Brevard

Transylvania County

Why visit Brevard, Transylvania County

Brevard, located in Transylvania County in North Carolina is a classic American small town, vibrant with Southern Appalachian charm, culture, music and history. It is surrounded by over 100,000 acres of pristine public lands, including Pisgah and Nantahalla National Forests, DuPont State Recreational Forest, Gorges State Park, and Headwaters State Forest.

Here, visitors can explore stunning hiking and mountain biking trails, the third oldest river in the world, the French Broad, and the largest rock monolith east of the Mississippi, Looking Glass Rock.

Nicknamed “Land of Waterfalls,” Brevard and Transylvania County possess the largest concentration of waterfalls in North America, over 250 in total. Read further to learn more about a green holiday in Transylvania County.

There’s an unspoiled town in Western North Carolina called Brevard nestled in the center of the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounded by national forests and public land. It offers one-of-a-kind opportunities to pursue the highest level of outdoor activity – be it fly fishing, mountain biking, road cycling, rock climbing, hiking, camping, or whatever else floats your canoe. There is a little something for everyone here in the Heart of Adventure, no matter what calls to you.

Culture & Local Life

Transylvania County is part of the federally designated Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, encompassing the twenty-five westernmost counties of North Carolina. It serves as the steward of the living traditions of our region, protecting and promoting the unique music, crafts, outdoors, foodways and Cherokee culture unique to western North Carolina.

Brevard is home to the renowned Brevard Music Center, a summer music festival that draws classical music students and performers from around the world. It is also home to the Cradle of Forestry, a 6,500 acre, federally-protected historic site located in Pisgah National Forest that celebrates the US’s first forest school and the birth of sustainable forestry.

Getting around

It is amazingly easy for visitors to see the best of what the county has to offer on foot and by bike. Brevard offers a compact, walkable downtown and the city is also recognized for its many miles of bikepaths with multiple access points to Pisgah National Forest. The Forest has hundreds of miles of single-track and multi-track trails for exploration.

Sustainability

Brevard takes sustainablity seriously, and is one of the first destinations in North Carolina to take active steps to reduce waste, save energy and improve and maintain critical forest infrastructure (trails, etc.) to preserve our natural beauty for generations to come.

Nature & Wildlife

With over 100,000 acres of public lands to explore, Brevard is the perfect base camp for outdoor exploration. Hikers and bikers come for the hundreds of miles of single-track and multi-track trails that lace Pisgah, Gorges and DuPont. Paddlers love exploring the headwaters of the French Broad River, third oldest river in the world. Climbers take on the challenge of the formidable Looking Glass Rock, an enormous granite pluton.

Visitors of every age flock to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and its popular exhibits and programs, as well as the Cradle of Forestry, with its child-friendly exhibits and historic walking trails.

Health and Safety

Communication and adherence to safety protocols are key aspects of Transylvania County’s protective measures. The unselfish pooling of resources and the generous spirit of collaboration between government and non-government entities through a new COVID-19-inspired organization (Transylvania Tomorrow) allowed Transylvania County to work quickly and effectively to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to set the stage for a quicker recovery. As a result, Transylvania County has the fifth lowest infection rate per 100,000 of all 100 counties in North Carolina.

Information videos, posters, local businesses and social media initiatives constantly reinforce the “Three W’s Guidelines” that are at the heart of our community’s COVID response.

Good Practice Story

The resulting impact of tourism on our natural resources
has gone up correspondingly to the level where the terms “overuse” and “loved to death” were creeping more frequently into conversations related to the enjoyment of our natural resources. Our forest trails have become rutted and overcrowded. Complaints from hikers, bicyclists, and horse riders regarding dangerous confrontations and failures to yield were occurring almost daily during heavy use
seasons. Tourists were ignoring warning signs around natural hazards, were being swept over the tops of waterfalls, and were causing other preventable and sometimes fatal mishaps at the rate of several each year.

The story tells how Transylvania County and Brevard, North Carolina was facing with impact of tourism on natural resources.

Explore Brevard

ExploreBrevard.com is a clearing house for useful tips and information about Brevard and Transylvania County. Here you will find sample itineraries, attractions information, hotel and restaurant listings and much more.

Travel Tip

Sustainability Recognition

Brevard, North Carolina was selected and awarded in both the 2020 and 2021 Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories.

What does it mean?

They have shown at least 60% compliance with the Green Destinations Core Criteria. Check out their scorecard to see their performance on each criterion.
They have submitted a story that was selected to the list for its innovative, effective and / or transferable good management practice.