Things to Do

For those who may want to do more than just relax in, on and around the lake, the area provides a variety of indoor and outdoor entertainment choices.

Dinning

Rib Country BBQ
Murphy, NC (828) 837-4444
El Rio Mexican Restaurant
Copperhill, TN (423) 496-1826
Bistro 29
Murphy, NC (828) 837-9022
Murphy Chophouse
Murphy, NC (828) 835-3287
Chevelle’s 66
Murphy, NC (828) 835-7001
Shoebooties Cafe
Murphy, NC (828) 837-4589
The Parson’s Pub
Murphy, NC (828) 837-4151
The Daily Grind & Wine
Murphy, NC (828) 835-7322
Legend Steakhouse
Murphy, NC (828) 837-8500

Golf
golf

The area has some spectacular mountain golf.
Brasstown Valley Resort
18 hole par 72 Young Harris, GA
(800) 201-3205
Butternut Creek Golf Course
18 hole par 72 Blairsville, GA
(706) 745-5153
Chatuge Shores Golf Course
18 hole par 72 Hayesville, GA
(828) 389-8940
Copper Basin Golf Club
9 hole Copperhill, TN
(423) 496-3579
Mountain Harbour Golf Course
18 hole par 72 Hayesville, NC
(828) 389-4111

National Parks & Forests
parks

The area’s parks are a national treasure and great for a scenic drive, hiking, biking and picnics. Visit the National Park Service for more detailed information.
Appalachian Trail
A 2,160 mile foot trail along the ridge crests and across the major valleys of the Appalachian Mountains from Katahdin in the central Maine wilderness to Springer Mountain in a designated wilderness area in north Georgia.
Cherohala Skyway
Crossing the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests from Robbinsville, NC to Tellico Plains, TN.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Established in 1934, covers 520,408 acres of land with heights ranging from 840 feet at Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome.
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
A tribute to a hero whose poem “Trees” inspired millions. The Forest Service inauguarated the Little Santeelah as the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in 1935.
Mountain Waters Scenic Byway
The byway begins in Highlands traveling approximately 61 miles winding through southern Appalachian hardwood forests, by numerous waterfalls and lakes and through two river gorges.
Nantahala National Forest
The foret lies in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina with elevations as high as 5,800 feet at Lone Bald in Jackson County, to a low 1,200 feet in Cherokee County along the Tusquitee River.

Theme Parks

DollyWood Pigeon Forge, TN – escape to the unique world of Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain theme park.
Lake Winnepesaukah Chattanooga, TN (877) 525-3946 – rated as one of Americas Top 10 family amusement parks by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Fishing

Boat registration and fishing licenses for in-state and out-of-state visitors can be purchased online at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s web site or by calling (888) 248-6834.

Festivals and Shows

Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds plays host to several popular annual events including the Georgia Mountain Fair, the Superstar Concert Series, the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival and Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers’ Convention.
Unto These Hills Cherokee, NC – An outdoor drama telling the tragic story of how the Cherokee ancestors were forcefully driven out of the Great Smoky Mountains and marched 1,200 miles to Oklahoma.

Gaming

Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel Murphy, NC
Tribal Bingo Cherokee, NC (800) 410-1254

Horseback Riding

Blanche Manor Copperhill, TN (706) 455-RIDE
Brasstown Valley Stables Young Harris, GA (706) 379-9900

Movie Cinemas

Henn Theatre Murphy, NC (828) 837-2618
Swan Drive-In Theatre Blue Ridge, GA (706) 632-5235
Twin Cinema Blairsville, GA (706) 745-8222
Twin Cinema Blue Ridge, GA (706) 632-7202
Twin Cinema Andrews, NC (828) 321-3333

Shopping
helen

Cherokee County NC – includes the towns of Murphy, Andrews and Brasstown. Come find your “peace” of the mountains.
Gatlinburg, TN – The Heart of the Smokies.
Helen, GA – re-creation of an alpine village famous for Oktoberfest.
Pigeon Forge, TN – one of the fastest growing tourist cities in the South.

Tours and Exhibits

Biltmore Estate Asheville, NC (800) 543-2961 – built on a 125,000 acre (now 8,000 acres) estate as the home of George Vanderbilt, the 250-room French Renaissance chateau known as Biltmore House is the largest private residence in America.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Blue Ridge, GA (800) 934-1898 – 26 mile tip along the Taccoa river in vintage passenger cars.
Fields Of The Wood Murphy, NC (828) 494-7855 – visit biblical monuments, replicas of Golgotha and Joseph’s tomb and the world’s largest set of the Ten Commandments.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (800) 872-4681 – train excursions through western North Carolina mountains.
Lost Sea Sweetwater, TN – America’s largest underground lake located deep inside craighead caverns
Rock City Lookout Mtn, GA – Experience Rock City and view 7 states from atop Lookout Mtn.
Ruby Falls Chattanooga, TN – America’s highest underground waterfall open to the public.
Tennessee Aquarium Chattanooga, TN – visit the world’s largest freshwater aquarium.

White Water Rafting

Enjoy both guided and unguided trips on the Nantahala River or guided trips on the more challenging Ocoee River, site of the 1996 Olympic kayak competitions.
rafting
Nantahala Outdoor Center (800) 232-7238 – Nantahala
Rolling Thunder River Company (800) 408-7238 – Ocoee or Nantahala river trips.
Wildwater Ltd. Rafting (800) 451-9972 – Ocoee or Nantahala river trips.