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Bryson City is 81 miles, 1.5 hours west of Hendersonville. It is home to the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. Also at Bryson City there are many activities from fishing, water sports, or motor cycling on the mountain roads which are curvy and scenic.

You can take an old fashion train ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad through the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. The excursion departs from Bryson City and travels 44 miles to the scenic Nantahala Rive Gorge. The round trip ride takes 4.5 hours. The train crosses Fontana Lake on a 100 foot high Trestle Bridge that spans almost 800 feet across the lake and enters the scenic Nantahala Gorge. There is a 1 hour stop at the Nantahala River Center where you can have lunch and watch the exciting whitewater rafting activities on the Nantahala River. For more information visit Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Bryson City is located near the Native American Cherokee Indian Reservation where you can explore the museum, Indian Village, culture and crafts.

 

Fontana Dam is about 3 miles from Fontana Village.  It is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River in Western North Carolina. The dam was built in the 1940s. Fontana is the tallest dam at 480 feet high in the Eastern United States. The dam impounds the 10,230-acre Fontana Lake. The Appalachian Trail crosses the top of the dam. While visiting Fontana Village  and Fontana Dam don't forget to take a drive along the Cherohala Skyway and also the Tail of the Dragon.

Cherohala Skyway is a beautiful drive which connects Tellico Plains, Tennessee, with Robbinsville, North Carolina, and is about 40+ miles long. There are places for a picnic and many places to pull off and enjoy the views.

Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap is located at the state line of Tennessee and North Carolina. With its 318 curves in 11 miles, it is America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. This is a very special and unique highway. There are no intersecting roads, no houses with driveways and no businesses. Each and every curve is different.

(800) 849-2258

Fontana Village Resort is 111 miles, 2 hours, west of Hendersonville. It is a year-round vacation village nestled in the Nantahala National Forest not far from The Tail of the Dragon in Deals Gap.

Fontana Village Resort is a small quaint village resort set in the Nantahala Forest of Western North Carolina.

At Fontana Village there is a General Store, Soda Fountain and two swimming pools.The Village has a wide range of accommodations, including rooms in the intimate settings of The Lodge, suites, cabins and RV & tent camping along the shores of the Little Tennessee River. There are restaurants, a well stocked general store, miles of on-site trails suitable for biking and hiking. It is also a stopping place for AT hikers to restock their supplies.

Nantahala Outdoor Center is 48 miles, 50 minutes west of Hendersonville. Nantahalla Outdoor Center offers many activities from whitewater rafting, kayak and canoe trips, as well mountain biking, hiking, and fishing and other activies.

Nantahala Outdoor Center is a great place for whitewater rafting, kayak and canoe trips, as well as mountain biking, hiking, climbing and fishing. Enjoy whitewater rafting down the Ocoee River.

At Nantahala Outdoor Center you can learn to whitewater paddle from the pros in the canoe and kayak Paddling School. They also offer adventure-learning programs for groups of all types, ropes course climbing, ziplines, flat water lake kayaking and hiking. For more information visit Nantahala Outdoor Center.