Located near the northern shores of Lake Chatuge, just 10 miles north of Hiawassee GA, Hayesville NC is a tiny North Carolina mountain town with a population of less than 500 people.
With the Hiwassee River cutting through the town’s eastern edge, this area has long been settled by indigenous people. The South Appalachian Mississippian culture built an earthen platform mound here around 1,000 CE/AD.
Cherokee people later built a town known as Quanassee on top of the mound, and had several hundred inhabitants living there by 1550.
It was located along the Trading Path (a.k.a. the “Unicoi Turnpike“), which led west to what is now Murphy NC, then through the Unicoi Gap to Great Tellico (now known as Tellico Plains TN).
Seven years after the Georgia gold rush led to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Tennessee militia established Fort Hembree near Hayesville to imprison 1,000+ Cherokee people before sending them on the tragic Trail of Tears.
The Spikebuck Town Mound & Village Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and today the town has more Cherokee landmarks than any town we’ve visited outside the Qualla Boundary.
Read on for our in-depth guide to the 10 Best Things to Do in Hayesville NC, including all the best restaurants, breweries, museums, trails, and other attractions.
READ MORE: The 25 Best Small Towns in North Carolina to Visit
Places to Stay in/near Hayesville NC
- Hidden Escape Chalet w/ Stunning Views (3 bd home w/ hot tub & game room, no pets)
Things to Do in Hayesville NC Guide
- Boating on Lake Chatuge
- Cherokee Cultural Center at Moss Memorial Library
- Get Crafty at the John C. Campbell Folk School
- Explore Downtown Hayesville
- Jackrabbit Mountain Recreation Area
- Sample Hayesville Restaurants
- Sip at Local Breweries
- Spend a Day in Hiawassee GA
- Walk the Quanassee Path
- Visit the Clay County Historical & Arts Museum (a.k.a. Old Jail Museum)
READ MORE: The Top 20 Fall Festivals in the North Carolina Mountains
1. Boating on Lake Chatuge
Mary and I both love lakes, so much so that we recently bought a small houseboat on one of our favorite lakes in North Georgia. In our opinion, Lake Chatuge is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Blue Ridge Mountains!
From swimming and fishing to hiking and kayaking, there are loads of ways to explore it. But renting a pontoon boat from Margarita Jack’s Marina was easily our favorite.
Located on the lake’s northeast quadrant, the marina offers proximity to the Chatuge Dam and Clay County Park, plus an unnamed island where we had a fantastic time beaching the boat on my birthday.
Pontoon boat rentals start at $350 for a 4-hour rental, but they also have 8-hour and multi-day rentals available.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Lakes in North Carolina
2. Cherokee Cultural Center at Moss Memorial Library
If you have any interest in Cherokee Culture & History, this small collection of exhibits at the Moss Memorial Library (just north of the Hayesville town square) has some great info.
I was immediately moved by it for personal reasons: my daughter’s first babysitter was the eldest daughter of Diamond Brown, the beloved Cherokee tribal leader depicted on the Cherokee Cultural Center sign!
Exhibits at the library include Cherokee basketry, musical instruments, wood carvings, and sports.
They also have a cool display about Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee syllabary, which enabled reading and writing in the Cherokee language and helped to unify their forcibly divided nation in the early 1800s.
READ MORE: Visiting the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee NC
3. Get Crafty at the John C. Campbell Folk School
Located 12 miles west of Hayesville near Brasstown NC, the John C. Campbell Folk School is the oldest and largest folk school in the USA, offering year-round classes in 50+ different subject areas.
Established in 1925, the school’s campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic District in 1983. The 300-acre property has 19 buildings that date back 90 to 100+ years.
Attracting more than 100,000 students and visitors each year, the school offers an extensive array of week-long and weekend classes, including blacksmithing, cooking, dance, gardening, nature studies, photography & writing.
The campus also features an Appalachian craft shop, cafeteria, campgrounds, history museum, nature trails, and lodging, and often hosts concerts and community dances.
READ MORE: Visiting the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center (Asheville NC)
4. Explore Downtown Hayesville
Designated as a North Carolina Small Town Main Street Community, Hayesville was a Top 5 Finalist for Readers Digest‘s “Nicest Place in America.”
Downtown Hayesville is small, centered around the Historic Clay County Courthouse. But despite its diminutive size, the town square is dripping with homespun charm.
You’ll find some great restaurants (more on that later) and shops, including Lazy Llama Home Design, Molly & Me Antiques, Tiger’s Store and Chinquapin’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar, and the Friends of the Library Bookstore.
There’s also the Corner Coffee & Wine Shop, Historic Hayesville, Inc. Centennial Exhibit, and the Peacock Performing Arts Center, which offers live music and theatrical productions.
READ MORE: Exploring Downtown Blowing Rock NC: Restaurants, Shopping & More
5. Jackrabbit Mountain Recreation Area
Located 10 miles from Downtown Hayesville on the eastern shores of Lake Chatuge, the Jackrabbit Mountain Recreation Area is a great place for swimming, picnicking, mountain biking and hiking trails.
Camping is available on 3 loops with 92 wooded sites, several of which are available on a first come, first served basis. There are sites large enough to accommodate RVs, but there are no water or electric hook-ups.
These campgrounds have a large picnic pavilion for groups, and each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring and lantern post. They also have drinking water, flush toilets, and hot showers for campers.
The popular Recreation Area also features a designated swimming area and sandy beach surrounded by picnic tables, a 15-mile stacked-loop system for mountain biking, and easy hiking on the 2.4-mile Jackrabbit Mountain Trail.
READ MORE: The 20 Best NC Swimming Holes for Summer
6. Sample Hayesville Restaurants
Despite the town’s small size, there’s an impressive array of good restaurants in Hayesville NC, most of which are located on the historic square.
The Copper Door is the top-rated place, offering upscale steaks & seafood in a warm, romantic atmosphere. We also loved The Crown in nearby Brasstown NC, which offers farm-to-table foodie fare and live music.
Laughing Waters is easily the best place to get breakfast, while Angelo’s Downtown Pizza and Añejo Grill offer better-than-average Italian and Mexican dishes.
Smoke & Sass offers an intriguing menu, with Southern-style BBQ and Asian Poke, while JoJo’s Cookie Boutique & Bake Shop is a great place to indulge your sweet tooth!
READ MORE: The 20 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Restaurants in VA & NC
7. Sip at Local Breweries
It’s impressive to have two breweries in a town that only covers 0.64 sq miles, but Western North Carolina CLEARLY loves locally-brewed beer.
Laughing Dogs Brewing was actually our first stop on our way to Hayesville from Atlanta, and coincidentally is owned by former Atlanta resident who– surprise!– really love dogs.
They have a spacious outdoor patio, tasty food available from the Smoke & Sass Food Truck, and an assortment of regular and seasonal ales, pilsners, porters, and IPAs.
Nocturnal Brewing Company boasts a great downtown location and an impressive array of craft beers and cocktails, as well as a food menu that includes pizzas, burgers, wings, sandwiches, and more.
READ MORE: The 12 Best Brevard Breweries and Cideries to Visit
8. Spend a Day in Hiawassee GA
One of our favorite North Georgia mountain towns, Hiawassee is just 10 miles south of Hayesville and makes for a great day trip full of excellent outdoor adventures.
Located on the southern shores of Lake Chatuge, this picturesque town offers 100+ miles of shoreline, fishing and kayaking on the Hiwassee River, and numerous beautiful waterfalls.
Major attractions in the area include Brasstown Bald (the tallest mountain in GA at 4,784 feet), the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, and Hamilton Gardens (a haven for anyone who loves native Georgia wildflowers).
Also, don’t miss the 18-acre Bell Mountain Park & Historic Site. Located at 3,424 feet, with a parking lot near the top of the summit, it offers sensational, far-reaching views of the lake and town.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Hiawassee GA & Young Harris GA
9. Walk the Quanassee Path
Named for the historic Cherokee town that was located north of Hayesville on the bank of the Hiwassee River, the Quanassee Path is a 2-mile walking trail that links several Cherokee sites.
The Clay County Museum and the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit are located in Downtown Hayesville, just south of the square, while the Cherokee Cultural Center is in the library just north of the square.
Spikebuck Mound (where the town of Quanassee was built) is located in the back on the north side of Clay County Recreation Park. There are numerous interpretive signs along the path and at the Homestead Exhibit.
It’s a great way to learn more about the Cherokee people and North Carolina history, as well as a gentle, easy path for walkers and runners.
READ MORE: The Moon Eyed People & Other Cherokee Legends
10. Visit the Clay County Historical & Arts Museum
This Hayesville museum’s mission is “sponsor and encourage educational activities in Clay County Schools… with particular emphasis on the historical and cultural heritage, and visual, performing and literary arts.”
It’s also known as the Old Jail Museum, due to the fact that the building was formerly home to the Clay County Jail, and still has a cell upstairs that makes for a perfect photo opp!
I enjoyed a private tour with Museum Docent/Historical Interpreter Molly Seaver, whose family has lived in the Hayesville area since before the Civil War.
It’s a fantastic way to learn about the history of the area, with excellent exhibits on African American, Appalachian, and Native American history and culture. –by Bret Love; all photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett
