The area west of Asheville, and south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, holds a number of dramatic waterfalls. Looking Glass Falls , about twelve miles south of the Parkway on US-276, is in a particularly beautiful section of the Pisgah National Forest . The falls drop 85 feet, with a great (albeit very cold) swimming hole at the bottom. Connestee Falls , a few miles south on US-276 toward Brevard, is a double waterfall and even higher. Unbridled optimists can pay to pan for gemstones , such as rubies, at outwashes of the numerous gem mines near the 250ft Cullasaja Falls , further west on US-64.

The far west corner of the state is famous for its superb whitewater , with plenty of companies offering canoeing and rafting on the Nantahala River . Guided raft expeditions cost around $33 for a three-hour trip; one company, Nantahala Outdoor Center (tel 828/488-2175 or 1-800/232-7238), also runs a hostel (up to $35). Wildwater Ltd offers a five-hour train and rafting trip along the Nantahala with the Great Smoky Mountain Railway for around $60 (tel 1-800/872-4681). Both companies offer excursions on neighboring rivers (Whitewater Ltd tel 1-800/451-9972).

West of the Nantahala, off US-129 almost in Tennessee, Joyce Kilmer National Forest is worth a detour, being one of the last remaining stands of unlogged virgin forest in the southeastern US, including some enormous hardwood trees.

Southwestern North Carolina

• Southwestern North Carolina

North Carolina cities


All U.S. city guides