Surrounded by gorges, waterfalls, and hiking trails, the Franklin area is the perfect place for a spring escape.
The Seasons in Highlands: Winter
Walk beneath a waterfall, ice-skate on Main Street, and go snow-tubing on Scaly Mountain during a winter trip to Highlands.
A Blue Ridge Mountains Vacation Spot Where You Can Visit the Bison
Those in search of Western-style adventures don’t have to look far: On a family ranch in Haywood County, guests can watch bison roam the mountainside from cozy log cabins and converted train cabooses.
UPDATED: The Leaf-Peeper’s Guide to the North Carolina Mountains
Western North Carolina is at its most stunning when autumn arrives and the leaves burst into color. Before you head out leaf-peeping this fall, check in weekly to see what colors our experts are seeing at 22 of our favorite mountain spots.
Paradise at 4,500 Feet
High on Toxaway Mountain, one of the state’s best-kept secrets unfolds like a fairytale. Southern Highlands Reserve is a native plant arboretum, a research center, a living laboratory. Most of all, it’s a place of unparalleled beauty.
The Town that Backpacks Built
Muddy boots are a welcome sight in this postcard-perfect spot in the Smokies. Whether you hike in on the Appalachian Trail or drive in for a weekend visit, Hot Springs offers every traveler a special kind of trail magic.
A Most Hospitable Spot: Engadine Inn and Cabins
At this stately spot in Candler, there’s only one set of rules that really matters: Relax. Recharge. Enjoy.
Downtown: Gastonia
This rapidly growing city is attracting new fans, who are weaving together past and present in former mills and old theaters.
A Perfect Winter Weekend in Beech Mountain
The highest town east of the Rockies draws some 10,000 people during the winter months — to ski, snowboard, snowshoe, sled, tube, and cap it all off with a beer in a bar in the sky.
