Bear Lake Reserve is located on nearly 6 miles of shoreline on Bear Creek Lake, one of the last undeveloped lakes in Western North Carolina. Though comfortably distanced from the harried world, it is near Cashiers, Sylva, Highlands, and Brevard-neighborly little towns that invite you over to explore quaint shops, dine, tour galleries, and take in a change of scenery. A little farther down the road are Asheville's renowned Biltmore Estate, fine restaurants, entertainment venues, and year-round festivals. In addition to local happenings, Bear Lake Reserve offers lots of activities to choose from, without ever having to leave the property.

AREA ACTIVITIES

Waterfalls
Click here are some of our favorite waterfall day trips, with directions in Cashiers Area/Southern Jackson County.

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
One of the centerpiece attractions of Jackson County is the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Since 1988, it has provided visitors with scenic excursions out of its depot in historic downtown Dillsboro. The railroad has a variety of options, including half-day and full-day trips, raft and rail excursions, gourmet dinner excursions and mystery theater trains. Click here for complete information on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Hiking
Jackson County ranges in elevation from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. Hiking trails offer mountain scenery, wildflowers, and wildlife viewing for casual and experienced hikers. There are over fifty well-maintained trails, including 675 miles of trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park alone. The Appalachian Trail, running 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine, passes just north of the county. Various guide services are available for both day hikes and overnight pack trips. Click here for more hiking information.

Some of the best hiking in and around Jackson County is found along the Blue Ridge Parkway as it gently meanders the county's eastern edge. Within a 30-mile stretch you can hike Water Rock Knob (6,292 feet), Richland Balsam (6,410 feet) and the imposing Devil's Courthouse (5,723 feet).

Additionally, a trail at Wet Camp Gap offers a short, easy hike to a mile-high meadow with awesome views of the Pisgah National Forest. The Mountains-To-Sea Trail can also be accessed at Wet Camp Gap.

While not as high as its brethren, Devil's Courthouse is memorable for spectacular rock outcroppings at its peak. The park service has a paved trail of 0.8 miles (roundtrip) leading to a summit that provides a view of four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

Bicycling
Cyclists find a wide array of challenges in and around Jackson County, including single-track trails, back roads, and trails in the Nantahala National Forest. The Nantahala Outdoor Center's Tsali Trail System is one of the nations finest, while Panthertown Wilderness Area and the Roy A. Taylor ATV Trail System also offer riding opportunities. The Blue Ridge Parkway is off-season favorite for road bikers, but isn't recommended in the summer and fall because of heavy motor traffic. Click here for more bicycling information.

Fishing
Jackson County offers a wide range of fishing opportunities. The Tuckasegee River, Jackson County's largest body of water, was called "Western North Carolina's best trout stream for fly anglers," by the Charlotte Observer, and scores of smaller streams offer many more opportunities. Fishing is also available on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on any of Jackson County's several mountain lakes. Fishermen have good success in search of rainbow, brown and native brook trout, bass, bream, walleye and crappie. Keep in mind that regulations can differ. For example, one may fish Cherokee Indian Reservation waters without a state of North Carolina license, but a Cherokee Tribal permit is required. Fishing is allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with either a Tennessee or North Carolina license. Go to www.ncwildlife.org for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website, which offers trout fishing regulations, licensing information, Jackson County stream stocking information, directions to handicapped-accessible fishing locations in Jackson County, and more. Click here for more fishing information.

Golfing
In addition to our own private, 9-hole, Nicklaus Design® golf course, Jackson County offers a superb selection of classic mountain golf courses that are both challenging and scenic. These courses host thousands of golfers each year. From Cashiers' world-renowned courses in the south to the picturesque Smoky Mountain Country Club in the county's north end, the area is replete with one-of-a-kind mountain golf in a variety of awe-inspiring settings. Jackson County boasts six premier public access courses, while the nearby Waynesville Country Club features 27 holes framed by blue-green mountains. Click here for more golf information.

Horseback Riding
Area stables offer gentle horses, beautiful scenery, well-maintained trails and knowledgeable staff. Year-round riding is available. Click here for more horseback riding information.

Skiing and Snowboarding
Our winters are generally mild, but snow is not unusual, particularly in the higher elevations around Cashiers, Sapphire Valley and Balsam. At the Sapphire Valley Ski Area, snowmaking machines help maintain prime skiing conditions from mid-December through February. The ski area offers four slopes, a vertical drop of 425 feet, a chair lift, and a surface lift. Locations in northern Jackson County are within reasonable driving distance of Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley. The Blue Ridge Parkway is closed during any kind of winter weather, and is popular with cross-country skiers during those times.

Water Sports
Swimming, sailing, water skiing, boating, tubing, whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing are all available in Jackson County. There are four whitewater rivers, the Tuckasegee, Chattooga, Oconaluftee and the near by Nantahala, with difficulty ranging from Class I to Class VI. Commercial companies rent rafts, canoes, kayaks and tubes. Canoes and boat rentals are available on Lake Glenville, near Cashiers. There are also several smaller, more remote lakes in the county, all of which have boat access. Click here for more watersports information. 

AREA MUSEUMS

Mountain Heritage Center
Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC
The Mountain Heritage Center celebrates the natural and cultural heritage of the southern Appalachian region. Through exhibitions, publications, educational programs and demonstrations, the center promotes rich traditions of the mountains.

The "Migration of the Scotch-Irish People" is the center's permanent exhibit. It describes the Scottish and English migrants who settled in Northern Ireland in the seventeenth century, and whose descendants came to the New World in the eighteenth century to make homes in the coves and hollows of western North Carolina. As they adjusted to their new environment, these people, known in Ireland as the Ulster Scots and in America as the Scotch-Irish, retained some of their traditions, which survive today in Appalachian family names and folkways.

The center also produces temporary exhibits around such themes as blacksmithing traditions in the mountains, mountains trout, the natural and cultural history of an Appalachian watershed, and the enduring popularity of hand-woven coverlets and the Southern Appalachian handicraft movement.

The heirlooms of hundreds of western North Carolina families are just some of the articles of historical significance preserved by the Mountain Heritage Center. The center's collection, numbering more than 10,000 artifacts, provides rich material for exhibits that illustrate mountain ways of life and continuity with the past.

In addition to preparing exhibits and maintaining its extensive collections, the center prepares multi-media presentations and publishes books, tapes and other materials on mountain culture. For information about the museum and its special events, educational programs, programs for groups and hours of operation, call 828-227-7129, or visit the Mountain Heritage Center.

A Historical Journey Through A Living Village
Cherokee, NC
The Oconaluftee Village is located on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Western North Carolina. Sparkling streams, majestic views and unspoiled beauty attract millions of visitors to the Park every year. During your tour of the Oconaluftee Indian Village, you'll not only get a glimpse of Native American life as it was 250 years ago, you'll have an opportunity to stroll through the Oconaluftee Indian Village Herb Garden and our magnificent Nature Trail. Click here for more Oconaluftee Village information.

Museum of the Cherokee Indian
Cherokee, NC
Your trip through the Museum of the Cherokee Indian begins with the words: "Welcome. I want to tell you a story, a very old story ..." Cherokee storytellers have always been the keepers of traditions, legends and rituals, so it is only right that you start your Cherokee journey in a story hut with a storyteller who explains how the Cherokee world was made. Expect to be surprised, though--the Museum's storyteller throws in some modern special effects to enliven the tale.

Totally renovated in 1998, the new museum is a new experience. By combining high-tech wizardry and an extensive artifact collection, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian is fun for the entire family and an exciting, educational event. For information about the museum and its special events, educational programs, programs for groups and hours of operation, call (828) 497-3481. Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

AREA DINING

Original recipes, hearty portions, and reasonable prices are all synonymous with dining in Jackson County's innovative restaurants. A wide range of restaurants tempt the palate, most can be fond in Cashiers, Sylva, Dillsboro. Dining choices range from small cafes to gourmet cuisine. Area specialties include smoked baby back ribs, grilled mountain trout and filet mignon. Original recipes, hearty portions and reasonable prices are standard. Jackson County's dining choices are abundant. Whether you seek fine dining, good old country cookin', or just a quick bite, there is a perfect eatery just for you. Click here for more area dining information.

AREA SHOPPING/SIGHTSEEING

Sylva/Cullowhee/Dillsboro NC
The county's 491 square miles provide numerous ways for visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Whether your interest is hiking, boating, fishing, golfing, exploring, fine dining, shopping, riding the rails or just plain relaxing, Jackson County is the place to be. Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Cashiers, North Carolina
It's a great corner of southwestern North Carolina, a green valley 3,500 feet high surrounded by mountains rising up to 5,000 feet. It's not the foothills, but the southern crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

North Carolina Highway 107 takes you north and south. U.S. Highway 64 takes you east and west. But it's the less traveled roads, like Whiteside Cove Road and Bull Pen Road, that take you through the mountains to the beautiful places...where you learn to know the craggy stone faces of Yellow Mountain, Rock Mountain, Chimney Top, and Whiteside...where you hear the thunder of the tallest waterfall in the Eastern United States... and where, from The Overlook, you see mountains upon mountains.

The pace of life is such that you can do some things you seldom have time to do. Sit by a rushing creek basking in the warmth of the sun on your back. Amble along a trail, stopping often to admire a wildflower or to look up into a tree to find that elusive bird that is singing to you. Take a leisurely ramble in your car, exploring, finding grand mountain views, weathered barns, tiny towns that are nothing more than a filling station and a post office. Cashiers Chamber of Commerce.

Highlands, NC
Highlands has been a mountain respite for over a century allowing our visitors to unwind while being treated to the finest amenities. For your dining experience, you may sample various cultural cuisines from over twenty restaurants including six who have received the coveted Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Nature is never far away with waterfalls, hiking trails, and varied outdoor adventures awaiting you. You can experience llama treks to all terrain vehicle tours through the forests. If you prefer something milder, golf, tennis, swimming, and horseback riding are nearby. If you are seeking a cultural experience, we have live professional theater, chamber music concerts, an international film festival, and various other venues.

Shopping in this little village will include unique shops offering antiques, clothing, jewelry, crafts, and a broad range of retail shops. Highlands Chamber of Commerce.