I’m adventurous by nature, but I reluctantly admit that I am afraid of heights. Nevertheless, I found myself suspended 40 feet in the air, stretching one leg to reach a precariously positioned log. That was right after braving the rapids for the first time and just before hugging a 400+ year-old tree in a virgin forest.

Those were just a few of the highlights of an epic North Carolina road trip. Come with me as we explore the great outdoors, set foot on the Appalachian Trail, and ride the Tail of the Dragon.

As we entered North Carolina, the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains unfolded before us. (Photo by Cara Siera)
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Starting with a Dam Good Time

No coarse language intended here: the first stop on our road trip was Fontana Dam. Completed in 1945, this historic dam creates a 10,000-acre reservoir along the Little Tennessee River.

The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses directly over the dam and into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the opposite side. As I crossed the towering concrete structure, I marvelled that I’d reached a long-cherished goal of hiking on the AT.

The Appalachian Trail crosses over Fontana Dam. (Photo by Cara Siera)

The Visitor Center has an observation deck, museum, and gift shop. You can sign the guest book to receive a free Fontana Dam sticker. 

In the museum, you’ll learn the history of why the dam was built and how it affected the people who lived there. You’ll see artefacts like Morton Salt tablets, a predecessor to today’s electrolyte drinks.

The road to and from the dam included a legendary stretch of US Highway 129 called the Tail of the Dragon. In just 11 miles, the route has more than 300 switchbacks and hairpin turns. Because of this, a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit is strictly enforced.

Still, motorcyclists and others flock here to ride the Dragon. On weekends, photographers position themselves at key locations, snapping photos of every vehicle that passes. You can scan their QR codes or visit their websites and purchase images of yourself hugging the curves.

We stopped for snacks and fuel at Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort. It’s a great spot for dragon-themed souvenirs and dragon statue selfies.

We continued to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). We crossed the bridge from the general store, again passing through a few meters of the AT. We hiked a steep gravel trail to our cabin, which overlooked a scenic break in the trees.

You can camp or book a cabin at the NOC. (Photo by Cara Siera)

After an evening of board games and macaroni and cheese, we knew that in the morning our adventure would really begin.

Endless Adventures at the NOC

In the morning, we caffeinated at Slow Joe’s, a permanent food truck on the NOC grounds that serves delicious fresh-made donuts. Then, we gathered around the Adventure Deck at the heart of the NOC’s 500-acre campus.

Slow Joe’s offers homemade donuts, coffee, ice cream, and even dog treats. (Photo by Cara Siera)

Every guided rafting tour begins with about an hour of preparation—a safety orientation video and proper life jacket fitting, as well as gearing up with paddles of the right length. As a complete novice to white water rafting, this was a good place to start.

A short bus ride takes you farther up the Nantahala Gorge. Upon arrival, we were paired with a guide and embarked into the calm waters dotted with Class II and Class III rapids.

Our guide skillfully called out “left,” “right,” and “row,” helping us learn how to paddle in synchrony. Our guide also pointed out bits of history and native plants along the way.

Near the end of the two-hour paddle, our guide told us what to expect as we crossed the Class III rapids of Nantahala Falls, including where to wedge our feet so we couldn’t be bounced out of the boat.

Photographers are poised to snap your picture as you bounce over the small waterfall, forever capturing the joy, excitement, or terror on your face. (Photo by NOC)

We disembarked near the AT bridge, in calm water preceding heavier rapids downstream. The NOC is unique in that you paddle right back to your starting point, in contrast to the usual wet shuttle bus home.

After a quick change into dry clothes, we hiked down to the Treetop Adventure Park. There, we were fitted with harnesses left slightly sweaty by other summer afternoon guests.

As I mentioned before, I’m afraid of heights, but the gear reminded me of the personal protection equipment I’d learned to use when working at heights in construction. As we hiked to the platform of the 550-foot dual zipline, I wondered if I could do this.

At the platform, we were instructed to “sit” in our harnesses and lift our feet. The zipline was designed to slow a rider as they neared the next platform mechanically, and more instructors were there to assist.

So, I sat back, lifted my feet, and my trolley began to roll slowly forward. I was over the grass, then over a parking lot, then over treetops, going faster and faster. My carabiner swiveled, and I came in backwards.

I was breathless when an instructor caught me at the other end. As promised, I’d slowed to a speed at which I could put my feet down and stand instead of ricocheting at the end of the rope, as I’d pessimistically imagined.

After arriving safely at the second platform, I realized I loved ziplining. (Photo: Cara Siera.)

Invigorated, I wanted to zipline again, but my companions opted to begin the multi-level elevated challenge course. First, an instructor clipped us, one by one, onto the continuous auto-belay system 20 feet above the ground. I looked reluctantly at the suspended stepping stones, tunnels, and giant rope spider web.

As I made my way over, across, and through the 16 swaying obstacles, I came to trust my safety harness, sometimes leaning into it to reach the next foothold. As I finished the lower level, I said to my companion, “This needs to be a part of construction fall protection training.”

The 40-ft aerial obstacle course puts you right in the treetops. (Photo by Cara Siera)

A few of us took on the upper course, nestled 40 feet above the ground in the treetops. Then we tackled the climbing wall and finally—finally!—revisited the zipline. We jogged up the short path over and over until our two hours at the Treetop Adventure Park came to an end.

Relaxing at the NOC

After a jam-packed day of white water rafting, climbing, and zip-lining, we were all quite hungry and ready to relax. We took the AT bridge to the general store to purchase sports drinks, then headed to the Big Wesser, an on-campus restaurant named for nearby Wesser Creek.

The Big Wesser serves elegant entrées like wedge salads as well as massive burgers to refuel after a day of adventure. (Photo by Cara Siera)

After dinner, we crossed the bridge once again and enjoyed a live bluegrass band as we sipped local beers. We waded in the river and played Jenga with a giant outdoor set. It was a peaceful end to an adventurous day.

The Quiet of the Ancient Forest

Our rafting guide had told us about a stand of virgin forest—those rare ancient trees that had escaped logging for hundreds of years—about an hour’s drive from the NOC. Though it wasn’t part of our original plan, we decided to check it out.

We wound through the small town of Robbinsville and around Lake Santeetlah. Somewhere along the way, we lost cell phone reception—including our GPS. For the last half hour, we navigated the old-fashioned way, with a paper map and road signs.

The forest is named for Joyce Kilmer, named for Joyce Kilmer, an American poet and soldier who penned the well-known lines, “I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree.” The easy 2-mile round-trip hike crosses a stream and winds up a mountainside until you finally enter the ancient grove.

Not every tree there is a giant. Many are only a few decades old, new growth. But first, you’ll come upon a hollow stump large enough for several people to stand inside.

Eventually, you’ll find the “twins” pictured below, and other trees with larger and larger circumferences. Finally, you’ll reach the final giant on the path, a behemoth that it took seven of us to span our arms around.

The forest was dotted with massive tulip poplar trees more than 400 years old. (Photo by Cara Siera)

Many hikes are quiet and reflective, but this one was especially so. The giant trees shade out much of their competition, so the underbrush and the skittering creatures that live there are sparse. There’s something almost sacred about this space that incites visitors to speak softly as they reach out to touch the rough, scaly bark that’s older than America itself.

How to Get There

As my time in North Carolina drew to a close, I realized that this was a road trip I wanted to take again. There were so many things I still wanted to do—the NOC’s two-mile-long mountaintop zipline tour and wilderness medicine courses at its outdoor school, Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities Southeast. 

In nearby Bryson City, there’s a waterfall hiking loop and leaf-peeping tours on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

If you’d like to take your own North Carolina road trip, I advise making the Nantahala Outdoor Center the heart of it. You can use the map below to plan your trip: 

Where: Nantahala Outdoor Center, 13078 Hwy 19 W, Bryson City, NC 28713

Nantahala National Forest is an escape from the buzz of modern life. Sometimes it’s quiet; at other times, exhilarating. You’ll find whatever type of road trip you seek in this rural corner of North Carolina.