One Year After Hurricane Helene – The Great Smoky Mountains
Next month will mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s unforgettable impact across the Smoky Mountains. Recovery continues in the hardest-hit areas, but destinations in the Smokies region are open and enthusiastically welcoming visitors. Roads and trails are open, businesses are bustling, and autumn is arriving in all its richness. This season is vibrant, […]
John C. Campbell Folk School celebrates 100th Anniversary
John C. Campbell Folk School celebrates 100th Anniversary with a fall festival October 4-5th. Expect exhibitors, storytelling, artists showcase, and projects highlighting the impact.
Travel in the Smoky Mountains After Helene
Here at Visit Smokies, our hearts go out to all of the mountain communities devastated by the severe flooding and strong winds caused by Tropical Storm Helene. We are incredibly grateful for the first responders and volunteers who are working tirelessly to support these communities. Their efforts, alongside the resilience of the people in these […]
Free Things To Do in the Smokies for the Budget-Minded Traveler – Part 2
Bryson City Edition This is part two of a five part series that will help stretch those vacation dollars a little further by exploring free things to do in the Smokies of North Carolina. Part one – Waynesville, Maggie Valley, and Sylva Edition Part two – Bryson City Edition Part three – Franklin & Highlands […]
Museum of the Cherokee People – A New Vision
Cherokee is known for many things – its many lakes, rivers, streams, fishing and beautiful mountains, and in more recent years, its casino. It’s also home of the Museum of the Cherokee People, formerly known as The Museum of the Cherokee Indian until a recent rebranding to align more authentically with the Cherokee, as people. […]
Free Things To Do in the Smokies for the Budget-Minded Traveler – Part 1
Waynesville, Maggie Valley, and Sylva Edition This is part one of a five part series that will help stretch those vacation dollars a little further by exploring free things to do in the Smokies of North Carolina. Part one – Waynesville, Maggie Valley, and Sylva Edition Part two – Bryson City Edition Part three – […]
Rolling The Dice In A Smoky Mountain Paradise
Explore not just one casino, but two, here in these Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina.
Heads Up: New Parking Fee at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A new “Park It Forward” program has been implemented for visitors wishing to park within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). As of March 1, 2023, parking tags are being sold for $5 per day, $15 per week, or $40 per year per car. Passes are for sale online at Recreation.gov or Smokiesinformation.org for […]
Big Music Fun in a Little Bitty Town
The tiny village of Brasstown and town of Hayesville near the Georgia border are a hotbed of traditional mountain music in the Smokies. John C. Campbell Folk School Friday night concerts are popular with both locals and visitors. Want to learn more about this very American kind of music? Learn to play an instrument, dance, or explore […]
Be Amazed by This 43-mile National Scenic Byway
The Cherohala Skyway is a 43-mile National Scenic Byway and National Forest Scenic Byway that connects Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina in the southeastern United States. Deep in the wilds of western North Carolina, and about 11 miles west of Robbinsville, can be found Snowbird Mountain Lodge. A place where time stands still, […]