Any trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains must include Waynesville, N.C. It is perfectly located to enjoy the special tourist locations as well as the back roads of the Smokies. As a matter of fact, many vacationers chose to stay in Waynesville and use it as a base to explore the area. It is nestled among some of the most heart stirring views of the beautiful Appalachian mountain chains and the many parks and forests including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pisgah National Forest, Harmen Den Wildlife Refuge, and Nantahala National Forest.
Located adjacent to Maggie Valley and close to the Cherokee Indian Reservation, Waynesville is often called the gateway to the Smokies. Visitors to Waynesville can take in the beautiful scenery as they stop at the overpasses and enjoy the vistas that are particular to the Blue Ridge Parkway. If that seems like too much trouble then the day can be spent on a front porch of one of the many rental units taking in the views from a rocking chair.
If you’re truly on a vacation to rest and relax, downtown Waynesville's quaint old buildings, brick sidewalks, galleries, tempting foods and old-time general store will take you back to a more leisurely time. A time when people made you feel welcome and when you could slow down and really savor the present. When it's time to dine, there is everything from hearty country fare to the local specialty mountain trout, to fine international cuisine and high-end gourmet.
It would be very easy to spend weeks exploring Waynesville and the surrounding areas. Not only are the mountains beautiful but Waynesville also hosts a wide range of events and festivals celebrating its unique heritage. The local residents strive to make this quaint city more than special. With much effort, they have improved, renovated and restored Waynesville to a point of national recognition. Waynesville has been voted a “Low-Cost Eden,” “Best Undiscovered Town,” “Best Main Street Town,” “Best Small Town,” and “Best Mountain Town” in the third edition of America’s 100 Best Places to Retire, published by Where to Retire magazine.
Waynesville is often defined by words such as generosity, friendliness, and graciousness which are the same as the words to describe the residents. Those who come and visit Waynesville, N.C. are greeted with a smile and a nod and a southern greeting of "how y’all doin". Those who visit this Western North Carolina town know they’re in the south when they have grits for breakfast and fried green tomatoes for dinner.