Things to do in Bryson City!

Mountain town in the Great Smoky Mountains

To start, we visited during the fall season so this post will highlight this, BUT you can steal this itinerary for any time of the year! There is certainly something special about visiting any mountain range with fall colors everywhere. The east coast offers numerous opportunities for this, which is why millions of people travel during the Autumn season to see leaves changing, enjoy apple cider, take festive fall photos and so much more. Today, we are going to be sharing a 3 day itinerary trip so you can know some things to do in Bryson City, North Carolina!

_{Thank you Bryson City for sponsoring this post!}

Bryson City, North Carolina – Why here?

This is a great question and the itinerary will answer this as you will soon learn how many fun things there are to do here! The main attraction is the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad which offers some of the best train rides in the country! During the fall season, they offer scenic rides and in the winter they have the most popular Polar Express train ride in the country. Last year in 2023, they sold over 110,000 tickets which says it all.

Aside from this main attraction, this mountain town is nestled along a small river and in-between mountain landscapes offering a picturesque scene every day during your visit. The town has some great food options, and everywhere we travel we love to find a great coffee shop which you will find here as well. This is also a great location to travel between different mountain towns (Andrews, Sylva, Cherokee, etc) and make Bryson City your central spot.

This is one of the BEST things to do in Bryson City so do not miss out on this experience!

Bryson City is situated in western NC within the Great Smoky Mountain range. The drive took us about 5 hours from Raleigh, North Carolina and it is only 1 1/2 hours from Gatlinburg, TN as well. There are plenty of hikes around the area as well, so if you are looking for some time out in nature, this is your spot!

^{*As of 11/23/24 (post Hurricane Helene) the Google Map path to Bryson City from Raleigh took us around Asheville with minimal to no delays along I-40. If you are coming from TN, please check your route and make sure to avoid any road closures caused from the storm.}

Day 1: Arrival & Check-in

When looking for things to do in Bryson City, North Carolina and planning your trip, you will of course need a place to stay, and there are some great options that we would recommend! Pricing does increase in the fall and winter season because this is the biggest tourist time of the year for them. Here is where we stayed, and one other location we would stay in the next time we visit!

Elk Hollow Resort – This is where stayed during our 3 days in Bryson City, North Carolina and it was SO nice! We stayed specifically in a Safari Tent called Lost Creek, and this literally made us say WOW. We did not know what to expect at first, and the road up to our tent was kind of steep on a gravel road. We drive a Ford Bronco for reasons like this so that was no problem for us, but it could be a little tricky if your vehicle does not do well on slightly steeper gravel roads. BUT, this is only for the specific tent we were in. They have multiple other options that have easier access so make sure you ask them questions just in case!

We were blown away by everything this Safari Tent offered! There was a hot tub, full wrap around deck, hot water, fast Wifi, modern appliances, a separate bath tub, spacious shower, very comfortable bed, fire pit and many small details that hit the mark for us. We would highly recommend staying here during your 3 days in Bryson City, North Carolina if you are looking for that modern mountain experience.

Fryemont Inn & Restaurant – Okay, so we ate here for dinner one night as part of our itinerary and we did not know this historic location was right here in Bryson City! This location has been open since 1923 and it has SO much of its original charm. We spent time reading old letters written to the Inn from the 1940’s asking for accommodations, and these guests explained how they were taking a train from Virginia to spend 2 weeks, and possibly 2 weeks more if they enjoyed their time. The way the guests wrote felt so authentic and we love to imagine what the scenes would have been like at that time.

The charm here is unmatched, so if you are looking to be immersed in an authentic mountain experience, this is your place! Oh, and the dinner was pheonominal!

After settling in, and depending on how far you drove (we drove from Raleigh, NC – 4 hours 45 minutes), you might have some time to explore a little or just grab a bite to eat! A great spot to get acquainted with the town and to also enjoy a bite to eat with some drinks is Bryson City Brewing. This spot is located near the train station, and is a great hangout spot after your travel day!

If you still have daylight, make sure you explore the shops in downtown Bryson City! This is a charming experience as you walk around this historic mountain town, and there is even a river that runs through the town as well!

Day 2: Train rides, Horseback riding, and treetop sunset soak!

For us, everyday needs to start with a delicious latte, so we stopped both mornings to grab a coffee drink at La Dolce Vita Bakery! This was a great spot to grab a bagel sandwich and a coffee to start the day. Our wait time was a little long because they were busy, so just be prepared with a little extra time to be safe!

We already mentioned it above, but when you are looking for things to do in Bryson City, you can not miss taking a train ride! We have taken multiple train rides with Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, and it is special every time. They have various seating options, but we are going to make sure when we go in the fall again to do the open air seating option. This looked SO neat that we have it on our bucket list!

If you are a fan of picturesque horseback rides through national parks, well, this is 100% for you. We drove a scenic 30 minutes past Cherokee, NC to the Smokemont Riding Stables which is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We spent an hour going up and down the hills, tucked away in the forest. It was one of our favorite things we did during our trip, and we highly recommend!

Clingmans Dome (now known as Kuwohi) should also be on your list if you have time! This is the highest location in the Great Smoky Mountains and the views are incredible. Once you get to the top, you can see Gatlinburg, TN and much more on a clear day which makes for an amazing experience! Although this is a paved path from the parking area, this was straight up hill. We stopped a few times on our way up, so just be prepared for this!

After train rides and horseback riding, you will certainly need to eat! If you are looking for something quicker, we would recommend a Hawaiian food truck called The Rice Wagon which was an AMAZING food truck that served us very quickly. But, if you are looking for a mountain town experience of a dinner, then we recommend going to the Fryemont Inn Restaurant! This is the restaurant located at the same Fryemont Inn we recommended to stay in, and their dining experience was so great! We had a 4 course meal with the main entree being an amazing trout dish (so good) and the vibe inside was such a cozy mountain feel. You have to experience it for yourself! They serve dinner only during a few hours every day so make sure you make a reservation.

Finish the evening with a sunset bathtub soak over looking Lake Fontana with Treetop Soaks! This was something out of a fairytale, and I would highly recommend. Here you take a private bath that overlooks Lake Fontana that includes everything you would need. There are other times of the day you can go, but seeing the sunset was absolutely incredible here!

Day 3: Hiking and departure!

On your way out, you need to explore these hiking spots/iconic spots! First, grab some breakfast at Everett Street Diner which is a local favorite! If you did not stop at Clingmans Dome (Kuwohi) then this is a must. Another iconic spot just outside of Bryson City is the “Road to Nowhere”! This is such an interesting location because there are paved roads all the way up to this location where there is a tunnel, but then the road ends! This road was never finished and it leads to a tunnel that is 3/4 of a mile long so bring a flashlight if you plan to continue on foot! Side note, we could hear our voices travel through the tunnel all the way to the entrance which was really interesting!

Continue exploring by taking a scenic easy hike on the Deep Creek Trail! This trail in the GSM National Park has 3 waterfalls that are easily accessible, and the paths are very wide which makes it very enjoyable even when it is busier. This is a great trail to really soak in the outdoors and it is only 7 minutes outside of the town which makes it on of the great things to do in Bryson City!

And lastly, on your way out of town, you can find one of many locations where you can see Elk! Yes, North Carolina has elk which some people may not know about! The Cataloochee Valley has great sights of elk, but you can find more information here on other locations you can potentially see elk!

Honorable Mentions

You only have so much time in the day, and there are many great options for places to eat, and things to do in Bryson City so here are some honorable mentions that you can add to your itinerary!

Content on Bryson City from @magnoliamegan

If you are looking for some visuals of what this all looks like, check out these reels below: