North Carolina

Scenic drives in Western North Carolina open to see fall foliage

Published

1 year ago

October 24, 2024

Scenic drives in Western North Carolina open to see fall foliage

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – There are a lot of areas of Western North Carolina still in recovery mode and unable to welcome visitors quite yet. Some places like the Blue Ridge Parkway are going to require time and a lot of work to get to a place where it’s safe to allow people back.

But there are also a lot of spots which are back up and running and ready to welcome visitors. The fall is prime time for leaf-peeping tourists in these areas so now, more than ever, it’s important to shine a spotlight on where we can go to enjoy the beauty of the mountains.

Before you go, but sure check your routes to get there. You can use DriveNC.gov for the latest updates. And be sure to be cautious while traveling the byways. While these roads are open, it doesn’t mean there might not be areas down to one land or even some lingering debris in some areas. The goal is to enjoy the scenery and support local towns all while doing it safely.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA TOWNS OPEN FOR VISITORS

CHEROHALA SKYWAY

The Cherohala Skyway is a National Scenic Byway in Great Smoky Mountains National park stretching from southeast Tennessee and southwest North Carolina. It connects the Cherokee National Forest to the Nantahala National Forest, hence the name “Cherohala.” Starting in the east, the skyway begins in Robbinsville, North Carolina, about 3 hours from Greenville and 2 hours west of Asheville. Robbinsville is a tiny mountain town with a big history. It‘s where the last surrender of the Civil War east of the Mississippi occurred. Grab a bite to eat before hitting the road and traveling 50 miles west to Tellico Plains, Tennessee. The Cherohala Skyway is a wide, paved two-lane road making for a pleasant drive to enjoy the changing of the leaves. The rides along the higher elevations from 900 to over 5400 feet reaching its highest point at the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

TAIL OF THE DRAGON

For the motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts, check out the Tail of the Dragon in Swain County. It’s a short 11 mile stretch of road, but it has 318 curves making for a thrilling ride. You can access Hwy 129 from Bryson City, just take US 74 west to NC-28 north and enjoy the scenery along the way.

FONTANA BYWAY

The Tail of the Dragon is part of the larger Fontana Byway which snakes its ways through the Great Smoky Mountains near the Little Tennessee River for 54 miles. The byway is one of the more rural routes which means there is a lot of uninterrupted fall foliage to see. It starts at Deals Gap near the Tennessee-North Carolina boarder and travels southeast through Swain, Graham and Macon counties, ending in Franklin which is about 2 hours an 15 minutes from Greenville and an hour and 15 minutes from Asheville. Along the way, you‘ll pass by Cheoah Lake and Fontana Lake as you weave through hills and farmland. There’s not many towns to stop in so make sure to plan ahead and pack a picnic. There are plenty of places to pull off to eat surrounded by the changing leaves. You can stop by Fontana Village, which is a resort community, for a bite to eat.

NANTAHALA BYWAY

The Nantahala Byway traverses 47 miles from Marble in Cherokee County through the Nantahala National Forest to the northeast, coming to an end east of Bryson City where it intersects with the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Greenville and 2 hours and 15 minutes from Asheville to get to Marble in the west. The road brings a variety of scenery from the Nantahala River to the farmland of the valleys to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and along the way you can catch glimpses of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. The railroad is another great way to see the scenery of this gorgeous landscape while letting someone else do the navigating. The byway snakes through the Nantahala Gorge an area the Cherokee once referred to it as the “Land of the Midday Sun” for its deep valley and steep walls. Along the way you can stop in Andrews or Bryson City for snacks and shopping.

WATERFALL BYWAY

The majority of the Waterfall Byway is open to leaf-peepers. But before you go, be aware there is small section of the road closed in both directions east of Cashiers. There is a detour around the closure which takes about 12 minutes through a windy section of the mountains.

If you love a gorgeous waterfall surrounded by the stunning fall foliage, and who doesn‘t, check out the Waterfall Byway. This 98 mile stretch of road is named after the 200 waterfalls scattered along the route. The byway starts just west of Rosman in Transylvania County and travels west towards Murphy in Cherokee County. Rosman is located an hour from Asheville and an hour and 15 minutes from Greenville. Along the way, you can stop in several mountain towns to check out the shops and grab a bite to eat. Cashiers, Highlands and Franklin are all right along the route.

NEWFOUND GAP ROAD SCENIC BYWAY

Newfound Gap Road is located inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park giving leaf-peepers a stunning 33 mile show. The scenic byway starts just north of Cherokee near the Qualla Boundary which is two hours and 15 minutes from Greenville and one hour and 15 minutes from Asheville. It then travels northwest into Tennessee, ending in Gatlinburg. Along with the beautiful of the Smoky Mountains, historic landmarks along the byway illustrate the Southern Appalachian pioneer culture of the past. There’s not many food options along the way so be sure to stop in Cherokee to stock up for the ride.

WHITEWATER WAY

Whitewater Way is another great drive to drinking the fall beauty of Western North Carolina along side stunning waterfalls. The route is named for Whitewater Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains rushing down 411 feet. Enter the road in Sapphire which about an hour and half from Greenville and an hour and 15 minutes from Asheville. The route continues past Gorges State Park and Upper Whitewater Falls, ending at the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN SCENERY

The South Mountain Scenery travels from the Piedmont of North Carolina into the mountains along a 34 mile road. It starts in Metcalf in the Piedmont which is about an hour and half from both Greenville and Asheville. The route travels northwest rolling through farmland and hills then moving into the steeper terrain of the South Mountains, ending in Marion. Check out Shelby, just south of the entry to the byway, for shopping and food. Or check out Polkville and Marion along the way.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

The Blue Ridge Parkway is open on the Virginia side, but the majority of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed in North Carolina. However, a small 20 mile portion of the Parkway is open around Blowing Rock. Milepost 285.5 at Bamboo Gap to milepost 305 at Beacon Heights is now open for tourists to check out the leaves. The north end is just southeast of Boone and travels southwest when you have to hop off near Grandfather Mountain State Park. Sites within this stretch that are open to visitors include Bass Lake, Moses Cone Manor House parking and carriage trails (no restrooms), Price Lake Picnic Area and the trails in between these mileposts. The National Park Service is reminding visitors to use extreme caution when hiking as the trails have not be completely assessed and there may still be debris, landslides and wash-outs over sections of the trails. Be sure to check with the National Park Service for the latest updates.

There are several byways which aren’t currently accessible due to extensive damage from Helene.

Appalachian Medley in Haywood and Madison cos.
Forest Heritage Scenic Byway in Haywood, Jackson and Transylvania cos.
French Broad Overview in Buncombe and Madison cos.
Drovers Road in Buncombe and Henderson cos.
Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive in Yancey and Madison cos.
Pacolet River Byway in Polk Co.
Black Mountain Rag in Buncombe, Henderson, and Rutherford cos.
Highlands of the Roan Byway in Yancey and Mitchell cos.

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North Carolina

North Carolina Christmas tree farmers are optimistic after Hurricane Helene

Published

2 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

North Carolina Christmas tree farmers are optimistic after Hurricane Helene

Christmas tree farmers in western North Carolina are still rebuilding from last year’s devastating Hurricane Helene, but growers are optimistic about business and the overall strength of their industry in the region.

“There’s still a lot of recovery that needs to happen, but we’re in much better shape than we were this time last year … sales are good,” Kevin Gray, owner of Hickory Creek Farm Christmas Trees in Greensboro, said earlier this month, while the buying season was in full swing.

North Carolina is the nation’s second-largest Christmas tree producer, harvesting about 4m trees, mainly Fraser firs, annually, most grown in the western part of the state. As people all over the nation thrill to the twinkling lights and accumulating gifts under the boughs this festive season, few who buy a real tree may spare a thought for where it came from.

In October, 2024, Helene tore through the region, killing at least 95 people and causing widespread damage to homes, farms, roads, land and infrastructure. Officials estimated that the storm, at one stage a category 4, caused about $125m in losses of ornamental nurseries and Christmas trees alone.

A year later, while full recovery for some farms is still distant, many growers said their sales before the holidays were lively.

At Avery Farms, a 200-year-old family operation in Avery county, Helene ripped out about 80,000 of their Christmas trees, wrecked fields, equipment and buildings, and destroyed the home of manager Graham Avery’s parents.

That fall, the family sold what they could to the customers: a limited number of trees, wreaths, boughs and improvised tabletop trees fashioned from salvaged tops.

This year has been focused on rebuilding. Avery’s parents’ home was rebuilt with help from “lots of people donating their time” and they moved back in just a month ago. The family bulldozed damaged fields, fertilized the soil and planted about 20,000 trees this spring, a long-term project to regain pre-Helene output, as Christmas trees take from six to 12 years to mature.

“It’s going to be a while, but that’s the whole game that we play doing Christmas trees. It’s a very long-term investment,” Avery said. “We are set up to do it, and we will continue to do it.”

Even with significantly reduced inventory, Avery said, this season’s sales have been “very, very good” and the farm has doubled its wreath output and is shipping them nationwide.

“With what inventory we do have, we’ve had no issue selling,” Avery said.

Jennifer Greene, executive director of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, said the industry remained strong despite the devastation to some growers.

The 2025 growing season also offered some relief. “We had a great spring with April rainfall,” she said, noting the trees “have actually had a great growing season”.

“We’re in the middle of a great season, we’re happy to not have a hurricane and we’ve had good weather for harvest. So things are looking good,” she said.

Dee Clark, owner of Christmas Corner and C&G Nursery in Avery county, shared similar optimism, despite retail sales plummeting last year when a road washed out and remained closed until summer.

“Early indications look promising,” Clark, 63, said, earlier in December. He added that his son had developed social-marketing efforts to boost sales.

A third-generation grower, Clark said Helene destroyed much of his farm’s infrastructure and damaged roads and culverts, triggering landslides that cost about 1,000 trees and stripped vital nutrients from the soil.

Clark, who said the storm “almost put us out of business”, has focused on repairs, replanting and restoring the land. He expects it will take years to replace lost trees, and knows many growers face a similar, long climb. But, he said: “The Christmas tree industry in western North Carolina as a whole is probably the best shape it’s ever been in as far as the supply of trees right now.”

At Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm, owner Sam Cartner said he felt fortunate no lives or homes were lost in the flooding, but said landslides destroyed up to 10,000 trees.

“We probably won’t ever be able to plant those areas back, because the topsoil slid off,” he said. “We’ll have to find other areas to plant if we recover that number of trees.”

The Cartners worked quickly, and made enough repairs to have a “relatively normal harvest” last fall, he said, despite the major damage to roads, bridges and culverts on the property.

One of their trees was even selected last year to be displayed at the White House.

For many in the region, the Cartners’ White House tree became a symbol of resilience. Jamie Bookwalter, an extension specialist at North Carolina State University, recalled attending its send-off ceremony in Avery county.

“That Christmas tree represented a lot of people problem-solving,” she said, “which I think is what this area of the country is kind of known for: resiliency, problem-solving and self-reliance.”

Will Kohlway IV, a Christmas tree production extension specialist also at NC State, said the Cartners’ ability to harvest and deliver the tree, despite everything the region had dealt with, exemplified “the spirit of the mountains and also Christmas tree growers”.

They called the tree “Tremendous”, he said, because “it was really a tremendous effort”.

Bookwalter visited some of the hardest-hit farms immediately following the storm. “Helene was a terrible event, but farming in general is just becoming more difficult as temperatures become more unpredictable and we get wetter periods – the wetter periods are wetter, the drier periods are drier,” she said. “We’re all just kind of learning day by day.”

She said researchers are working to develop trees more resilient to the changing climate.

Kohlway said that the public’s support for the region’s growers and farms had been “humbling”.

“Buying a tree supports a North Carolina farmer,” he said. Even if purchased at a big-box store, the tree, Bookwalter added, “really represents probably a pretty small farmer”.

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North Carolina

Crash in Haywood County kills one, injures another: NC Highway Patrol

Published

14 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Crash in Haywood County kills one, injures another: NC Highway Patrol

HAYWOOD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A crash in Haywood County resulted in one death on Tuesday, Dec. 23, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Joshua E. Dowdle.

Around 1:41 p.m., troopers in Haywood County responded to a collision on US 19 near mile marker 105, Dowdle said. The two vehicles involved were a 1999 Suzuki Vitara and a 2023 Honda Civic.

MAN KILLED, 3 OTHERS INJURED IN HEAD-ON CRASH IN HAYWOOD COUNTY

Dowdle said the Suzuki was going west on US 19 near Jones Cove Road at a “high rate of speed” when it struck the Honda on the on-ramp to US 74.

A crash in Haywood County resulted in one death on Tuesday, Dec. 23, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Joshua E. Dowdle. (WLOS)

Then, the collision caused the Honda to run off the road to the right, strike the guardrail and overturn, landing upside down. The Suzuki flipped several times, ejecting the driver who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, Dowdle said.

DRIVER SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER CRASHING INTO UNOCCUPIED BUILDING, ASHEVILLE POLICE SAY

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The driver of the Suzuki, Kevin Cooley, 69, of Canton, was pronounced dead at the scene, Dowdle said. The driver of the Honda was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

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North Carolina

Near The Coast Of North Carolina Is A Serene Suburb With Fun Shops And Wilmington Proximity – Islands

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Near The Coast Of North Carolina Is A Serene Suburb With Fun Shops And Wilmington Proximity – Islands

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North Carolina is a popular destination with plenty of coastal hotspots, including Wilmington, which is often hailed for its beautiful suburbs that are gateways to outdoor fun with Atlantic Coast views. The city’s happening pier is reason enough to visit. It’s North Carolina’s longest pier, not to mention a walkable icon with fishing, a gift shop, and a restaurant. If you’re looking to find a suburban spot near this happening city that boasts plenty of fun sights and shops, then you might find the nearby town of Ogden to be a very attractive destination.

This quiet suburb sits just a 15-minute drive from the North Carolina seafront, and is known for its laid-back residential vibe that convinces many newcomers to settle here permanently. The peaceful destination also sits around a 15-minute drive from downtown Wilmington itself. It has a slightly slower pace of life than the city, making it the perfect middle ground for those hoping to be close to all that’s happening without all the hustle and bustle right on your doorstep. Those hoping to enjoy the outdoors can head to nearby Smith Creek Park, located less than 10 minutes away from the heart of Ogden, where you can find a gorgeous lake and plenty of trails that the whole family can explore.

Things to do in Ogden, North Carolina

Aerial shot of Wrightsville Beach at dusk.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Located near many beautiful creeks and waterways, Ogden boasts a natural, coastal charm that makes it a truly captivating location. With easy access to nearby beaches, like Wrightsville Beach, and few crowds, it’s the perfect spot for those looking for a tranquil and easy-going seaside escape. Not only is the location super convenient, but it also has plenty for outdoor enthusiasts to do thanks to the nearby fishing hotspots of Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier and Crystal Pier, kayaking and sailing outfitters, and stunning nature trails.

Those interested in spending time indoors also have plenty of options to choose from in and around Ogden. Market Street is the neighborhood’s main corridor where you can find many local restaurants and shops, including the fabulous Port City Peddler antique store. If shopping isn’t your thing, you can head to one of the top bars in Wilmington, like Seven Mile Post, where you can enjoy live music, live sports events, and craft beers. Both of these outstanding locations are located within a 10-minute drive of downtown Ogden, making them super easy to access and perfect attractions for locals.

Things to Know Before Visiting Ogden

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Wilmington is near plenty of happening suburbs, but Ogden might be one of the most underrated. (Kings Grant, an overlooked North Carolina gem near a sparkling river, is another). Not only is Ogden easy to get around, but it sits only 20 minutes away from the Wilmington International Airport. This makes it easy to access via plane or car. There is also a range of other public transport options.

As Ogden is primarily a residential neighborhood, you won’t find many hotels located in the suburb. Instead, the majority of places to stay can be found in central Wilmington. Some of the top choices include Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Wilmington-Wrightsville Beach, where you can find a room for as low as $86, and Wingate by Wyndham Wilmington, a contemporary stay from around $125 per night.

The best time of year to visit Ogden is between mid-April to early June, or mid-September to late October. During these months, temperatures range between 60°F and 70°F, making it easy to spend time outdoors. In the peak summer months, temperatures can reach highs of 89°F, so it must be noted that this can be a little too hot for some travelers. That said, Ogden is conveniently located by the beach, making it super easy to cool off.

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