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Activity Bryson City, Cherokee

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

An activity in Bryson City, Cherokee, pricey ($$$) and worth about 4 hours. Best time to go: Oct.

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Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City, Cherokee
Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0 · license

Why go

Scenic train excursion from Bryson City along the Tuckasegee and Nantahala.

It is one of 13 curated places we feature in Cherokee, alongside 5 sights, 3 outdoor spots and 2 places to eat. The closest of our other picks is Mountain Layers Brewing Company, 0.1 mi away as the crow flies. Set aside about 4 hours here; it works best as the anchor of a day rather than a quick stop.

Type
Activity · Adventure
Neighborhood
Bryson City
Price
$$$
Time needed
4 hr
Best time
Oct

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Cherokee, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Mountain Layers Brewing Company

    Downtown Bryson City brewery with 16 taps, an upstairs deck over Main Street and a food truck out back.

    Drinks · 0.1 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Oconaluftee Indian Village

    Living-history village of 1760s Cherokee life with guided tours.

    Sight · 8.1 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    Museum of the Cherokee People

    Museum telling the Cherokee story from earliest times to today.

    Sight · 8.4 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual

    Cherokee artists' cooperative selling baskets, pottery and carvings.

    Shopping · 8.4 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    Peter's Pancakes & Waffles

    Cherokee breakfast spot by the river, a local standby.

    Food · 8.9 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Granny's Kitchen

    Southern buffet of fried chicken, vegetables and cobbler in Cherokee.

    Food · 9.3 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a stop on our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More to do in Cherokee

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is our only activity pick in Cherokee; here is what else we recommend there. See the full Cherokee guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Cherokee run from 45°F in January to 84°F in August; July is usually the wettest month. For Great Smoky Mountains Railroad itself, we suggest: Oct.

Modelled monthly averages for Cherokee from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Cherokee weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
45 Mitchell St, Bryson City, NC 28713, USA
Coordinates
35.42942, -83.44849
Destination
Cherokee, North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad: quick answers

How much time do you need at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad?

Plan on about 4 hours at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Great Smoky Mountains Railroad?

Our pick: Oct. Insider tip: Book the Nantahala Gorge trip in fall.

Where is Great Smoky Mountains Railroad?

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is at 45 Mitchell St, Bryson City, NC 28713, USA. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Great Smoky Mountains Railroad?

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad appears on Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Great Smoky Mountains Railroad to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Cherokee.

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Also in Cherokee

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.