Family Getaway to Bryson City: Exploring the Smoky Mountains
There’s something special about escaping to the mountains. On our recent trip to Bryson City, North Carolina, we traded the busyness of daily life for crisp mountain air, winding rivers, and quiet nights under the stars. We booked our stay with R Four Collective, a property company that owns several beautiful cabins in the area. Our home for the long weekend was the Dogwood Branch cabin, tucked near Fontana Lake with a cozy neighborhood stocked pond perfect for fishing.
Photo taken from R Four Collective “Dogwood Branch” Listing
This is the gorgeous exterior of the cabin. There’s plenty of room for an entire group to sit around a campfire and enjoy a beautiful evening in the mountains.
Just down the road sits Almond Boat and RV Park, where you can rent pontoon boats for about $400 a day. While we didn’t rent one this time, it’s a great option for anyone looking to enjoy Fontana’s wide-open waters. Instead, we packed our trip full of mountain adventures.
Another great perk of the cabin and its location is it’s only a short drive to Cades Cove. About an hour drive and you can enter through the back of the cove on Forge Creek Rd. which allows you to enter at the visitor center and be about halfway through the loop when you enter. Though we had planned to take this as an opportunity to visit Cades Cove again we opted out due to new rules and regulations they’re cracking down on when it comes to children and driving around the loop. Everyone must be buckled into their seats, kids must be in car seats and that makes doing what normally takes 4 hours to drive much more difficult with young children, especially rear facing toddlers. We decided, with these new rules it’s best to wait a few years before we return so the kids are more comfortable and we are not breaking any laws.
Between Bryson City and Nantahala
The cabin is perfectly located between Bryson City and Nantahala Gorge, making it easy to experience the best of both. A short drive down Hwy 74 took us to Wesser, home of the Nantahala Outdoor Center. This hub for adventure offers everything from rafting to fishing to camping.
One evening, Madi and I slipped away while the kids stayed back with their grandparents. We grabbed a beer, sat by the river, and listened to the water rush past—a peaceful moment that felt like a gift. We wandered through the shops too, eyeing the outdoor gear and daydreaming about our next adventures.
Views of Nantahala Outdoor Center store from across the river their river side bar seating.
Instead of heading straight back, we decided to drive further down the Nantahala Gorge. Along the river we stumbled across a small ice cream shack and knew we needed to extend our time away from the kids and treat ourselves a little further. We ordered cones, sat by the water, and laughed at my attempt to fish while holding an ice cream cone—turns out that’s harder than it sounds, but it made for one of those silly little memories we’ll never forget.
Hiking and Wildlife in Cataloochee Valley
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Cataloochee Valley, a quiet corner of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that’s easily become one of our favorite places to visit when in Western North Carolina. The valley is dotted with remnants of an old farming community and feels like a smaller, more hidden version of Cades Cove. As we hiked, we enjoyed the stillness of the mountains and the history that’s preserved all around. On our way out, we were blessed to have spotted a couple elk grazing near one of the old churches, offering up a perfect opportunity to capture some more great images.
Fishing the Upper Nantahala
Fishing was another big part of our trip. We headed up to the Upper Nantahala River, above the powerhouse where the water narrows and the fishing gets exciting. We found sandy banks that were perfect for the kids to play around while I cast my line. There’s one spot in particular I’ve fished before, and it was just as good as I remembered. The kids had an absolute blast getting in the water, covering themselves in sand and casting a fly rod. It turned out to just be a nice peaceful afternoon sitting on a riverbank with the family.
Below are a few shots of fish caught in this same area almost 10 years prior. The upper Nantahala is one of the best fisheries in the Bryson City area and offers easy access for wading. Fishing the delayed harvest times of the year will improve your daily catch but also finding wild and native fish can be a lot of fun the further up you go on the river.
Small Town Charm and Family Memories
Outside of the river and trails, we enjoyed wandering downtown Bryson City, exploring the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and walking through the historic trail exhibit. The trip was extra special because it coincided with my wife’s mother’s birthday. She and the grandparents joined us, giving our boys extra playtime and us a little help along the way. Watching them share their favorite spots in the mountains with their grandparents was a joy in itself.
For me, these trips are also about capturing memories. I carried my film camera while Madi took the Sony, and together we froze little pieces of time to look back on. There’s something grounding about photographing the mountains—maybe because no matter how many pictures you take, they always remind you to pause and take in the view.
Bryson City has a way of pulling you in. Between the calm of Fontana Lake, the adventures of the Nantahala, the wildlife of Cataloochee, and the history of the Smokies, there’s always something new to experience. Add in a comfortable cabin like Dogwood Branch from R Four Collective, and you have the perfect home base for a family getaway.
It was a trip filled with quiet hikes, laughter by the river, and memories that will stick with us for a long time. And something tells me we’ll be back before too long.
