After Hurricane Helene, tourism in Western North Carolina took a hit. Now, the area is trying to recover both physically and financially from this natural disaster. Below is a non-exhaustive list of towns asking for visitors. Other mountain communities desire your business too, and so it is always a good idea to check in ahead to the area you are traveling to!
It is generally understood that Western North Carolina does one-fifth of North Carolina’s Tourism & Hospitality trade each year! It is important to note that while many communities weren’t directly affected by the storm, because they are not getting tourism traffic, those areas have most certainly been indirectly affected by the crisis.
Please support small businesses whenever you can. This will help the people of these communities against the fiscal impact of the storm.
Cities that are welcoming visitors in WNC:
- Brevard
- Hendersonville
- Tryon
- Saluda
- Boone
- Blowing Rock
- Cullowhee
- Sylva
- Bryson City
- Maggie Valley
- Waynesville
- Weaverville
- Highlands
- Sapphire
- Cashiers
- Cherokee
- Dillsboro
- Fontana
- Robbinsville
- Nantahala
- Scaly Mountain
- Franklin
- Murphy
- Andrews
- Hayesville
Hardest Hit Areas:
Some of the hardest hit areas are still in recovery mode and it is important to let those communities work through their pressing needs before visiting.
These areas could include:
- Swannanoa
- Asheville
- Black Mountain
- Old Fort
- Chimney Rock
- Lake Lure
- Bat Cave
- Marshall
- Hot Springs
- Burnsville
- Spruce Pine
Safety and Emergency Information
- ReadyNC.gov
- DriveNC.gov (road closures)
- NC Emergency Management: Facebook | Instagram
- NCWRC: Potential for increased human-bear conflicts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
- NCFS: Following Hurricane Helene, NC Forest Service urging the public to be careful and responsible with outdoor fire
Things You’ll Learn by Listening:
The Carolina Outdoors is powered by local outdoor outfitter in Charlotte, plus, fly fishing guided trips that originate at Jesse Brown’s, the fly shop of Charlotte, are ongoing.
