Enjoy Your Trip to Topton, North Carolina
Nantahala:
River and National Forest
Nantahala means "Land of the Noonday Sun." It's the name of a National Forest
and the river that runs through the forest, located in southwestern North Carolina
near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Nantahala, established in 1920,
is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina, and has elevations
that range from 1,200 to 5,800 feet, with the last part of the Mountain Waters
Scenic Byway passing through the forest.
Three wilderness areas are located
within the Nantahala National Forest; Ellicott Rock Wilderness is located at the
point where North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia intersect, the Southern
Nantahala Wilderness and the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock makes up the second and third
wilderness areas. This rugged, natural setting is ideal for all kinds of outdoor
recreation, such as hiking and backpacking, mountain climbing, kayaking, horseback
riding and mountain biking.
The Nantahala River is one of the country's
prime white water rafting rivers, and consists of eight miles of waves and swift
currents. The trip down the river takes a little over three hours and is almost
continuous Class I and Class II rapids, with an optional Class III at the end,
over a three foot high falls.
The Nantahala is a short distance to the small town of Cherokee, which is just
two miles from the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This area
is steeped in Native American history and folklore, and is just minutes to Indian
casinos, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, Ceremonial Grounds and Council House
and the Cherokee Fun Park.
Other attractions near the Nantahala National
Forest include the Cherahaula Skyway, Maggie Valley skiing, the tourists towns
of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and the Biltmore House in Asheville.
Nantahala Lake and Fishing
Lake Nantahala is located in the towering mountains of western North Carolina,
near the small town of Topton. It sits like a pristine jewel at the edge of the
Nantahala National Forest, surrounded by the rustic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Activities on or near Lake Nantahala include swimming, boating, fishing, camping,
rock climbing, horseback riding, hiking and golf.
Whitewater rafting,
canoeing and kayaking are available on the Nantahala River, and snow skiing, sledding
and snowboarding opportunities can be found at nearby Maggie Valley. The Nantahala
River, which is just south of the lake, attracts anglers from all across the country.
The whole area is brimming with crappie, trout, walleye, catfish, bass and sunfish.
Nantahala Outdoor Center
Whitewater
rafting the rivers of the Southeast since 1972, NOC has shared the outdoors with
millions of guests and is located in Western North Carolina near the Great Smoky
Mountains. Nestled in a steep gorge, the Nantahala shimmers through its mild but
exciting rapids. Rafting on the Nantahala River offers eight miles of practice
on easy Class II rapids before splashing through the exciting Class III whitewater
of Nantahala Falls. This is one of America’s most popular whitewater runs, so
expect to see other paddlers playing in the waves. Nantahala
Outdoor Center
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