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.
Surrounding areas: Topton, North Carolina (3.5 mi), Stecoah, North Carolina (5.8 mi), Aquone, North Carolina (6.0 mi), Lake Nantahala, North Carolina (7.5 mi), Nantahala Gorge, North Carolina (7.6 mi), Almond, North Carolina (8.0 mi), Robbinsville, North Carolina (8.3 mi)
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Nantahala Vacation Rentals
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Nantahala Weather & Climate
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The Mountains of North Carolina range from 800 feet to over 6,600 feet and topography affects the local weather. Expect temperatures to be 10 to 20 degrees cooler on the mountaintops. Spring is unpredictable, particularly at the higher elevations. Snow may fall in March, but by May, things warm up with daytime highs in the 80s. Summer is warm and humid, but more pleasant at the higher elevations. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common in the summertime. Winter is generally moderate, but extreme conditions can occur in the mountains. It%u2019s not unusual to have warm temperatures in the valleys and snow in the higher areas. In the lowlands, snows of one inch or more occur just 1-5 times per year. More frequent and deeper snows fall at the higher elevations.
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| Month |
High Temp |
Low Temp |
Rainfall |
Ocean Temp |
| January |
48°F |
25°F |
7.17 in. |
- |
| February |
52°F |
27°F |
6.09 in. |
- |
| March |
60°F |
34°F |
6.97 in. |
- |
| April |
68°F |
40°F |
5.18 in. |
- |
| May |
76°F |
49°F |
5.37 in. |
- |
| June |
82°F |
57°F |
5.54 in. |
- |
| July |
85°F |
61°F |
5.00 in. |
- |
| August |
85°F |
60°F |
5.50 in. |
- |
| September |
80°F |
54°F |
4.45 in. |
- |
| October |
70°F |
41°F |
3.51 in. |
- |
| November |
60°F |
33°F |
5.33 in. |
- |
| December |
51°F |
27°F |
6.02 in. |
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Nantahala Map & Transportation
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| Click each thumbnail image to enlarge. |
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The closest airports in the area are the Mc Ghee Tyson airport (TYS) located about 40 miles northwest of Nantahala in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge airport (GKT) located approximately 40 miles north of Nantahala in Sevierville, Tennessee, the Moore Murrell airport (MOR) located roughly 63 miles northwest of Nantahala in Morristown, Tennessee, and finally the Asheville Regional airport (AVL) located around 64 miles east of Nantahala in Asheville, North Carolina.
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Nantahala Attractions
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| | | Amusement and Theme Parks |
| Cherokee Fun Park | Cherokee | NC | 23.6 mi. | | | Santa's Land | Cherokee | NC | 23.6 mi. | | | Dollywood | Pigeon Forge | TN | 35.2 mi. | | | Rockin' Raceway | Pigeon Forge | TN | 35.2 mi. | | | Ghost Town in the Sky | Maggie Valley | NC | 35.8 mi. | | | NASCAR SpeedPark | Sevierville | TN | 40.6 mi. | |
| | | Water Parks |
| Lake Lanier Island Beach & Water Park | Lake Lanier Island | GA | 79.5 mi. | | | White Water Park | Marietta | GA | 105.2 mi. | |
| | | Golf Courses |
| Franklin Golf Course | Franklin | NC | 17.7 mi. | | | Mill Creek Country Club | Franklin | NC | 17.7 mi. | | | Chatuge Shores Golf Course | Hayesville | NC | 18.8 mi. | | | Mountain Harbour Golf & Yacht Club | Hayesville | NC | 18.8 mi. | | | Smoky Mountain Country Club | Whittier | NC | 19.9 mi. | | | Cherokee Hills Golf & Country Club | Murphy | NC | 24.7 mi. | | | Laurel Valley Country Club | Townsend | TN | 27.3 mi. | |
| | | Ski Areas |
| Scaly Mountain | Scaly Mountain | NC | 27.5 mi. | | | Cataloochee | Maggie Valley | NC | 35.8 mi. | | | Ski Wolf Laurel | Mars Hill | NC | 73.1 mi. | | | Ski Beech | Banner Elk | NC | 117.6 mi. | | | Sugar Mountain Ski Area | Banner Elk | NC | 117.6 mi. | | | Hawksnest Golf & Ski Resort | Seven Devils | NC | 119.1 mi. | |
| | | State Parks |
| Chatuge State Park | | GA | 24.1 mi. | | | Black Rock Mountain State Park | | GA | 30.5 mi. | | | Moccasin Creek State Park | | GA | 31.4 mi. | | | Unicoi State Park | | GA | 39.4 mi. | |
| | | Museums |
| Sequoyah Birthplace Museum | Vonore | TN | 38.6 mi. | (History) | | East Tennessee Discovery Center | Knoxville | TN | 48.7 mi. | (Science) | | Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture | Knoxville | TN | 48.7 mi. | (Art) | | Knoxville Museum of Art | Knoxville | TN | 48.7 mi. | (Art) | | East Tennessee Historical Society Museum | Knoxville | TN | 48.7 mi. | (History) | | Farragut Folklife Museum | Farragut | TN | 49.5 mi. | (History) |
| | | Zoos and Aquariums |
| Knoxville Zoological Gardens | Knoxville | TN | 48.7 mi. | | | Western North Carolina Nature Center | Asheville | NC | 66.3 mi. | | | Greenville Zoo | Greenville | SC | 78.1 mi. | | | Tennessee Aquarium | Chattanooga | TN | 94.4 mi. | | | Warner Park Zoo | Chattanooga | TN | 94.4 mi. | | | Zoo Atlanta | Atlanta | GA | 114.1 mi. | |
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