BILTMORE ESTATE (www.biltmore.com)

 George Vanderbilt created Biltmore Estate in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains more than a century ago as a retreat for family and friends; a place to rediscover gracious hospitality and revel in nature’s beauty. Biltmore Estate is open 8:30 A.M.–5:00 P.M. seven days a week (opens at 9:00 A.M. January–March). The only days the estate is closed are Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.  The Biltmore Estate is located in Asheville, NC.  Land of Living Water is a short drive from Asheville, NC.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN RAILWAY (www.gsmr.com) 

 With the romance and mystique of an era gone by, guests on board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad will enjoy year-round scenic train journeys across fertile valleys, through tunnels and across river gorges in a spectacular region of eastern America called the Great Smoky Mountains. This section of western North Carolina offers a wide array of ever-changing vegetation and fantastic landscapes. 

CHEROKEE INDIAN NATION  (www.cherokee-nc.com)

UNTO THESE HILLS OUTDOOR DRAMA AT MOUNTAINSIDE THEATRE

You can feel an ever so slight chill run up your spine. But it is not from the mountain winds shifting their direction in anticipation of the coming dusk, it is from your anticipation of the coming drama. It is a feeling millions before you have felt as the lights dim and you are transported back to the beginning of time, through the pageantry of one of the longest running outdoor dramas in the U.S. It is the same reaction visitors have had since the first showing of "Unto These Hills" nearly six million tickets ago. But it is also very different from the drama of days past. This year the show has been completely re-concepted with a new director, new script, new cast, new costumes, and new choreography that will better portray the unique story of the Cherokee, from a decidedly Cherokee viewpoint.




Museum

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian takes visitors all the way back to the beginnings of human existence here in these glorious, storied mountains of western North Carolina. The museum provides an educational and interactive experience where concise, chronological stories retrace the 11,000 year documented history of the Cherokees



Qualla Arts


Founded in 1946 with the purpose of preserving and advancing Cherokee arts and crafts, the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc., is today the oldest and leading Native American Arts cooperative in the United States.

The Village

Here in the Oconaluftee Indian Village, the year is 1750. You’ve been taken back two centuries before your birth, and the old Cherokee ways are alive all around you. Another smoke trail draws you to a shaded clearing where a man is doing ... well, it’s not quite clear yet. He seems to be burning the flattened topside of a huge, felled tulip poplar log nearly 40 feet long. Clay is packed around the edge of the log to contain and direct the fire. This log, he explains, will become a ten-man canoe, waterproofed by animal fat and pine resin. It may take six to eight months of burning to fully hollow out the craft, but it will serve the whole village for fishing and voyaging, and will last for generations.



 

Hiking Along The Top Of The Blue Ridge
Grandfather Mountain's 13-mile trail system offers amazing diversity, at times threading through blueberry patches, around house-sized boulders, up one of eleven ladders used to traverse steep sections, or down a stone staircase fashioned from a dried-up stream bed. Considered the best alpine hiking in the South, a hiking party can cross through a dozen or more ecological communities and pass through a variety of forest types and climate zones on a single outing.

 

The Nantahala River is located in the Nantahala National Forest at the base of the Nantahala Gorge. Just south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the river is the most popular whitewater rafting river in the United States. Its relatively mild yet fast running waters make the Nantahala River an ideal family adventure. A vacation in Nantahala features the peaceful mountain atmosphere and the adventure of outdoor sports. Over thousands of years, the swift currents of the Nantahala River have slowly carved an incredible gorge in the mountains of western North Carolina. Here you’ll find a diverse range of activities and services for families as well as avid adventure seekers. Whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River is a popular option from March to October. Choose from guided trips, rental rafts and ducks, or combine whitewater rafting with a scenic train ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The half-day Nantahala rafting trip features refreshing, fun Class II and Class III rapids, culminating at Nantahala Falls, where photographers take your photo. 

Spend the day enjoying a Horseback Ride. Located in the western North Carolina mountains south of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Guided trips for individuals and groups through the absolutely breathtaking scenery of the Nantahala National Forest.

The horses were all abused or neglected horses. They range in age from 5 to 23 years old and have adapted very well to their new home.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (www.greatsmokies.com/nationalpark.html)

More than ten million people visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park yearly.  The Great Smoky Mountains offer more than 800 miles of hiking trails, but most only see the park superficially. The best part of the Smoky Mountains area is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park itself, yet most people's views and experiences of the Park are limited to the main roads, a handful of the most frequented trails, and the Cades Cove loop road.  While the individuals who experience these things are richer for the experience, they are missing so much.

There are also several hiking trails on site, for those wishing not to stray to far from the cabin, and offer the perfect exercise and breathtaking views.  With 167 acres of private property, the guest can be assured that their hiking excursion will not be hampered by crowds or by other inconveniences such as having to find a place to park - the trails start just outside your Cabin!

Located in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, Collett Creek Cabin Rental is surrounded by some of the finest fresh water fishing available. Western North Carolina has over 2000 miles of streams and rivers. These range in size from small backcountry brook trout streams to large tailrace rivers with smallmouth bass and trout. These small to mid size streams require little more than a few flies and fly rod, basic backpacking gear and the desire for wild trout, solitude and beautiful scenery.

Some of the best angling in the country can be found in the Great Smoky Mountains.  The wide variety of fresh mountain stream game fish makes your fishing excursion as memorable as your favorite fishing hole back home.  Many types of guided trips can be arranged during your stay at Collett Creek Cabin Rental. You don't have to be a veteran angler to enjoy fishing in the Smoky Mountains.  Bring your cane pole and a line, dig a few worms and relax by the banks or out on your rock of choice and watch the clouds roll by.  It's fun for the entire family.

There are approximately 53 species of the fishes that occupy the waters of the park. These 53 species consist of primarily forage fishes (minnows, darters, sculpins.)  But game fishes such as the rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, and rock bass are also present.

Whether looking for a small secluded backcountry stream, or a float trip down a mountain river; Western North Carolina has many opportunities for the fishing enthusiast. Give us a call; we would be glad to help.