White Squirrels, Waterfalls and Wonder: A Road Trip Through Transylvania County, North Carolina

 – By Ariel Frager –

Situated snugly in the heart of the Western North Carolina temperate rainforest, Transylvania County and its most populated community of Brevard ooze Southern hospitality and small town charm. Known as an outdoor lovers playground and the “land of waterfalls”, the county boasts 1,000+ miles of hiking trails, over 400 miles of fishable trout streams, 250 waterfalls, and 350 miles of single track mountain biking. Transylvania County was mostly spared from the total destruction from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 seen in other parts of Western North Carolina. The area is once again opening its trails and its heart to visitors to help stimulate the local economy post Helene. 

Along with the wide array of outdoor activities in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Pisgah National Forest, and the DuPont Recreational Forest, families will also love the focus on arts, culture, and farm to table dining that rests at the center of life in Transylvania County. There are also white squirrels. Yeah, it’s weird and Brevard, North Carolina, is one of the few spots in North America where a large concentration of white squirrels are found. They look like little ghosts, running up the trees throughout the town.

What to Do in Brevard and Transylvania County, North Carolina

Pisgah Climbing School offers climbers and novices alike the opportunity to scale a striking white granite monolith, a major landmark in the center of the Pisgah National Forest. The rock face is over 4,000 feet and the climb up to a ridge was thrilling. Even though, I am not much of a climber, I loved the opportunity to hug this giant rock and take in the awe inspiring view from the top. One of the highlights of the half day climb was being guided and taught by Anne Marie Alewine. She provided clear instruction and helped everyone in my group feel safe, secure and made something that could be really scary, really fun. Pisgah Climbing School offers beginner and family climbing instruction and guided excursions in and around Transylvania County.

The DuPont State Recreational Forest straddles Transylvania and Henderson Counties and is known throughout the region as a major draw for mountain biking. In fact, the Brevard mountain biking community is centered around The Hub, the local bike shop/outdoor gear shop/tavern, where cyclists stop after for a pint post ride. Featuring over 80 miles of flowy trails with a few technical sections, experienced and new riders alike will find some downhill fun in DuPont Forest. I was guided by the owner of  Pura Vida Adventures, Joe Moerschbaecher who took us on a 12 mile jaunt through North Carolina’s first recreational forest. We sailed past waterfalls, granite outcroppings and through wooded single track. 

 

 

 

 

Imagine drinking a hot, expertly prepared cup of coffee during a rest stop on a hike through the land of waterfalls. This perfect combination is the brainchild of Kaitlyn Mobley, the owner and operator of Nero Coffee Hikes. Kaitlyn guides visitors on her home trails in Pisgah National Forest and filters water straight from the waterfalls to make her guests a tasty mug of coffee. She has lots of stories from her thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, where she journeyed from Georgia to Maine when she had plenty of time to think and decided to create a company pairing her love of hiking with her other passion for coffee.

Hiking is fine and all but what families love when enjoying the land of waterfalls, is to ride down one. Sliding Rock Natural Waterslide in the Pisgah National Forest is a sixty-foot rock slide that cool backsides have been shooting across for generations. The water maintains a year-round temperature of only 55 degrees Fahrenheit so the ride is as chilly as it is thrilling, down the rock face into the pool below. Like many trails and recreation areas in the Pisgah National Forest, Sliding Rock is currently closed due to damage sustained as a result of Hurricane Helene. Check the National Forest Service website for the most current information regarding trail openings.

Downtown Brevard is the picture of an Appalachian small town. The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains offer verdant vistas and the town’s Social District is an open container policy that gives visitors a chance to stroll through the shops, galleries and music halls with a beverage in hand. The cute shops are just waiting to be explored. A few of my favorites were the Starfangled Press, a fun and funky gallery featuring hand printed art prints, t-shirts, stickers and more. Women owned and operated in Brevard for over 30 years, DD Bulwinkel’s has all the gear and clothing families need to make the most of the vast outdoor offerings in the area. I fell in love with Newfound Artisan, a bespoke shop carrying handcrafted goods from dozens of local artists and makers. With a focus on workwear, leather and metal work, the shop is great for browsing and Newfound Artisan also offers workshops led by the craftspeople they feature. One of my favorite things there was an art print vending machine. For four quarters, shoppers can roll the dice of chance to see what cute, tiny print drops out of the machine. I ran out of quarters much too quickly otherwise I would have kept playing until I had all of the half of dozen prints. 

Where to Eat in Brevard, North Carolina

Authentic Mexican food in the center of downtown Brevard,  Quixote serves up some tasty home recipes from Guadalajara. Chile, mole, and an array of homemade salsas spice up the offerings that are paired beautifully with “Brevard’s Best Margarita” or any of the other 12 margaritas on their menu. Quixote’s signature dish is the creamy Sopa de Zanahoria, a carrot soup made tangy and irresistible with blended sour cream and spices. 

Tasty ice cream is a summer seasonal treat at Dolly’s Dairy Bar. Giant cones of locally made soft serve can be enjoyed on Dolly’s porch that is lined with old fashioned rocking chairs. Dolly’s sustained quite a bit of damage from the hurricane but is expected to reopen in spring 2025. 

Lake Toxaway was a historic playground of the early 20th century uber wealthy, like the Rockafellers, the Fords and the Edisons. Many well-to-do East Coast families built their summer get-a-ways on the lake to enjoy the fresh mountain air. Harking back to that earlier time, the Grand Ole Station restaurant is housed in a train depot from 1900 and the decor and feel of the space can bring folks back to the heyday of Lake Toxaway. 

Cedar Mountain Canteen takes the ultimate heart-centered approach to business by focusing on community, music and collective ownership. The vision for the zero-waste pub and music venue, original owners Kim Coram and John Wiseman shifted to a worked-owned collective to ensure the pub’s endurance as they slide into retirement. The pub has 14 taps of local beers and a giant wall of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The bier garden has a small stage that welcomes local musicians daily. 

Visitors looking for a special occasion restaurant will enjoy the ever changing menu at  Wild Morel. Chef Tony Pope’s 25 year tour of the cream of Southern restaurants has landed in the community of Brevard to offer his take on farm to table Italian influenced fare. The wine and bar program elevate the experience with well matched drinks. 

Where to Stay in Brevard, North Carolina

Located at the gateway to Pisgah National Forest, Pilot Cove offers luxury forest lodging. The treehouse-like cabins are built into the hillside and feature views of the trees and the not so far away mountains. It’s a short drive into downtown Brevard and about 45 minutes from Asheville. I loved the spacious cabin that came with a private balcony outfitted with an Adirondack chair and a hammock for fresh air nap time post outdoor adventures. 

The area features a range of accommodations from lodges and inns to bed and breakfasts and AirBNBs, camping spots and hotel/motel options. Each week more and more lodging options reopen after the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene.

 

 

Ariel Frager loves to get outside to play, be it surfing, traveling the world or walking the dog. She is a school counselor and mental health therapist during the week and pursues her passion for exploring new places and cultures as a travel writer. Ariel’s writing has been published in a variety of print and online outlets including: Travel + Leisure, Gear Junkie, Bearfoot Theory, Family Vacationist and others. Ariel writes about outdoor and family adventures in her beloved Pacific Northwest and beyond. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.