For the runners, it's 4.8 miles for the complete track. If you shorten it by using the bridge,…read moreshave 1.5 miles off. Long walk does parallel traffic for .25mi, be aware. Swans and geese abound, and beautifully surrounded by mountains, as well as a few lovely homes. There are plenty of fishing and launching spots. And a crepe and custard shoppe - when you're not there for exercise. All around peaceful and pleasant place to run/walk/visit. Highly recommend!

This place is small but it has alot to choose from. We had a wonderful time at the lake kayaking,…read moreswimming at the pool and playing minigolf. We were killing time while waiting for a room. It was a really hot day. It also has some small shops, a church and a crepe place. The scenery is amazing.

This has been our favourite walk forever. Do not let the couple of bad characters hinder you from…read morethis beautiful hike, because getting to the top is its own reward with sheer beauty. This property was donated to the state park and open to all. Very clean and well-kept trails, dog friendly, and a nice place to rest and relax, including restrooms at the science centre.

I discovered this place through my daughter. She has gone here twice- once through her middle…read moreschool, and once through a local camp. She raved about it, and we finally got a chance to check it out. So happy we did! Purchase Knob was generously donated by the McNeil-Gilmore family to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is 535 acres of land that rises ultimately to 5,086 feet at the knob. In the meadow below the knob, at 4,850 feet, there are two buildings housing offices, a lab, a classroom for fifty students, and housing for up to eight scientists. Views are 180 degrees. You can hit the Cataloochee Divide Trail here, too. A refurbished cabin originally from the 1870s is nearby, which I will get to in a bit. When you get to the park, you will be blocked by a gate with a sign to the left identifying the park. It is open once in a while for scheduled visits/field trip students. It is easy to get your vehicle locked within the park. (People cannot get locked in.) Park your car on the sides of the road. Just walk around the gate if it is locked. Bring water, and a jacket in the spring or fall. The 2.5 mile round trip trail is basically a wide, dirt road that will eventually lead up to the main buildings. It is well maintained. When you get a glimpse of the building at the top, you will also see a grass trail leading upwards. I would take that trail. It is a shortcut. If you like to walk, just keep going, and the road will eventually lead to the building as well. On the way up, you will see many types of wildflowers. We heard (up) and spotted a hawk (down). I got a photo of nightshade, all the while with my body centimeters from a hidden cliff edge. Be careful on grassy edges! The open areas and tree-filled areas were of equal beauty. In early September I saw purples, greens, grays, and yellows, all framed by a clear blue sky graced by fluffy clouds. Your soul will take this in, and it will hold on to it. When we got to the top, we relaxed. We did not go to the knob proper. We used the very clean bathrooms, and laid down in the field right in front of the buildings. There is a water fountain. You are allowed on the deck, but not in the buildings unless you are with a scheduled group. There are picnic tables grouped close together, and bear-proof trashcans and recycling bins. You can check out the outside of the weather station that is a bit away. I would not traipse around the adjacent fields. I saw tagged plants and left that area so that we would not screw up any data. If you decide to go to the actual knob, you have to blaze your own trail. As of two days ago, the footbridge leading to Cataloochee was out. There is a sign warning of that; be careful crossing creeks. Anyway, that trail is easy to find; just look for signs. Check out the bulletin board for lists of the types of birds and butterflies that you can see there. I saw (possibly) a Cloudless skipper. It was fluorescent yellow! My first. To get down to the restored Ferguson cabin, just leave via the "grass carpet" trail. Make an obvious right and hitch your horse, or kids. This right will lead you to the cabin. The Fergusons were the first farmers to have an elevated farm. Their apples are still there. Do not pick anything. Do not get in the boar trap. Do not get near bears. Do not bother the cow spirits. Call to make sure horses are indeed still allowed. Bears and boars can hurt you. We leave all snacks in the car. You never know. Call the general number to see if bear activity is intense before going to this park. Middle school and up teachers, call this number to schedule a visit: 828-926-6251. This park welcomes wimpy and tough hikers mid-March through November. Call if you have a desire to hike in the deep winter. Remember to check out the Purchase Knob WebCam online for weather and views. To get to this park, take Exit 20, stay on 276 South for five miles. Get on Hemphill Road and stay on Hemphill Road for four miles. This review is dedicated to my daughter Sophie, a quick, beautiful trailblazer.

What an amazing campground!!! We've always came and stayed overnight but we got to stay longer this…read moretime and have resolved to make this a frequent visit for more than one night. The staff is absolutely amazing, the campground is well maintained and we absolutely love this hidden jewel!!! I can't recommend it more.

This was a stopping point whilst bringing our brand new Airstream home and it is a gorgeous spot of…read morewoods with a stream outside your window, Canadian geese paddling in the water, mountain views, and nothing but the sound of wind through the trees. The staff are welcoming and gracious and went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. Dog walking parks and potty stations throughout, and full hookups for your glamping experience. Definitely keeping this spot as a go-to.

Gateway to the Great Smokey Mountains! This is such a cool…read moretown- it was incorporated in 1871, and covers about seven square miles. It's an artistic town, with a great downtown walking district, with lots of cool shops, artsy stores, and neat-o furniture shops. My favorite thing about this town is the public works of art they have around town. The unofficial mascot of the town is the frog, and they've got cool sculptures and murals dedicated to the amphibian that hangs out in their river. Walking down the main street and doing some window shopping was certainly worth while! Off the main road, you can find lots of arts/crafts stores and nice restaurants. The people here seem friendly- it's a relaxed town with lots of scenic mountains to take in. It's located between Maggie Valley and Asheville, so it's in a pretty western part of North Carolina.

This was the cute little town our cabin was located when we went on vacation a couple of weeks ago…read more We were out and about so much we didn't have time to explore as much as we would have liked. We were in the great smoky mountains national park, traveling between Tennessee and North Carolina. The town is beautiful, just outside of Maggie Valley, NC. We spent most of the time grocery shopping in town. We had a great time and definitely would like to visit this beautiful, little NC town again.

Along US Highway 19 at a small park that is next to a small tributary to the larger river, this…read moremarker points out someone who helped put Maggie Valley and Buncombe County on the map. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Felix Walker. Revolutionary officer, member Congress, 1817-23, where, in "talking for Buncombe" (County), he gave new meaning to the word. Home was 1/2 mi. N." There is more detail in the online essay. "'Bunk,' part of the American lexicon, has its origins in the oratory skills (or lack thereof) of a nineteenth-century Congressman from Buncombe County. Felix Walker was born in 1753 in Hampshire County, Virginia, which is now part of West Virginia. He moved with his father in 1768 to what is now Rutherford County, North Carolina. In 1769 he was employed as a merchant's clerk in South Carolina, before joining the Boonesboro, Kentucky settlement with Daniel Boone and others. "Walker was a North Carolina militiaman and took part in the Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1779. After his war experience, he was a clerk in the Rutherford County Court from 1779 to 1787. He served four terms in the State House. For most of his life he was primarily a farmer. "Walker was elected as a Republican to the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Congresses, serving from 1817 to 1823. There he gained a reputation for 'speaking for Buncombe.' At that time old Buncombe County (with its seat at Asheville) was larger than its present size and comprised the core of Walker's Congressional district. Walker's reputation, by association with the phrase was both credited, that is, he competently represented his constituents, and discredited, that is, his thoughts were dismissed as 'bunk.' Walker moved to Mississippi in 1824 where he became an agricultural trader, and lived there until his death in 1828. "H. L. Mencken, the sage of Baltimore and a connoisseur of the American language, entitled one of his books A Carnival of Buncombe." This is marker number P-26 and it was erected by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. There is parking and a public restroom in the adjacent park. [Review 1164 of 2024 - 3654 in North Carolina - 22187 overall]

A very nice stop along the parkway with a good southeastern view…read more The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 470-mile-long roadway that meanders through the mountains and connects the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The parkway boasts about 170 official stops along the path. This site is one of these many stops. This is between the Waterrock Knob stop and Fork Ridge overlook. This particular stop shares a fair amount of similarities with the Fork Ridge Overlook. It has the same southwestern view. It is a pull-off on the same side of the road. It has a broad view with very little obstruction. It does not have any restrooms or picnic tables or trails but has a wonderful view of several mountain ranges and valleys that run off to the south of the location. This stop also shares the same view as the one that can be seen from Waterrock Knob at a higher elevation so if you went there, you may want to skip this stop. If you have not been to that Waterrock Knob, then you may want to stop there next. Overall, it is a nice stop with a southwestern view. Enjoy.