Horseback riding: bring your own horse to the Settlement at Thomas Divide and sample the huge variety of trails available, or use our large arena to brush up on your training. The trails in the The Great Smoky Mountains National Park are near the property, and it is possible to trailer to many areas in the Nantahala National Forest. There are also beautiful trails at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.
Your backyard: is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Your backyard (literally) offers endless hiking and riding trails, opportunities for overnight camping, fishing, and tubing, and much more. The Deep Creek area is closest to Bryson City. Cherokee and the Oconaluftee entrance to the National Park are just minutes away.
Whitewater and river opportunities: The best known in the area is of course the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where our intrepid Olympic athletes train. There are many other companies that offer rafting trips, one of the larger ones would be USA Raft for younger children, and the Tuckasegee River would be the easiest local river.
Mountain biking: There are several trails in the Deep Creek area of the park which allow biking – check the park map. In the Nantahala Forest, there is a wonderful place to bike, many of the trails overlooking Lake Fontana, called Tsali. These trails alternate each day, some for mountain biking, and the others for horse back riding.
Golf: Available at the nearby Smoky Mountain Country Club in Whittier.
Tennis: There are tennis courts at the recreation area in Bryson City (a short five-minute drive from the property).
Fly fishing: Guided fly fishing tours on many of the surrounding rivers and through the Park
Skiing: Nearby at Maggie Valley
To find all the available opportunities please check the web site for Bryson City, which will tell you all you need to know