Why Bryson City should be on your radar when you plan your next Smoky Mountain escape

Many travelers to the Smoky Mountains think of Bryson City as the place to go for the popular scenic train rides offered by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. A variety of round-trip excursions depart from the Bryson City depot almost every day of the year. But the town of about 1,600 full-time residents is much more than an adventure train-ride destination. Like an outpost in the wilderness, the North Carolina town is ideally located to serve as a base camp for all sorts of outdoor exploits, rental cabin getaways and more. Local officials market the area as both the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Fly Fishing Capitol of the South for good reason. You only need to travel a few minutes from the town to enjoy almost any type of outdoor recreation typical of Southern forest-filled mountains.

There are plenty of reasons to include Bryson City on your travel itinerary. Here are some fundamental things you should know before visiting, especially if it’s your first time planning a trip to the Carolina side of the Smokies.

You’ll find a lot to like about the Bryson City historic downtown

Many things can compel visitors to consider downtown Bryson City one of the highlights of a trip to the Carolina side of the Smokies. There’s art galleries and antique shops, plus the Farmers & Artisans Market. The Appalachian Rivers Aquarium is in town. Make memories while shopping at places like McClanahan’s, Loose Moose, Uncle Bunky’s, and the Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson Outpost. You’ll almost always see good size crowds at established restaurants like the Everett Street Diner and Pasqualino’s Italian Restaurant, as well as the good number of newer dining, coffee, dessert and brew shops that hope to become well-established. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has its own snack, coffee and gift shop, plus a train museum. The pedestrian-friendly Tuckasegee River bridge makes it easy to enjoy the colorful flowers, buildings and storefronts on both Everett Street and Main Street.

Historic-places enthusiasts will be interested in the c. 1895 Frye-Randolph House and the c. 1908 former Swaim County Courthouse that’s now the visitor center and local museum, and the Presbyterian Church that appears to be between 110 and 140 years old.

A few of the lodging options are found in historic structures. There’s the Fryemont Inn (c. 1923), The Everett in the c. 1908 building that was originally the Bryson City Bank, and the 124-year-old Calhoun House Inn.

Combine it all and you have yourself a charming, walkable downtown with more than its share of nostalgic Americana vibes and streetscapes.

Bryson City makes an excellent basecamp for enjoying epic outdoor activities and some of the Smokies’ best natural wonders

In this region where grandiose mountains and river valleys collide, the possibilities seem limitless for enjoying the outdoors. You’ll find Bryson City sitting just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park boundary. Not only is the national park to its north, the Nantahala National Forest is on the town’s west and south sides and the Qualla Boundary — the 56,600-acre tract of Smoky Mountain land owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee People — is to the east.

Bryson City is one of only five towns with shops, restaurants and hotels located in spots where you can drive directly into America’s most-visited national park. It’s only minutes from both the Deep Creek area and the Fontana area — two of the national park’s 13 named sections — where some of the park’s most popular remote backcountry features are found.

There are three secondary paved national park entrances near Bryson City. They don’t connect to the most-visited places of the park by automobile, but the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s primary south entrance — which does — is only 12 miles away.

A good deal of hardcore backpackers go to Bryson City area to undertake bucket-list hikes. Some of the eastern USA’s most notable long trails can be accessed just minutes from Bryson City including the Appalachian Trail, the Thomas Divide Trail, the Sunkota Ridge Trail and the Noland Divide Trail. Imagine hiking from a campsite just outside of Bryson City at about 2,000 feet above sea level to the top of a mountain found at over 6,000 feet above sea level.

For short hikes, Deep Creek is home to some options including the 2.4 mile Waterfall Loop where you can see Tom Branch Falls, Indian Creek Falls and Juney Whank Falls on one relatively easy hike. A trout fishing hotspot, Deep Creek also features a campground with dozens of RV sites, over 50 free picnic sites, a ranger station, trailheads and a popular summer tubing area. Learn about Deep Creek camping options at recreation.gov.

U.S. Hwy. 19 makes it easy to reach the Nantahala Gorge (shown above), a whitewater hotspot only minutes from downtown Bryson City. Just over 13 miles from the downtown, the Nantahala Outdoor Center is the area’s most-popular whitewater attraction for both serious kayakers and tourists seeking to enjoy the river in multi-person rafts. The NOC is also a stop on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad western route, and the spot where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Nantahala River.

Bryson City is the eastern gateway to Fontana Lake

Fontana Lake isn’t developed like most other large TVA lakes because its northern shores are within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the southern shores are within the Nantahala National Forest. The fishing is good and it has many outstanding spots for enjoying water sports such as kayaking. But with limited road access along the 248 miles of shoreline, the lake has only a few visitors who aren’t drawn there by its middle-of-nowhere appeal. Serious backcountry users like to camp and fish in isolated spots along the shore, or hike into the wilderness. Some primitive campsites on the Bryson City side of the lake can only be reached by boat. Reservations and permits are required for all overnight stays in the national park backcountry. Some of the streams that flow into the lake contain a variety of trout. Smallmouth bass can also be found in a few streams near to the lake.

The Fontana Dam, the tallest dam in the eastern USA, is 32 miles from Bryson City by automobile — only 20 miles by helicopter. Providing power for wartime factories was the priority when construction began on the dam. The first crews began working in the remote river valley less than a month after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The dam started generating electricity just in time to help the Allies win the war.

The Fingerlake Day Use Area, located in the area where Fontana Lake and the Nantahala River meet, is 10 miles from downtown Bryson City. The Fontana Lake Overlook, one of the highlights of the Lakeview Drive portion of the national park, is six miles from the downtown. Lakeside Drive dead ends 8.5 miles from downtown Bryson City at the Road to Nowhere Tunnel parking lot.

The Cherokee Peoples’ capital is a 15 minute drive from Bryson City

You haven’t really been to the Carolina side of the Smokies until you’ve been to one-of-a-kind Cherokee — the biggest city in Swaim County — which is only 10 miles from downtown Bryson City. The home town of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, you’ll find a unique mixture of notable things there including the captivating and easily accessible Oconaluftee River, celebrated Cherokee culture-related attractions, and a Las Vegas-style resort and casino. Plan to have a meal or snack in Cherokee, and spend some time enjoying some nostalgic vibes while shopping for native-American art and souvenirs.

The main southern entrance to the national park is near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum just north of Cherokee. A herd of elk are often seen grazing in the adjacent field or enjoying the shade along the Oconaluftee River Trail.

Other iconic Smoky Mountain experiences are easy to get to from Bryson City

Fontana Lake, Deep Creek, the Nantahala Gorge and Cherokee are just a few of the must-see places in the region. Your Bryson City trip plan should probably also include:

Clingman’s Dome, the highest mountain peak in the national park, 36 miles to the north
Newfound Gap Oconaluftee Overlook, 29 miles
Ben Morton Overlook, 30 miles
Wesser Bald Fire Tower in the Nantahala National Forest, 30 miles
Tsali Recreation Area of the Nantahala National Forest, 14.5 miles
Blue Ridge Parkway southern terminus, 13 miles
Mingus Mill, 14 miles
Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum, 13.5 miles (pictured above)
Maggie Valley, 27 miles

All the above distances are by road.

A broad range of lodging options

The options for lodging near Bryson City are as wide in range as the outdoor recreation options. The variety includes bed & breakfasts and a gated cottage village within walking distance of downtown. I already mentioned the hotels in historic buildings. Imagine anything from 1960s-70s-era nostalgia to rustic to luxurious. There’s creekside, lakefront and ridge-top cabins. Would you like a porch overlooking a trout stream, downtown Bryson City or a long-range mountain view? How about one of those campsites within walking distance of a national park trail?

Sources & resources

Swain County Tourism Development Authority

Swain County NC Chamber of Commerce

National Park Service Great Smoky Mountains National Park page

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Many visitors to Bryson City use a vacation concierge, outfitter or adventure guide service. Imagine a guided hike, mountain bike rides or shuttle service that will take you to the trailheads or scenic vista. See the links above for information about those type of services plus ATV/UTV and roadster rentals.