Haywood County

There’s something for every taste in Haywood County!

Haywood County, NC boasts the highest average elevation of any county east of the Rockies, with 18 mountains topping 6,000 feet or higher. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the natural beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Pisgah National Forest. Adventures await along mountain biking trails and whitewater rafting rivers. The highest elevations along the Blue Ridge Parkway can be reached in Haywood County, as well.

The ridges of Haywood County bring snow in the winter and cooler temperatures in the summer, qualities that have attracted tourists and residents for generations. Early doctors prescribed visits to patients suffering from respiratory ailments—not an unpleasant prescription, by any means—and hotels once treated those suffering from tuberculosis.

Along with these health-conscious travelers, the wealthy traditionally flocked by train from Charleston and Atlanta to escape the summer heat. Two trains unloaded vacationers each day at the old train depot in what is now the Frog Level District. A horse and buggy would take visitors and their luggage three blocks to Main Street, which was lined with hotels and boarding houses.

The recently restored Frog Level District has gained recognition as a National Historic District. It is now home to a collection of small galleries and eateries.

Haywood County’s Communities

Waynesville's community-centric atmosphere is just part of what makes Haywood County a unique mountain community. The county also includes the small-town charms and mountain amenities of Clyde; Maggie Valley, a small town long popular to visitors; and Canton, an historic industrial town that takes pride in its blue-collar roots.

Learn more about Haywood County’s towns and communities:

Waynesville

High mountain peaks surround the town of Waynesville and its quaint, historic Main Street. Downtown Waynesville is a pedestrian’s dream, with much from which to choose. Fine shops, art studios and galleries, cafés, fine restaurants, and breweries line Main Street’s tree-lined brick sidewalks. The town was once billed as the Gateway to the Smokies and is now the seat of Haywood County.

On the west side of Waynesville is Hazelwood Village, which has merged with the town but maintained its own identity and evolved into a revitalized retail district. Hazelwood is home to the Folkmoot Friendship Center, which serves as the headquarters for the two-week Folkmoot international dance and music festival held every July. Waynesville is also home to the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts, which is located in the historic Shelton House.

Canton

After decades as a quiet mill town, Canton is enjoying an economic resurgence thanks to new businesses and changing demographics. The town’s charming downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but offers a fresh face to small-town living. Visitors are drawn to the historic downtown and recent business development, while new residents are attracted to the area’s affordability and quality of life.

Clyde

The oldest existing structure in Haywood County sits in Clyde, a hamlet that lies between Canton and Waynesville. The Shook-Smathers House, home to the Shook Museum, was built around 1820, with decades of additions producing the structure we see today. The home’s attic chapel hosted many storied circuit preachers over the years. A number of them left their mark in the unique collection of signatures that decorate the chapel’s walls.

Maggie Valley

Maggie Valley is just 10 miles outside of Waynesville. This quaint mountain delight sprang up to cater to visitors and still rolls out the welcome mat to travelers today. The town is an epicenter of old-time mountain fun. You can find everything from family restaurants and fine dining to foot-stomping Appalachian song and dance and some of the best snow skiing in the South. Nearby Cataloochee Valley is home to a growing elk population.