[Updated November 7, 2025] You can’t swing a stick in Western NC without hitting a wonderful place to celebrate Christmas. But you’d be hard-pressed to find one more splendid than Bryson City NC! This little town in the Great Smoky Mountains has it all– great restaurants and shopping, weekly holiday events, and even the beloved … Read more
We’ve visited more than 50 towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains over the last 4 years, staying in some truly exceptional cabin rentals, hotels, and resorts. But Lakeview at Fontana Soaking Cabana Resort, which is located about 7 miles southwest of Bryson City and overlooks Lake Fontana, was like no other place we’ve stayed. This Smoky … Read more
[Updated October 28, 2025] In 2022, my wife Mary decided to make her 80-year-old dad’s longtime dream of spending Christmas in Asheville NC come true. She planned a terrific trip that included two “bucket list” items– the Biltmore Estate Christmas Candlelight Tour and the Polar Express Christmas Train Ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad … Read more
[Updated December 2, 2024] There’s nothing quite like celebrating the holiday season in a magical place, and many small mountain towns offer special NC Christmas Events. From parades and shopping to dazzling Christmas lights and meetings with Santa, these Blue Ridge Mountain Towns are the perfect place to celebrate and get into the holiday spirit. … Read more
[Updated October 28, 2025] Bryson City is surrounded by Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the north, Fontana Lake to the west, Cherokee NC to the east, and the Nantahala National Forest to the south. So even a shortlist of the best things to do in Bryson City NC could include dozens of exciting activities … Read more
[Updated February 11, 2023] Compared to burgeoning mountain towns like Asheville NC and Roanoke VA, Bryson City is a fairly small town encompassing just 2.3 square miles, with a population of around 1800 people. But the town, which is known as “the Gateway to the Great Smokies,” offers an exceptional array of things to do, … Read more
From a visitor’s standpoint, Bryson City is the ideal of what Western NC small towns can be: It’s walkable, wild, and packed with a mixture of wonder and whimsy. The town is perched on the southern boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a few miles from Lake Fontana, and just as near to Nantahala National Forest. … Read more
When we started the Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide in 2019, we had two major goals in mind. The first was to explore the countless Blue Ridge Mountain towns in-depth, and share all our favorite things we experienced while rediscovering the simple pleasures of small town Americana. The second was to find our future home in the … Read more
Bryson City is a charming little mountain town that’s packed full of outdoor adventure. To the north, you’ll find Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with ever-popular attractions such as Mingus Mill, Deep Creek waterfalls, the Road to Nowhere, Newfound Gap, and Clingman’s Dome. To the west is Fontana Lake, to the east is Cherokee NC, and the … Read more
Spanning more than half a million acres, Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. Averaging over 14 million visitors a year, GSMNP is the most visited of all the US National Parks. The park was commissioned by the US Congress in 1934, and officially dedicated in 1940 by President … Read more
