walkway tucked into the roadside with a roof that gives it the vibe of a covered bridge without actually carrying anything over water. But the quirky name and the quiet little setting make it one of those stops that's fun precisely because it feels a bit odd and a bit charming at the same time. [Round number review 25700 overall - 518 of 2026 - 4613 in North Carolina]

This marker sits just off US-19, right across the river from Bryson City, with a handy parking lot…read moreadjacent that makes it an easy pull-off. It highlights Horace Kephart, the writer, naturalist and librarian whose book "Out Southern Highlands" became one of the defining works about life in the Appalachian Mountains. The marker also notes that a nearby peak, Mount Kephart, was named in his honor. If you're passing through, it's a quick and worthwhile stop. The setting is quiet, the river is right there and the marker gives you a snapshot of a man who helped shape both the literature and the preservation of the Smokies. It is marker number Q-41 and it was erected in 1951 by the Archives Conservation and Highway Departments. [Review 521 of 2026 - 4616 in North Carolina - 25703 overall]

Just a block from the Historic Swain County Courthouse (now the Heritage museum), this marker…read morepoints out some Civil War history that took place nearby. The marker reads, "Site of Union attack on Thomas's Legion, Feb. 2, 1864. Reduced Cherokee support for Confederacy. One mile northeast." and it is marker Q-8. It was erected in 2010 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Brigadier General Robeert Vance's brief 1864 raid into Gatlinburg collapsed when Union cavalry scattered his force, leaving Colonel William Holland Thomas and his small Cherokee detachment to retreat into North Carolina. Union troops caught Thomas at Deep Creek on February 2, overrunning the camp and capturing thirty-two men, including eighteen Cherokees who later took the Union oath, and in some cases, enlisted in the 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry. A second raid soon captured thirty-three more of Thomas's Cherokees, who were courted by Union authorities and likewise switched allegiance. The Deep Creek defeat, combined with hunger, inflation, internal tensions, and continued Union raids, shattered Cherokee support for Thomas and accelerated desertion from the Confederate cause. [Review 528 of 2026 - 4623 in North Carolina - 25710 overall]

Located along US-23/US-441, this marker points out the Colonial expedition against the local Native…read moreAmericans. The marker reads, "The expedition led by Gen. Griffith Rutherford against the Cherokee, Sept., 1776, passed nearby along Savannah Creek." Online, there is more information. " By 1770 North Carolina's settlements were encroaching on previously designated Indian tribal lands. The Indians in the North Carolina mountains were primarily farmers who raised some livestock, hunted for game, and traded with white men for the most other supplies. Therefore the Native Americans were both threatened by the white men, but dependent on them, as well." "In May 1776 the Cherokee demanded the withdrawal of settlers from the western settlements within twenty days. Knowing that the demand would not be met, the Indians made plans for an attack. By late July the Cherokee had attacked various settlements along the North Carolina frontier, killing thirty-seven inhabitants. Citizens of the backcountry were alarmed." "Griffith Rutherford, brigadier general of the Salisbury District militia, called for volunteers to conduct an expedition against the Cherokee. With militia reporting from several western counties, Rutherford gathered about 2,500 men and enough supplies for forty days afield. From Davidson's Fort (Old Fort) Rutherford and his men set out on September 1, 1776. They headed through the Swanannoa Gap, towards the Cherokee Valley Towns. The Indians, having gotten word of the expedition, abandoned many of their settlements. Rutherford's men burned whatever was left behind." [Review 21134 overall - 3514 in North Carolina - 97 of 2024.]

The current courthouse serving Swain County is a one story brown colored brick and concrete…read morestructures that is in a "V" shape with the entrance in the center with glass panels above that makes the emphasis of the facade more about horizontal than the more vertical proportions of the historic 1908 courthouse it replaced. The roof is hipped with orange tiles. Completed in 1982, it is a rather utilitarian design, typical of rural Appalachian counties during that era. It is definitely more efficient than ornamentation. The county was formed in 1781 from parts of Jackson and Macon Counties. It is named for David Lowry Swain (1801-1868), Governor of North Carolina and later president of the University of North Carolina. There is definitely plenty of parking, especially so on the weekend. Definitely check out the extensive veteran's memorial that forms much of the front entrance area. [Review 522 of 2026 - 4617 in North Carolina - 25704 overall]

This marker is on the corner near the Graham County Courthouse and points out the brief history of…read morea Native American who became one of the most remembered Cherokee figures in the region. The sign summarizes Junaluska as a Cherokee warrior who fought for the United States during the Creek War in 1814. It notes that the state granted him both citizenship and land in 1847, and that his grave lies about one mile southwest of the courthouse. Standing there at the intersection of North Main Street and East Main Street in Robbinsville, the marker anchors Junaluska's story to the landscape where he spent his final years. His life threads through the Cherokee homeland, the violence of the Creek War, and the upheaval of Removal, before returning to the Cheoah valley near present-day Robbinsville. While legend often expands his story, the marker keeps to the verifiable record: a respected Cherokee leader, a documented participant in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, and a man whose later years were tied to the land North Carolina granted him. It is marker number Q-2 and it was erected in 2008 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 520 of 2026 - 4615 in North Carolina - 25702 overall]